Janet Street Porter, a regular panelist on Loose Women, tasked Escape to the Country host Alistair Appleton to find a country retreat, away from prying neighbours.

Porter, who frequently resides in neighbouring Norfolk, started her hunt in Suffolk, where she met the host on Aldeburgh beach.

On the show, the 78-year-old admitted that “every week” she looks at the property pages in the newspapers.

The Levington Ship featured in the programme (Image: Newsquest)

The first house was in Levenington, between Ipswich and Felixstowe.

Porter wasn’t the most impressed with the four-bedroom property because she could “see the neighbours”.

Appleton then took the former newspaper editor back up the coast to the village of Thorpeness.

The village of Thorpeness in the summer (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown)

The four-bedroom home, which was on the market for £895,000, did tick one of Porter’s boxes with a sea view however, she gave Appleton a B- for his efforts on the homes she was shown in the county.

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“The bottom line is neither house offers me solitude,” she said, confessing: “I think you failed.”

Later in the show, Porter was taken to Scotland, where she was shown around another two homes.

The Meare in Thorpeness is inspired by fairy tales and storybooks (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown)

The second “mystery” property proved to be the one that truly captured her interest. Sitting around four miles outside Port Ellen, the unusual home immediately stood out thanks to its turf-covered roof, designed to help it disappear into the natural landscape.

“Wow,” Janet said, clearly taken aback. “I can honestly picture myself living here alone and being completely happy.”

Alistair then added to the excitement by revealing a surprise for Janet and her house-hunting companion – he had organised an overnight stay so they could get a real feel for the place.

“I’m so excited!” Janet laughed, with the programme later revealing that the overnight visit turned into a full extra week.

Reflecting on the experience, Alistair closed the episode by saying, “Janet is known for being outspoken and highly knowledgeable about property, and in the end, that approach really worked.”