Forty-seven-year-old farmer Ian Wainwright can't decide whether to continue running the family dairy farm for his ageing uncles, or walk away and start a new life. Split between family loyalty and a sense of duty, and his personal happiness, he's agreed to let The Audience follow him around for a week and come to a decision for him. With Ian working almost totally alone on the struggling farm for around the minimum wage, not only have his finances and self-esteem been affected, but the load is taking a serious toll on his home life. Ian is at a crossroads and is questioning a way of life that is all he's ever known. He's agreed to let The Audience follow him wherever he goes, watch everything he does, and talk to whomever they like in order to make a decision that will change his life. Ian goes through an intense few days as the decision looms, while The Audience also discover that there is far more at stake than they initially believed.
The Audience in the second programme meet 31-year-old Andreena Bogle-Walton, a single mum who has a serious dilemma: whether to send her ten-year-old daughter Renee to Devon to live with her father, or to keep her in London living with her. Andreena wants her daughter to have the best possible start in life and thinks Devon might provide greater opportunities and a more promising education, but she worries they might lose the close bond they have by being separated for months at a time. Unable to decide what is best, Andreena has asked The Audience for help. She will live her life in front of 50 total strangers, and with their support and advice, Andreena hopes she can decide what's best for her, and her daughter's future.
The Audience meet Anthony Powell, a 28-year-old office worker from Liverpool. He needs help to make the biggest decision of his life: whether to quit his job and go travelling. At first, his dilemma appears simple, but as the group of 50 strangers get to know Anthony they unearth a deeper story from his past about his upbringing and the grief he endured when he was younger. The Audience force Anthony to confront the heart of the issue - the loss of his parents - and talk openly about it for the first time in his life. And for The Audience, it brings out hidden emotions and forces some of them to reflect deeply on their own lives.
This episode follows Jane Mason who was born with a degenerative condition.
Kathy and Dave Rawlings bought the Drove Inn, a thriving country pub in Cumbria two years ago. It was buzzing but since they took over something has gone array. Kathy and Dave have asked for help from The Audience.
Ami-Li Chase has reached a crossroads in her life. She's a glamour model but is unhappy and wants to get out. Unable to decide how to turn her life around, she's asked for help from The Audience.
Kayleigh Freeman is married with two children and for as long as she can remember she has battled with her weight and is now facing a life-changing decision. Should she get gastric band surgery?
Jane Mason is 42, single and disabled. She's been struggling with a dilemma for more than a decade: should she adopt a child on her own? Jane has a degenerative condition, lives alone and feels there is something missing in her life. She has always longed for a child and wonders if now is the right time to adopt. Is it fair on the child and, with her disability, will she cope? An audience of strangers help Jane resolve her dilemma. They soon discover that Jane has a tough exterior. But their astute and piercing questions penetrate her defence and they realise Jane's dilemma is tied up with her lack of self-confidence, and feelings of loneliness and loss. The audience force Jane to confront some of her deep-rooted issues and to talk openly, for the first time in her life, about the problems she has faced. Contentious and heart wrenching, Jane's time with the audience is revealing, confrontational and sometimes funny.
Two years ago Kathy Rawlings and her family bought The Drove Inn pub in Cumbria but the business is now struggling and the pressure is tearing the family apart. Can a group of strangers help them decide if they should sell the pub or try to make it work? At first many of the audience think the solution is a Ramsay-style makeover. But after one day with the Rawlings things just don't add up. The audience search for clues in the local community, but it's not long before they uncover the real truth and it's much closer to home. Suddenly they are faced with a family on the brink: an affair, secrets and lies all rise to the surface. The audience's time with the Rawlings is shocking, revelatory, emotional and unforgettable.
Ami-Li Chase is a 25-year-old glamour model who lives in London. She has a tough exterior but is unhappy with her life and needs help with a dilemma: whether to quit modelling and change direction in her life. At first many members of the audience dismiss Ami-Li's dilemma as trivial and make sharp judgments about her life. But their persistent questioning and hunger to uncover some truths about Ami-Li open a Pandora's box of emotions she has kept buried for years. They discover a sensitive young woman who has faced the loss of her father and a stillborn baby in recent years, and who is struggling to get things into perspective, grieve and take brave steps to find happiness. Ami-Li's emotionally-charged time with the audience is heart-warming and, like most of the 50 strangers who spend the week with her, it's hard to not be touched by the impassioned conclusion.
