“We blew our budget last year so this time around we’re really getting creative.” That is Banjo Beale’s cheerful summary of where things stand as he and his husband Ro start filming a second series of Grand Island Hotel on the Scottish island of Ulva.
Banjo won Interior Design Masters on BBC One in 2022. Ro is a cheesemaker and distiller. Their first series followed the plan to turn a derelict mansion, Ulva House, into a boutique hotel, and it did well: an iPlayer hit, and one of the BBC’s top ten lifestyle titles of 2026. It also brought so many visitors to Ulva that its 16 residents asked for Sunday ferries to be stopped.
The couple moved to the island in 2025 with their dog Grampa. This time they bring a new Scottish Deerhound puppy, Cousin Jerry, and the same crew of handymen and locals.
More animals, less money
“The plans are bigger, and so is our family,” Banjo said. He promised new puppies, peacocks, a llama “and plenty of drama.”
Ro was drier about it. “Most people, after renovating a crumbling mansion on a remote island, would probably have a lie down,” he said. “Banjo looked at the situation and decided what we really needed was more animals, more projects and less money.” Every time he thinks the job is nearly done, Ro said, Banjo turns up with a sketch and the words “I’ve had an idea.” He called those “the four most dangerous words in my world.” Keeping Banjo honest are Rhuri, the island ferryman and postman, and a neighbour called Barry, who is happy to give his opinion.
The six-part series, a Hello Halo production, is a co-commission between BBC Scotland and BBC Factual Entertainment. Executive producer Wendy Rattray said the couple face unexpected trouble this time, including a health scare that forces Ro to slow down and rethink how he works. Banjo, she added, remains “firmly in post as Chief Imagination Officer.”
Filming runs until the autumn. The series is expected on BBC iPlayer, BBC Scotland and BBC Two in 2027.
Sources
- Banjo and Ro are back for a second series of Grand Island Hotel
- Banjo and Ro return to Ulva for second series of Grand Island Hotel
- Banjo Beale
