Cofton Holidays to feature on Channel 5's Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday

South Devon’s multi award-winning holiday park, Cofton Holidays, is set to hit the nation’s TV screens this March when it features in Channel 5’s Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday. 

Following the success of its house-swapping documentary series, Rich House, Poor House, Channel 5’s new reality show will follow two families with very different household incomes as they swap holidays.  

Episode two, due to air on Sunday 1st March at 9pm, follows wealthy Cheshire entrepreneur Jude Cisse and her family as they swap their luxury villa in Morocco for a caravan at Cofton Holidays near Dawlish. Meanwhile, the McQueen family who live off £450 a week, enjoy the Moroccan villa having not been on a holiday for two years. 

Arriving at the 80-acre holiday park, Jude, her four children and her mum appeared to be impressed after seeing the vast range of on-site facilities and inside the modern caravan. The families don’t just swap holiday destinations, they have to swap vacation activities too. While the McQueen’s enjoyed a relaxing time in the private villa, the Cisse family immersed themselves in Cofton’s family-friendly facilities and on site entertainment. 

Heading to the outdoor pool, Jude’s eldest son had reservations about sharing a pool with so many others enjoying the summer sun, so they chose to use the quieter heated indoor pool instead. By the end of their break though, the family were enjoying the outdoor pool too.

With a budget just a fraction of what they were normally used to, the Cisse clan made full use of Cofton’s on-site facilities, which meant they didn’t have to venture out and about, spending money that they didn’t have. 

During their break, the children discovered an unfound love of fishing on Cofton’s five coarse fishing lakes, aided by Cofton’s resident award-winning Angling Coach, Roly Palmer, who showed the boys how it’s done. Teaching them a brand-new skill, the boys enjoyed the experience so much that they decided to take up the sport when they returned home to Cheshire.

Jude’s son, Marley, commented: “Today, my day was lovely. I think it’s better than Morocco, because you go fishing, and the weather here is decent. Morocco is too hot. I am very happy here.” 

The Cisse family also enjoyed a trip to Cofton’s bowling alley and arcade, and dug in heartily to locally sourced food in Cofton’s on-site restaurants, Amelia’s Pantry and the Warren Retreat. 

At the end of the holiday swap, the McQueens and the Cisses had the opportunity to see how much they spent in total on their ‘rich holiday’ and ‘poor holiday’. By staying at Cofton Holidays, the Cisse family only spent £627 in total, as opposed to the McQueen’s who spent £11,000. 

Helen Scott, Director of Cofton Holidays, commented: “We were delighted to be asked to be a part of Channel 5’s Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday. It was a great opportunity to show the Cisse family that you can make amazing memories when you are on a budget and that you don’t have to spend thousands of pounds. At Cofton Holidays, we strive to deliver great value holiday experiences that the whole family can enjoy. That’s why many of our on-site facilities and activities are included in the price.” 

Helen continued: “It was heart-warming to hear that Jude’s son wanted to carry on fishing when he returned home after learning the skill here at Cofton. That’s what we’re all about. We create amazing memories and give our holidaymakers experiences that they will never forget. We hope to welcome the Cisse family back to Cofton Holidays in the future.” 

Cofton Holidays is a family-run holiday park based near the pretty coastline of Dawlish Warren. Guests can look forward to a host of on-site facilities including a heated indoor pool with splash pad area and hydrotherapy loungers, a gym, restaurant, pub, steam room, sauna, fitness studio, soft play area, playground, sports wall, outdoor pools and much more. Guests also have access to five coarse fishing lakes, miles of cycle paths and nature trails that take visitors through woodland to the golden sands of Dawlish Warren beach and nature reserve. 

Free kids’ clubs take place each day throughout the school holidays and from Easter through to October half term. Other free activities on site include the Woodland Adventure Area which features a 25m zip line, a climbing cage, rope ladders, balance beam, balance lines and scramble nets. 

Cofton Holidays is home to a range of accommodation which includes camping and caravanning facilities, apartments, holiday homes, dog-friendly cottages and hot-tub cottages. Brand new for 2020, the Cofton Copse luxury lodge collection will be available to stay in from April 2020. 

To book, visit www.coftonholidays.co.uk or call 01626 890111. 

Watch Cofton Holidays on Rich Holiday, Poor Holiday on Channel 5 on Sunday 1st March, 9pm.