A COUPLE from Huddersfield who started a new life in France are the stars of a reality TV show.

Geoff Nalson, 54, and wife Joanne, 41, gave up life in Huddersfield last year to follow their dream to run a bed and breakfast in Normandy, north-west France.

Television cameras for the new Channel 5 show A Home Abroad followed the intrepid pair as they left their home town, travelled to Normandy and began to build a new life in the sleepy village of Contrieres, near Coutances.

Mr Nalson, who worked for family engineering firm Dyson and Nalson for 33 years, said the couple got the developing bug after renovating a house in Batley.

He added: "The house in France is called Le Quesnay and is a much bigger project.

"I had retired and didn't particularly want to sit around doing nothing.

"Joanne used to own Designer Drapes in Gomersal, so she is good at design. For me it was like a big DIY project."

The couple originally looked at a hotel on Scotland's Isle of Skye.

Mr Nalson said: "We got there and it was raining heavily.

"The owner told us he had had only one day off in the last eight years - so we thought this wasn't for us and decided to look further south."

The couple bought their new home - a four-bedroomed farmhouse complete with barns, chicken sheds and two-and-a-half acres of land - last January and moved there in April.

They lived in a caravan for four months as work got under way.

Mr Nalson said: "The electrical system is different over here, so we got in a local electrician, plumber and builder to give us a hand.

"The presenter of the show came over three times and we were followed by a camera crew.

"They recorded more than 60 50-minute tapes to make one hour of TV."

Mr Nalson said he was pleased he and his wife had taken the plunge and moved abroad.

He added: "Obviously it's very difficult if you don't know the language, but we are learning and the local people have made us feel very welcome.

"We are convinced we will be able to pull off running the B&B.

"It's about as far as you can get in terms of lifestyle from Huddersfield but we are glad we chose to do it."

The Channel 5 series starts on January 28 and will run for eight weeks.

For more information about the TV show and the Nalson's guest house log onto www.frenchlife4u.com