Yahoo News Instant Hotel on Netflix: where the season 2 contestants ended up
Netflix UK is currently stacked with reality TV shows from the land Down Under, from Yummy Mummies to Cheapest Weddings and Back with the Ex.
But it's Instant Hotel – essentially a more glamorous, sunnier and somehow even cattier version of Four in a Bed – that has become the ultimate Aussie binge-watch since debuting on the streaming service earlier this year.
Originally screened on the Seven Network, the show sees various Airbnb owners compete for a grand prize – and get free advertising for their less than humble abodes – by attempting to impress each other as the hosts with the most.
Related: Temptation Island 2019: What happened to the couples after the show?
Presented by a man who knows all about showing off, Laurence Llewelyn Bowen, its second series might not have been as compelling as its first. But it still provided that sense of pure unadulterated escapism you sometimes need on a rainy hungover Sunday afternoon.
Here's a look at what its eight contestants have been up to since filming.
Jay and Leah
Sadly, things appear to have gone slightly awry for Jay and Leah, the personal trainer and model who moved in together after just 100 days, since appearing on Instant Hotel.
The slightly underwhelming "millionaire's playground" bungalow which saw them bring up the rear in season two is no longer listed on Airbnb or indeed any other official vacation rental site.
The once-happy couple also haven't posted any pictures of them together since March earlier this year and in perhaps the most compelling evidence that they have gone their separate ways – they no longer follow each other on Instagram!
Mark and Razz
With his wild grey beard and her booming laugh, Mark and Razz were one of Instant Hotel's quirkiest couples and their property certainly reflected that too.
Named Fire in the Stone, their five-bedroom Airbnb is an underground cave built deep into the Aussie outback. In fact, their hometown of Coober Pedy is so slap bang in the middle of nowhere that it’s been used as a post-apocalyptic wasteland in both Pitch Black and Mad Max 3.
Impressively, the down-to-earth pair have helped to boost interest in Coober Pedy since finishing in third place on the show – there was a major spike in Google searches for the area following their episode's original premiere.
And it's also helped the couple attract many more guests intrigued to experience a night in a converted cave miles away from any other civilisation; Fire in the Stone is currently all booked up until February next year.
Gene and Sharon
Taking over from the first season's breakout stars, the fabulously bitchy mother/daughter combo of Babe and Bondi, Gene and Sharon were undoubtedly the second series' panto villains.
The former, a veteran singer who'd scored multiple hits Down Under in the early 1970s, in particular, acted like a prima donna throughout, often struggling to fit his ego through the door of their luxury Misty Mountains Tropical Rainforest Retreat.
There was a certain sense of schadenfreude, therefore, when the couple were denied the $100,000 prize following a tie-break.
Nevertheless, the couple's eco-friendly property, which can be booked via their official website, was undoubtedly the most visually impressive of the series. Although we're still not keen on the super-sized open-plan bathroom with no door.
Judging by her official Instagram account, Sharon has been busy living her best life since the show aired. And judging by his recent interview with the Courier Mail, so is Gene.
He said, "Mick Jagger and those people, they are still going nowadays. I believe they are still stuck in that era, whereas I believe I’ve evolved. I would never trade where I am now for where I was."
Debbie and Justin
Adorable mother and son Debbie and Justin may have walked away with the big cash prize but they haven't rested on their laurels.
The pair have taken no-nonsense judge Juliet's advice on board and increased both the price of and minimum stay requirements for their beachfront penthouse in Queensland.
There's also been other big personal changes since their victory. Justin has since moved to Bali where he works as a director of marketing at the island's "premier sporting and entertainment club."
A post shared by Justin Hannan (@justin_hannan) on Jun 20, 2019 at 10:12pm PDT
He also regularly makes the 22,000 Instagram followers he's now amassed green with envy thanks to his various glamorous selfies, and in June he posted a pic of himself alongside "former rival, now old friend" Leah.
Of course, the big question remains is Debbie still as sausage dog-obsessed as ever?
Well, the fact she's since set up an Instagram account for her beloved pooch Lucy and this particular photo on her own profile suggests very much so.
Instant Hotel is available now on Netflix.
Digital Spy is launching a newsletter – sign up to get it sent straight to your inbox.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Instagram and Twitter accounts.
You Might Also Like
