Original subtitles

So, you know... HE CHUCKLES

...we've got an issue with this weekend. Yeah.

And there's a cancellation of a wedding.

I've got an idea to put tepees on the roof.

Glamping in the city this week. In a week?

What do you think? I think it's absolutely mad.

No-one has ever done this before.

I wonder why.

On the shores of the River Mersey,

the shining metropolis of Liverpool...

...and within it, a hotel like no other,

where no two guests and no two clays are ever the same.

It's Friday afternoon

and the hotel's 200 staff are bracing themselves

for an influx of visitors.

We've got a big check-in coming in.

It's a group of 40 lads, so it's a stag do.

Today, they'll be full to the brim, with almost 700 guests.

Right, who's next?

That's not authorised.

Most of them are coming to party...

# D00, doo, doo, doo! #

...celebrate and mark moments that matter.

We'll check it in...

Rubbing shoulders with guests and staff

are owners and married couple Katie and Lawrence,

who live on site with their two three-year-olds.

It's good for Lawrence and I

to come down with the children and enjoy family time,

but we're also checking what's happening in the restaurant.

SHE LAUGHS

My eyes are wandering all the time.

Is there enough juice? ls there enough pastries out?

UP you get.

Lawrence has the grand vision for the hotel,

but it's Katie who has to turn it into a workable reality,

keeping across the detail and managing the staff.

Shankly runs at 100mph.

There's so many things going on at one time

that you have to be able to spin a number of plates all the time,

and some are not used to the fast pace.

Yeah.

The toughest challenge at the hotel

is trying to keep so many different kinds of party guests happy...

...so Katie is looking to expand her team of guest relations staff,

starting with trainee manager James.

LIFT BEEPS

Yeah, I'm a little bit nervous, obviously.

First day in the new role.

I keep on trying to fix myself, making sure I look all right.

LIFT:

It's james's first day on the job,

and already he's being thrown in at the deep end.

Hi, girls. Are yous OK? THEY SCREAM EXCITEDLY

HE LAUGHS

We recruit all the time on personality.

Are yous OK? Party moves!

You can't buy personality.

Not everybody has that natural ability

to put a smile on someone's face.

Glamour puss. That's a talent.

Who's the birthday girl?

Aw, happy birthday. That's OK.

Ann and 17 of her friends

have flown in from Dublin to celebrate her birthday.

Did you bring me one over, as well? Yeah.

Come on, then. Come and give us a hand.

HE HUMS

James was previously a waiter in the hotel restaurant,

so the role of guest relations manager

is a big step LIP-

There is certain aspects of myself that I do doubt.

I think it's normal. Doesn't everyone doubt themselves?

I feel like I'm going on holiday to Ibiza.

But I'm going to give it 100%. I'm going to smash it.

I don't want to lose grip of what I've got now, you know what I mean?

I'm hungry for it.

Put your arm around him.

GUESTS:

James is starting on a trial period,

and Katie has asked one of her trusted managers, Kemi,

to observe him.

BEHIND DOOR: Oh, I love you!

LAUGHTER BEHIND DOOR

Right, see yous later, OK?

I'll get that sorted straight away for you, OK? Bye!

One of james's main responsibilities in his new role

is to settle groups into the hotel's party rooms,

which sleep up to 24 people.

The challenge for James is going to be taking full accountability

of some of our most important floors

with the biggest revenue streams in this hotel -

and he's reporting in to me, and my expectations are high.

OK, great. OK.

Right, ladies, I've got your key cards sorted for you, OK?

We are going to be going up to the OMG suite.

Is there any bags that you'd like me to carry up for you? A couple.

Of course. Come on, give us them ones. I'll help you. Thank you.

So, don't be dropping this one.

That's the most important. Don't worry, I've got it. Come on.

THEY LAUGH

Oh, wow! Oh, my God!

I will. I will.

By the way, this is a really comfy bed. Oh!

So, girls, this is the sunken bath.

Obviously, the taps come from the top.

They fall down like a waterfall.

We'll give you a hand filling that up, obviously.

I mean, we have notes that said that you were coming for, like, a work...

Yeah, we work together. What do yous do? We're hairdressers.

Oh, you're all hairdressers? Yeah. And yous all work together? Yeah.

Cos I'm not being funny, I need a little bit of a trim.

THEY LAUGH

Yeah, don't take scissors out of the shop

cos then everyone wants a haircut. They don't leave the shop.

And you're all bonding together.

