Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr review: A show more flamboyant than Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s outfits, writes ROLAND WHITE

Alan Carr wore a pale pink suit and sneakers as he plopped down on a yellow couch next to judge Michelle Ogundehin, who wore an electric blue outfit. Blue, pink and yellow? Darlings, what did you think?

Interior Design Masters with Alan Carr (BBC1) is nothing if not colourful. The only place where you can find brighter and more flamboyant shades is Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen’s wardrobe.

There are ten contestants lined up for this fifth series, and some of them were definitely dressed to impress. Teacher Francesca had a one-piece outfit that looked like it was borrowed from Andy Pandy.

Lingerie maker Ben apparently came straight from an artist’s attic in 19th-century Paris. He had a beret, a loose white top and a mustache that could have been made by Isambard Kingdom Brunel. It made Hercule Poirot look clean-shaven.

Alan Carr and Michelle Ogundehin. This week’s challenge took participants to a former monastery in Norfolk

This week’s challenge took participants to a former convent in Norfolk, where their mission was to transform the nuns’ small bedrooms into stylish B&B accommodation.

It was clear from early on that Ben would be the star of the show. He turned his room into a replica of an 1870 train car, and it was beautiful. ‘Oh my!’ said guest judge Abigail Ahern. “I’m blown away.”

Me too, but when Ben first explained his idea I misunderstood and thought he was simulating a 1970s train carriage. Abigail would certainly have been less impressed. And it’s so hard to get your hands on those British Rail sandwiches these days that curl so nicely at the edges.

Francesca’s room had peachy orange decor that Alan thought was the same shade as ‘David Dickinson on the first day of his holiday’. A new color name for Farrow & Ball perhaps.

Illustrator Domnall, who remembered living in a former convent, opted for a Sound Of Music theme — complete with a Julie Andrews figure on the wall. How fitting that the two judges mentioned this as one of their favorite things.

It was clear early on who would become a top designer and who would go home. Ben’s Victorian carriage was well ahead of everyone else. When he heard he had won, he burst into tears. Then there was Sheree. She also opted for a Sound Of Music theme, but not in a way that you would notice.

Her idea was to use the blue and green colors of the film’s opening moments. Her curtains were decorated with some paint and it looked like she had lost interest halfway through. And while her rivals rushed to finish, she lay relaxing in the sun.

Almost inevitably, she was the first to leave the series. She took it very well, perhaps because it wasn’t a surprise. As she admitted, she was quite inexperienced in the world of design. That’s a bit like a MasterChef contestant admitting that their signature dish is toast.