Spendaholics is a British reality makeover television series produced by Betty TV in which Benjamin Fry, a psychological coach and Jay Hunt, a lifestyle specialist aim to help spendaholics who have huge amounts of debt and are addicted to luxury living.
The series premiered in the UK on BBC Three on 17 March, 2005. There are 34 hour-long episodes in four seasons to date.
Spendaholics premiered in South Africa on DStv's BBC Lifestyle channel on Friday 31 October 2008, at 21h20. See "Seasons" below for seasonal broadcast dates and times.
Season 4 premiered on BBC Lifestyle on Friday 4 September 2009, at 21h20. There are eight episodes in the fourth season.
Season 4 Repeats
Saturdays: 01h45, 05h10, 20h00
Sundays: 00h50
Synopsis
Britain is a nation of shopaholics and credit card junkies, living way beyond their means. It’s almost physical - they’re hooked.
In 2005 the amount of money owed by British consumers broke through the £1-trillion barrier for the first time. The Bank of England said that more than £1,000 billion of that is on credit cards.
So, if you're at debt's door, stick your credit card to the inside of the freezer wall (which will have to be defrosted if you need it) and get the lowdown on how to sort out your finances with this series.
Out-of-control shopaholics are put under the microscope to unravel the buried meanings behind their spiralling debt. Contributors receive a psychological make-over as their spending habits are recorded and tracked.
Strict budgets are set and spending guidelines administered, offering the spendaholic a new spending life full of cheaper, more creative and ultimately more satisfying ways to spend their money.
The gain is not without pain - first they must experience 'cold turkey' for a week and live on less than they ever imagined possible. Will they snap under the pressure and slip further into the red or rise to the challenge and scrape into the black?
Spendaholic’s presenters - shopping and lifestyle expert Jay Hunt and self-help author Benjamin Fry - show each contributor a way out, but are they ready and willing to take it?
The duo arrive at each contributor’s home to encourage the spender to confront their key weaknesses - from shoes to champagne.
Ben reveals each contributor's subconscious triggers behind their spending behaviour. Post "cold turkey week", Jay eases them into their new debt-free life with clever ideas to maintain their old champagne lifestyle on their new lemonade budget.
Seasons
Season 1
Premiere: 31 October 2008 | Finale: 2 January 2009 | Fridays, 21h20 | Episodes: 10
Season 2
Premiere: 5 January 2009 | Finale: 23 March 2009 | Mondays, 21h20 | Episodes: 12
Season 3
Premiere: Mid-2009 | Episodes: 6
Season 4
Premiere: 4 September 2009 | Finale: 23 October 2009 | Episodes: 8