Haywards Heath resident goes on a TV adventure in Channel 4’s The Perfect Pitch

A Haywards Heath resident has taken part in an adventurous new Channel 4 TV show, which is airing this week.
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Chris Kenrick, 34, of Queens Road, stars in The Perfect Pitch, a competition series that sees a revolving cast of campers explore the UK in caravans, campervans or motorhomes.

It airs on weekdays at 5.30pm with the goal of finding the best campsites in Britain that offer some of the greatest activities nearby.

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Chris, a security operations manager who lives with his partner Rosie, filmed his section of the show in the Lake District with his friend Chelsie Padley over two weeks in June and July.

Chris Kenrick and Chelsie Padley are on The Perfect Pitch, weekdays, 5.30pm on Channel 4. Picture: Avanti Media.Chris Kenrick and Chelsie Padley are on The Perfect Pitch, weekdays, 5.30pm on Channel 4. Picture: Avanti Media.
Chris Kenrick and Chelsie Padley are on The Perfect Pitch, weekdays, 5.30pm on Channel 4. Picture: Avanti Media.

“My experience was an absolutely incredible one,” said Chris, who had never taken part in a TV programme before.

“We did paddle boarding, we did wake surfing and we went on some paddle steamers,” he said, adding that the ‘big mix’ of activities also involved riding Cumbrian heavy horses.

The episode with the horses airs tonight (Thursday, September 30, 5.30pm) and is rather emotional, said Chris.

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“I don’t know if they’ve got me on tears on camera but horses are a bit of thing for me, because I had a horse when I was younger and it had to be put to sleep,” he said.

Wednesday’s episode, which was somewhat nerve wracking, saw Chris traversing a wire bridge above a slate mine and also zip lining inside the mine itself.

“Those sorts of things don’t really bother me until I’m halfway across it and I haven’t got anywhere else to go,” he said.

“But the feeling that you get after you’ve done it can’t be replicated.”

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Chris became involved with the series after Chelsie, a 30-year-old fitness coach from Bognor Regis, converted a VW T6 panel van, nicknamed ‘Dora’, so she could work on the go and travel at a moment’s notice.

Chelsie was contacted about the show, made by production company Avanti, and Chris was asked to take part too, and thought ‘why not?’.

“I’m not used to cameras following me everywhere I go but it was a free holiday and something I would probably be doing maybe with Chelsie anyway,” he said.

Chris said he and Chelsie actually met through a dating app but quickly realised there was no romantic spark and found that they would make great friends instead.

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Chris went on to say that he and Chelsie are in five episodes, which started on Monday this week.

“You get three different pairs each week and you go to five different campsites in a region of the UK,” he said.

“We did The Lake District and other regions featured are the Jurassic Coast, Pembrokeshire and Somerset.”

Chris said participants visit five campsites in each region, do a couple of activities and then give the campsites a rating at the end.

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At the end of the week they vote for ‘the perfect pitch’ out of those five.

“It’s more of a competition for the campsites than it is for us,” he said.

“It’s the entertainment value around the campsite and what you can do there and how the campsite presented itself visually.”

The Perfect Pitch aims to show sites that feature stunning views, private beaches, adventure pursuits or spa facilities and encourages viewers to experience these things themselves.

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“Tonight’s episode, Baystone Bank Farm Campsite was my personal favourite, but I think every campsite gave something towards what I would say is a perfect pitch,” said Chris.

“It was just gorgeous scenery, a gorgeous setting and the lady that owns the site, Annie Rose, I’m still in touch with her now, she’s just an incredible woman,” he said.

But Chris said parts of making the show were challenging and that there was a lot of work.

“The hardest part was waiting around to do each task,” he said.

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“Travelling to do each activity and to campsites as well was a bit taxing because you couldn’t go by the direct route you would normally take,” he added, saying they had to be filmed taking the scenic route.

“Monday’s episode had us building rafts on Lake Windermere,” he said.

“That was about three and a half minutes of TV footage but we actually filmed that for nearly four hours.”

But Chris said the production company Avanti was ‘just incredible’ and that it was great to meet everyone involved in the show.

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“The best part for me was getting to meet these people, both cast and crew, who I will hopefully stay in touch with forever,” he said.

The Perfect Pitch is on weekdays, 5.30pm, on Channel 4.