Netflix's Sexy Beasts a tourism 'lifeline', Hertfordshire attractions say

A Netflix series shot in Hertfordshire is said to have provided a "lifeline" to local attractions and boosted the economy during the pandemic.

Knebworth House is dubbed Sexy Beast Manor in the dating show, where people sport elaborate makeup for blind dates.

Broxbourne's Paradise Wildlife Park, The Lytton Arms in Knebworth and other attractions also feature.

A Knebworth House spokeswoman said the series did "a brilliant job showing off what Hertfordshire has to offer".

"Film tourism is a fantastic economic driver to the region," marketing executive, Charlotte Steedman, said.

Sexy Beasts is described as taking "looks out of the equation". It uses makeup and prosthetics to put "true blind-date chemistry to the test".

As a result, the viewer sees depictions of animals such as a panda and a beaver looking for love with fantastical characters such as a zombie and a troll. They go on dates around the county and over the borders, such as at Luton Hoo in Bedfordshire.

As the show's base, Knebworth House welcomed the cast and crew between September and November last year.

In a period which included England's second lockdown, film and TV production was one of the few business activities allowed in a Covid-safe setting - and the crew stayed in Stevenage for seven weeks.

Ms Steedman said: "After a very difficult season during the pandemic where we lost all business and had to close for a significant amount of time, this film location work was a lifeline.

"Not only did it bring in much-needed revenue and allow us to retain and provide employment for local residents, it also meant other local businesses could benefit from having the production in the area, as we worked with the team to keep as much local as possible."

The venue, which has played host to huge concerts by Queen, Robbie Williams and Oasis, has been finding its new title of Sexy Beast Manor "amusing".

"We have played Balmoral, Wayne Manor and even a Russian Oligarch's mansion, but Sexy Beast Manor is our quirkiest role yet," Ms Steedman said.

The crew also filmed at Paradise Wildlife Park days before the second lockdown, when it was used as a location for a date.

Aaron Whitnall, one of the brothers who runs the park, said it had lost about £2m over the pandemic, but location fees "massively help".

"We've always managed our finances well and only spend what we have, so we're pushing forward with projects and bouncing back strongly," he said.

"But any form of media coverage on TV helps," he said. "It's a nice little feature [in Sexy Beasts] and hopefully may encourage people to come along for a date day out, as we're looking to increase our dining experiences in the future."

With its access to studios and more planned - such as the new film, TV and digital studio in Broxbourne - Hertfordshire is gaining popularity as a filming destination.

Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership said no figures were currently available to estimate how much film and TV production was worth to the county.

However, a Creative UK-commissioned report by Oxford Economics, which looks at the impact of the pandemic on the sector, found that for every £1 invested in film and TV, 70p is generated in the wider economy.

Sam Collins, a Liberal Democrat councillor at North Herts District Council whose responsibilities include the arts, said: "When a film crew is in town, the cast and crew need to be fed, they need somewhere to stay, and they need to be transported to and from their accommodation and film sets.

"This is where local businesses can really benefit. From taxis, catering, construction and printing to hotels and flats, film and TV productions have a wide range of needs that can be met by businesses in the district."

A Stevenage Borough Council spokesman said: "We always welcome production companies to the town and of course it is great for our profile, great for the local economy and with our current process of town centre transformation, we hope many of our new locations will be seen on screen in the future."

Netflix said the UK was one of its top three production locations along with the US and Canada, and filming helped contribute to the local economy.

It said locations for the dates in Hertfordshire were chosen in part to be close to the studio and designers.

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