Life after DIY SOS: How one family’s TV renovation dream turned to nightmare when the cameras stopped rolling

A family who appeared on DIY SOS but were later attacked by online trolls have revealed what life is like after their reality show nightmare.

Jackie Hutchinson, who stars in DIY SOS with husband Colin and their three children, was bombarded with abuse and accused of being part of a ‘scam’ after the Covid pandemic delayed its events.

The family, from Corby, Northamptonshire, appeared on the popular BBC show hosted by Nick Knowles and his team in October 2019.

However, the onset of the pandemic caused the rest of the series to be postponed, and the episode of the deserving family was only released in May 2022.

The family was subsequently subjected to a campaign of harassment and was even accused of having their home renovated by the show and then selling it to finance a move to Dubai; It’s an allegation that Ms Hutchinson described as ‘very hurtful’.

But when DIY SOS returned to our screens with a new series last Friday, October 3, the Hutchinsons revealed what life was like for them in their converted home.

The family said that despite some critics making up lies about their experience, the “astonishing” positivity actually far outweighed any negativity.

However, they now completely avoid using social media.

After: Colin (left) and Jackie (centre) with DIY SOS TV presenter Nick Knowles (right) while filming the show in October 2019

Stunning home now has a kitchen complete with island, bar stools and wooden dining table

The officer told the Daily Mail how the change made to their property to support his son Jordan, now 22, was a “life changer”.

She said her eldest child, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy, was given a new life with ‘independence, freedom, privacy and dignity’.

Mrs Hutchinson smiled: ‘Ours is certainly a success story. It was a fantastic experience and we are forever grateful to the BBC for helping us change and improve our lives for the better.’

He admitted: ‘Yes, we were subjected to some terrible and very hurtful abuse but we tried to ignore it and it’s all in the past now.’

Nick and his team, along with volunteers from the community, helped the family flip their home for nine days to support Jordan, who was a teenager at the time.

The 40-year-old devoted mother, who loves to travel with her family, gave a glimpse into their busy lives since the show.

Jordan, a billiards enthusiast who plays this sport in a local league, continues to improve.

With demonstrations and daily practices, he was given a specially adapted pool table and cue.

Jordan’s mother said: ‘He absolutely loves snooker and plays every day and is participating in a tournament called the European Disabled Challenge Series and he played in a match we took him to on Saturday 4 October.’

The new house was equipped with a shower room accessible to Jordan, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

Pictured: Jordan in new bedroom with adapted bed, walk-in closet space and desk

The exterior has also been transformed, with Jackie Hutchinson (pictured middle) telling the Daily Mail how the change was ‘life-changing’.

His mother said: ‘He absolutely loves snooker and plays every day. ‘He is participating in a tournament called the European Disabled Challenge Series and took part in a match we took him to on Saturday 4 October.’

Jordan even learned to drive in a specially adapted Hyundai 10 with the help of his grandmother, Carol Reynolds, and has now passed his test.

He said: ‘Jordan is doing great. He realizes how lucky he is regarding his home.

He was 16 when we implemented ‘DIY SOS’ and the return to a fully accessible home had a huge impact on him.

‘It was perfect timing and meant he could manage bathroom duties himself, with a private toilet and wet room.

‘This gave him independence, freedom, privacy and dignity.’

Ms Hutchinson continued: ‘The house is absolutely stunning and is still exactly the same as when Nick and his team transformed it.

‘I wish they could do a follow-up to show how we’re all doing and how well the house is still working for us.’

Jordan has now passed his driving test and is driving a specially adapted Hyundai 10 car

His wife and mother Jackie (pictured left) said they attended the programme: ‘Yes, we were subjected to some horrific and very hurtful abuse but we tried to ignore it and it’s all in the past now.’

Jordan’s mother says she now has “independence, freedom, privacy and dignity” after their home was transformed

The conversion of their three-bedroom house into a four-bed house that is ‘accessible and electric throughout’ is ‘priceless!’ He described it as.

Mrs Hutchinson added: ‘We are a busy family living at 1000 miles per hour and Jordan is now completely independent in terms of toileting and bathing.

‘He still needs help with dressing and eating, but he can handle his personal problems himself.

‘Jordan really misses the accessibility of home when he goes to snooker tournaments.’

Her husband Colin, 43, is Jordan’s full-time carer.

He was also coaching football at Corby Town FC and their 18-year-old son Kyle was working as an apprentice on the scaffolding and playing for the team but quit after finding the job ‘too stressful and hectic’.

Their 16-year-old daughter Lacey is studying hairdressing at university.

Miss Hutchinson said single Jordan would love to meet a partner and had joked on several dating sites: ‘If he meets someone they’ll have to play pool!’

Hutchinson family (pictured) say family are happy with their ‘forever’ home despite suffering abuse

The series, which was shot in October 2019, was only released in May 2022 due to the Covid epidemic.

He added: ‘We are so proud of Jordan. He is an inspiration. The odds were against him due to his serious injury, but he is living a fulfilling life.

‘He’s in the semi-finals of the local league pool tournament and learned to drive with the help of his grandmother.’

Ms Hutchinson told the Daily Mail in August 2023 about the backlash they faced from online trolls over the delay in airing the programme.

He said: ‘It was completely out of our hands and controlled by BBC program makers but we encountered a lot of abuse.

‘This program relies on talented tradesmen offering their services free of charge for TV exposure and promotion.

‘People working in our house who wanted their five minutes of fame started targeting our family on social media, making us think we were a bit of a scammer!

‘These were messages and negative comments from traders asking why their donated work had not been featured yet.

‘It wasn’t a great time for the country during Covid and people were looking to promote their small businesses and were disappointed by the long delay in airing the show.

Miss Hutchinson said single Jordan would love to meet a partner and had joked on several dating sites: ‘If he meets someone they’ll have to play pool!’

The DIY team and hundreds of volunteers helped the family transform their home to support their teenage son, Jordan, who has cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

‘Unfortunately, we took the blame and they expressed their anger at us. They said: “We helped, we did this and that, for what?”

Ms Hutchinson added: ‘Everyone joined in on social media because the show was taking a long time to air.

‘There were rumors going around that we were committing welfare fraud, emotions were very high and it was very hurtful.

‘Others suggested we sold our house and moved to Dubai. It was wild speculation.’

He said: ‘Colin and I are away from social media now. This is the best way and not to look back.’

The worried family forwarded their hate messages to the BBC.

Ms Hutchinson said: ‘They were very supportive and helpful and told us to ignore the comments, saying some people were jealous.

‘They advised us to get off all social media, which we did, and they said if we were threatened with calling the police it wasn’t a requirement, not at all.

Pictured: Jordan stands proudly in front of his trainer collection in their new home

Pictured: Jordan in snooker gear with ‘Hutch’ written on the t-shirt

‘Luckily there are more positive people out there than negative.’

Before the team turned their lives around, the family had taken out a £60,000 loan to pay for Jordan’s home renovation, as he struggled to speak and look after himself.

But financial constraints and ongoing needs still led them to apply for help, with Ms Hutchinson admitting: ‘It was tough, life was really tough, we were going through a tough time and we really couldn’t see the end of it.

He said: ‘We’re so grateful and grateful to everyone, from the propeller staff to Nick, and we can’t thank the BBC enough, it’s amazing what they do for us and for other people.’

The family offered huge thanks to local sponsors who helped transform their home, including Baileys Skip Hire, TR Scaffolding, BSH Loading Systems, Milscot Logistics and Megabreak Snooker Hall.

Ms Hutchinson said: ‘The most important thing is that Jordan has become so independent.

‘This is a turning point in his life and this opportunity arose from this TV project.’