escape to chateau

Escape to the Chateau's Dick and Angel Strawbridge: look at their careers so far

The husband and wife are beloved TV stars

Senior Features Writer
June 13, 2022

Dick and Angel Strawbridge are best known as the friendly faces at the forefront of Escape to the Chateau. But did you know that before their TV success, they both had very different careers?

MORE: Dick Strawbridge shares sweet tribute to eldest rarely-seen daughter

Keep reading to learn more about their work lives before they moved to their stunning French home and embarked on their Channel 4 presenting careers...

WATCH: Escape to the Chateau's Dick and Angel Strawbridge talk family life

Dick Strawbridge's early career

Before he landed TV work, Dick Strawbridge, who was born in 1959, had a successful career in the army. He joined the Royal Corps of Signals and was promoted to Lieutenant and Captain in the eighties. He was then made an MBE in 1993 for his distinguished service in the forces and later left in 2001.

Dick back in 2009

After his roles in the army, Dick began putting his engineering and environmental knowledge and expertise to use on many different TV shows such as Scrapheap Challenge, It's Not Easy Being Green and Coast.

Angel Strawbridge's early career

Angel Adoree began her career in a slightly different way to her husband. She set up her own hospitality business, The Vintage Patisserie, and took the idea to BBC's Dragon's Den. Angel scored herself an investment from Theo Paphitis and Deborah Meaden and she continues to run the business to this day.

MORE: Escape to the Chateau's Dick and Angel Strawbridge share 'glorious' castle wedding photo

MORE: Dick and Angel Strawbridge take 'break' following celebratory weekend

Angel soon after her Dragon's Den appearance

Dick and Angel Strawbridge's later careers

After meeting in 2010, Dick and Angel began presenting Escape to the Chateau in 2015, which documented the purchasing and renovation of their 19th-century Château de la Motte-Husson in Martigné-sur-Mayenne, France.

Dick and Angel with their two children

Viewers will remember that the couple snapped up the jaw-dropping estate, which boasts 45 rooms, a moat and 12 acres of grounds, for a bargain £280,000. However, the property had stood empty for 40 years, and with no electricity, heating or running water, they certainly had their work cut out for them.

MORE: What is Escape to the Chateau stars Dick and Angel Strawbridge's net worth?

Dick and Angel Strawbridge's family

Three years after meeting, they welcomed their first child Arthur. Just one year later, the couple welcomed a daughter Dorothy. The couple married in 2015. In an interview with the Mail, Angel revealed she wants to leave everything to her children, explaining that her and Dick's main goal is to leave "this gorgeous legacy for the children – I want them to be proud of us".

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