The Ultimate Job in the World Couple, Denise and Mark Duffield-Thomas, put their money where their mouth was and placed a maximum bet with Paddy Power for them to be chosen for the Ultimate Job in the World – six months of luxurious global travel as honeymoon testers for Runaway Bride and Groom, before leaving the UK for the final stage of the selection process.
Betting opened ten days before the final weekend, and the odds went up and down like a fiddler’s elbow in the nail biting finish. The actual final was held in the private estate that is Ballinacurra House, the Irish home of the late Michael Jackson, and in environs of Kinsale itself. The Top 10 contesting couples had to make videos, dash about the town, attend soirees in lovely venues such as the Blue Haven, Hamlets Bar, The Carlton and The Trident Hotel. They ate sumptuous meals in Fishy Fishy Café, Max’s Restaurant, Jola’s Restaurant and Crackpots and had to post professional dinning reviews afterwards. They had to eat oysters, drink champagne and sight see across the harbour. It was a tough weekend all in all.
But stalwart couple Denise and Mark reckoned they had the upper hand. She worked with Barnardos, he with Manchester United, she hails from Australia, he from the UK, but together they knew they were the best bet. Mark placed the bet online. As Denise recalls: ‘In a moment of madness we tried to put all our life savings on the wager, but the maximum bet of £35 pounds put paid to that cunning plan.”
A total of £175 was won which the lucky couple say they are going to use to fix their broken shower back in the UK before heading to New York, followed by Zanzibar, Mauritius and Kenya. Mind you, as they head off on their six-month trip around the world, they might not have to worry too much about dripping shower. What’s the odds they’ll come home? Talk to Paddy Power!