Phil Spencer leaves the comfort zone of his double act with Kirstie Allsopp to go it alone in Australia. He talks to Susan Griffin.

THERE are some TV personalities who come as a pair: Geordies Ant and Dec being the best example.

It’s the same with property gurus Phil Spencer and Kirstie Allsopp of Location, Location, Location fame. Prepare yourselves therefore as Spencer’s decided to go solo for his latest project, a series that looks at the property and lifestyle Australia has to offer disillusioned Brits.

“Kirstie was actually due to be on maternity leave and I wasn’t due to be very busy, so we managed to convince Channel 4 that this was a good idea as I was planning on going to Australia anyway,” he says.

As it turned out, Allsop ended up filming her series, Kirstie’s Homemade Home, while Spencer was sunning himself Down Under.

He says: “It was about -10C here and there were days when we were filming in Australia when it was over 40, so we were sending each other pictures. Her in her hat, coat, gloves and scarf and me not wearing a lot.”

Spencer, who recently turned 40, says it was a natural decision for him to film a property series in Australia.

“It’s a country I know and love, I felt I could offer a reasonable amount of advice and guidance for people who were thinking of moving.”

About 40,000 Britons move to Australia each year in search of sun, sea and a stress-free lifestyle.

“The general consensus is Australians have a stronger sense of that balance between work and life or lifestyle,” says Spencer.

“Certainly, across the series, people were moving with much greater hopes and expectations for what their money will buy them. There’s more focus on life outside of work, better family time, a more relaxed lifestyle, better weather, more space.”

The family shown in the first episode is a good example. They move from Essex to Perth and find a four-bedroom detached home for £275,000 with a swimming pool and only two minutes from the beach.

“There was a lot of pressure on me, not just because I was on my own and without Kirstie, but the house was the fundamental thing to get right to start with.”

With its golden beaches and blue skies, the lure of Australia is all the more tempting considering our miserable winter.

“It’s a hell of a long way, there’s no hiding from that,” says Spencer on the negatives. But only that, along with “British pubs, football, British humour and family and friends is about all that is missed”.

“We need a lot of money to live a good lifestyle in Britain but that’s not the case in Australia.”

So, has Spencer, who divides his time between London and Kent with his wife, Fiona, and two sons, thought about moving to Australia?

“Yes, because the lifestyle is very tempting, but at the same time I’m very English. I’m very happy living in England, I love it here.”

And when he’s on home turf, Phil doesn’t mind being stopped on the street by people looking for a property tips.

“It’s part of the job,” he says, “I think it’s a great privilege to be recognised for the work you do.”

■ Australia: Phil Down Under, C4, Friday, 8pm