It seems like yous are all good friends anyway. Yeah, we are.

You'lljust get a little bit closer. Oh, yeah, definitely. Good.

And there's nothing like sharing a bed to get closer anyway.

Are you a starfish or are you a spooner? Because I kind of...

I starfish.

All yous need to find out is who's the little spoon

and who's the big spoon and it'll be perfect.

Obviously, anything you need while you are here, we're here to help.

See yous later, OK? Bye, girls!

It's the end of james's first day of training.

How do you think that went?

D0 you?

I felt quite fluid with them, to be honest with you.

I felt like it kind of flew.

Yeah.

The warm staff welcome isn't the only attraction for hotel guests.

One of the most popular extras are butlers in the buff.

Oh, hi!

So, I want you to just do that with your hand.

Then watch it moving forward. Watch the fork.

That's not real!

Unusual entertainers and dazzling decor

are what give the hotel its reputation,

but guests flock here for a multitude of reasons.

We came to this hotel as a surprise for my hens party -

I knew nothing about it - with these ladies.

Victoria comes here with all her boyfriends.

Because we wanted to watch the Liverpool match.

They've saved me a table to watch the football -

the Liverpool game - in here, which I'm so pleased.

And I'm going to have a pudding.

Yeah.

Absolutely. Go hard or go home. That's what I say.

And it's no different for the staff.

Expecting the unexpected is all in a day's work,

and this morning, there's an unusual delivery.

A giant tea party is being prepared six flights up

in the Eden banquet room.

Spread across 2,000 square metres,

this super-sized event makes tea at the Ritz look tame.

So, we've got the Mad Hatter's Tea Party on today.

All the afternoon tea is themed in Alice In Wonderland.

27-year-old Mel has been recently promoted

to the role of events manager...

Yeah, it's pulled too tight, that, though.

...and the tea party is her chance

to prove to boss Katie that she's up to the challenge.

Today's the first time I'm running it on my own,

so I'm hoping I can pull it off.

I think it does build up your character

for you to get tested in your job.

Do they look symmetrical now?

Where I get my strength from is proving people wrong...

...and making sure that I get everything 100% right.

8O tickets have been sold, and at £34 per person,

owner Katie is expecting guests to be wowed by the event.

If Katie doesn't like what I've done or the way that it's been done,

she will have my head on the chopping block.

Unbeknownst to Mel, Katie's already on her way upstairs,

and the tea party is her idea.

I think the staff absolutely feel more under pressure

with Lawrence and I living here...

LIFT:

...cos, at any one time, I can walk upstairs unannounced...

Hello.

...and go into an event and check the standard of the event.

The top hat... Mm-hm.

Have we got a violinist on the hat? We have got...

ls it not a saxophonist this time on the hat? Have we got a saxophonist?

I think it's a saxophonist on the hat.

I am probably known for being into the detail,

and it probably annoys people so much.

Has the saxophonist done a sound check?

No, not yet. We'll get that done. OK. Cos you're running against time,

aren't you? Yeah. You've got 15 minutes.

We'll get that done now.

They haven't what?

KATIE GASPS That's the whole point of the hat -

you have a violinist on it or a saxophonist on it.

It's disappointing, cos it should have been booked.

It is disappointing, but we're going to have to just make it work now

for the rest of the event. We're going to make it better.

You know, she's trying her best,

which is all we can ask for, really, but...it's not ideal.

LIFT: God, it's nerve-racking.

Absolutely nerve-racking.

Has anyone done glamping on the roof before? No. No.

In a top-floor meeting room,

senior director Kris is holding an urgent meeting.

So, guys, yeah, Lawrence comes out with these crazy, bonkers,

mental ideas. This is what's gone out online, on social.

Do you know what? I really like that.

In six clays' time, Kris and his team

will have to put on a glamorous camping, or glamping, festival

on the 5,000-square-metre roof space.

It's all part of owner Lawrence's strategy

to put the hotel on the map and get it talked about.

In order for us to get our high occupancy levels of 90% plus,

we need to be doing something interesting and intriguing now,

which pushes out on social platforms for next year.

OK. So, we just need to be all over this.

I think we need to make it, like, a really festival thing.

Festival or...

Like an end-of-summer party.

We'll do some pop-up bars and we'll get some more bartenders up.

And we're also going to do live Djing entertainment.

Lawrence is coming down to do a walk around on the site, as well,

so I think, when he walks around, he's going to have his own ideas.

