For the first time ever, the DIY SOS team headed to Bangor in Northern Ireland, the childhood hometown of build manager Mark Miller, to help the McCreight family.

Mandy McCreight suffered from a variety of medical issues, including Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, postural orthostic tachycardia syndrome, fibromyalgia and gastroparesis, which left her bed-bound over 80 per cent of the time.

Nick Knowles and the team are renowned for transforming the homes of families across Britain. They issue a call to recruit friends, family and local trades to help and he was amazed by the response from Northern Ireland tradespeople – builders, joiners, roofers, plasterers, tilers, painters, landscapers and others.

Home-coming Bangor-boy Mark Millar was in his element managing the build. In an emotional speech to the assembled workers after the build was completed he told them, ‘‘My home was about twenty houses from here,’’ he said. ‘’I left Northern Ireland thirty-four years ago with not a lot of hope. I’m the proudest man standing here today. Every single one of you, you’ve all got into my heart. You’re amazing people of Northern Ireland, the love you’ve brought to this build, you’ve been fantastic. What you’ve done, what you’ve produced in this build has been absolutely incredible, so thank you to every single one of you.’’