But I think it's a real chance for us to show what we're made of.

If we get it right, we can fill it all for next year,

we can make sure that more events like this actually happen.

Is everyone happy? OTHERS: Yeah.

Peace and love and... LAUGHTER

Typical Lawrence - think of something that no-one's done

and make it happen straight away.

So, we now have to try and wave our magic wand

and make it come to life.

In the hotel's event space,

Mel is working on making Katie's vision come to life

for the Mad Hatter's Tea Party...

Just make sure no-one allows any guests to come in. Yeah.

...and she's trying to keep the paying guests at bay

until everything is ready.

Thankfully, the White Rabbit's on time...

...but there's still no saxophonist or violinist

to kick off proceedings, as per owner Katie's express wishes.

You know, to find that an entertainer hasn't been booked,

and Melissa thinks it has, obviously, we've got issues there.

Right, bar guys, are you ready?

You can't leave an event to assumption.

You've got to know for sure that people are there, ready to go.

So, not ideal, but Damian has managed

to talk the violinist into coming in anyway. OK.

So, she's going to be here within an hour.

So, we're going to do the first bit without her. just put your music on.

Then we'lljust incorporate her into the day, just to get her in a bit.

I don't like being held back.

If anybody tries to hold me back,

I rise above it and I go the extra mile.

Hopefully, the violinist is the only thing

that I'll have to deal with today, but ask me again in about an hour,

and if I've not got a gin in my hand, it's been a success.

I'll show you where your table is, ladies. Just this way.

The 8O booked guests are coming thick and fast...

...but Mel hasn't got a table for everyone.

Where's Barrow? Barrow, Barrow, Barrow?

I'm here. I've got the ticket. Where's Barrow?

Tell you what, we'll put you there for now.

So, if you go on table three here, and then we'll sort it out for you.

Hi. Are you OK? What table is it under?

Since Mel was given the guest list, reception bowled her a curveball,

selling 25 more covers...

We need a full new table. A full new table. A full new table.

Because there's people on here that aren't on the list.

So, will you help Paul?

...and the lack of tables hasn't escaped Katie's eagle eye.

We should have these out already.

About 25 people turned up that aren't on the list.

I've got Katie over my shoulder,

and I need this table as fast as possible.

These weren't on the list that I've got,

so I'm just getting them set up now

because everyone else is really busy.

I think, in the eventuality, we always kind of say,

"Always have a couple of tables prepared just in case."

There we go.

It all comes down to the planning process,

thinking ahead of anything that can go wrong.

But let's just be prepared.

I am going to go and cry somewhere.

James! James, don't walk there. I've slipped twice now.

I've actually gone on my arse twice.

This is killing me. Honestly.

I am over this now.

MEL SCOFFS

With a last-minute violinist stepping in

and 25 unexpected party guests seated,

the super-sized afternoon tea can begin.

I think, at one point, I was ready to throw the towel in today

because it just felt like everything was happening at once,

everybody was coming in,

there wasn't enough people to be sorting it all out.

That's table five. That's table four.

I panicked a bit because it was like it was starting to unfold.

It was unravelling in front of my eyes

and I had to try and pull it back together.

After a stressful day, the party's now in full swing...

...but Mel now has just 24 hours to take stock

before the next big event and the chance to convince Katie

she's up to the job of events manager.

I think there's definitely some really good points.

I think the production, the table looked great.

The top table looked fantastic.

But I do think it's lacking a little bit of organisation

and those final touches to make sure that the event is exceptional.

INDISTINCT CHATTER

We're from London, Essex. London and Essex.

IN COCKNEY ACCENT

LAUGHTER

I've rang him ten times. I'm just hoping he's getting ready.

But if he's in this role, he needs to get his act together

because he can't do this.

On the ground floor, Kemi is waiting for James to arrive

for his second day of training as a guest relations manager.

Hi, James, it's Kemi.

Just giving you a quick call to see where you are.

Hopefully you're on your way.

He's late for his shift.

I'm hoping he's on his way. He's not answering.

The hotel prides itself

on giving people with little or no hospitality experience

a chance to prove themselves.

Hopefully this might wake him up.

But it's a strategy that comes with risk.

James, he's got the charm, he's got the gift of the gab,

but what I need to see from him

is his organisation skills and his punctuality as well.

The morning planning is key in this role.

James should be revising today's guest list,

but he is now two and half hours late.

PHONE RINGS

Hi, James.

What I said to you yesterday was ten till six.

Yeah, honestly. When I was leaving at ten to six, you went,

"Oh, no, I've had loads of calls."

But the main focus...

Ja... All right. Wha', wha', what? James?

All right then, I'll speak to you proper when you get in.

All right, ciao.

He's not good, he's not.

He just needs to take it seriously.

James finally turns up, three hours behind schedule.

But rather than touch base with Kemi,

he jumps straight in with the nearest guests.

Are yous OK? Yous just checking in?

Are you staying for the weekend?

I'm James, by the way. And you?

Are yous going to go and have a little drink while yous wait?

Yeah.

Do you want me to show you up?

So, obviously James has come in now and he hasn't come over to me yet

so, you know, he'll step right into the role,

do what he's doing with the groups, which we all know he's good at.

But obviously he's probably going to try

and avoid this little conversation we're going to have now.

James. James.

James.

Where are you going? The roof terrace?

He's totally missed the paperwork now.

Does he know what that group is going to be doing this weekend?

Does he know what rooms they're in?

If they ask him any questions regarding the stay,

is he going to know them?

The crew's back together! Shankly for the weekend!

CHEERING

Go and grab yourselves a drink. I'm going to shoot downstairs.

I'll come and see yous in your room later, OK? Not a problem.

Where's he gone?

Bye, see you later.

James is less than a week into his probation,

and he is already on thin ice.

Right.

The role needs organisation and punctuality.

I did say 10 o'clock yesterday. Right.

James, I did. Yeah.

I did, James, I did. Honestly, James.

Anyway, forget it, we'll move on for now,

but from now, every week is 1O till 6.

News of her newest recruit's attitude quickly reaches boss Katie.

How long do you reckon till the bus driver's here?

To add to the pressure,

one of the groups James will be looking after

is a party of 41 stags.

What's the state like on the bus?

Groom Darren has flown in from Denmark, where he works,

and is waiting for his mates,

who are travelling up from Swansea on a party bus.

Haven't seen the boys for five, six months, since working away.

Now, they're going to arrive at Liverpool now, absolutely tanked.

Six, seven hours' drinking already, from eight o'clock this morning.

So, yeah, it's going to be interesting, seeing them.

The stags are almost here, and James has had some time to reflect.

So, I've did a quick check on the room,

I'm going to go down now

and just prove to Kemi that whatever's happened this morning,

whatever misunderstanding, any complications,

that I'm not going to be negative about it,

I'm not going to carry it on. Whether it was a misunderstanding

and I come in a bit hot-headed or whatever,

I'm going to let it go and do it for the guests.

We've got a group of stags turning up, so I'm going to go down,

be all positive to them, paint me smile

on and be happy, haPPY ChaPPie-

Ten minutes away?

In the blue sweater?

My name's James, I'm the guest relations manager. How are you?

James, nice to meet you, mate. All right?

We just went and checked your rooms then, they're spot on.

The hotel hosts over 1,000 hen and stag dos every year.

Welcome to the Shankly, are you OK?

Here for a busy weekend, are we?

So, dealing with lively lads

is something James will have to get used to.

Hiya, welcome to the Shankly. You OK?

Another crucial part of James' role is to upsell...

Just you know, as well, on top of the hotel,

we've got a rooftop terrace...

"flogging as many of the hotel's services as he can to the guests.

We also have an offer on which is two people dine for £20.

As well as promoting the evening meal deal...

If you want to get some of the lads round to have a drink?

Because not all of them need to stand here, you know what I mean?

"James has lured the stags into the bar to buy 41 drinks...

All right, guys, here's some shots for yous. Shot, shot, shot, shots!

If yous needs any more, give me a shout, OK?

...adding to the hotel's revenue...

GLASS BREAKS, CHEERING

...minus the odd breakage.

That's gone everywhere.

Guys, we're going to be going up to the room now, OK?

You can take your drinks with you.

The stags may be safely checked in...

...but James' shift is far from over.

You won't, I will be.

Yeah.

SHE CHUCKLES

While Kemi's had his back today, on his next shift,

James will be going it alone.

The bride text me last night, she's really, really excited.

The weather's held out

and it's actually clearing up a little bit,

so I reckon the guests' earliest arrival is going to be about 2:30.

They are coming in a white double-decker bus,

so at least we know what we're looking for.

So, this is very helpful!

With its flamboyant decor and large party spaces,

the hotel is one of Liverpool's most popular wedding destinations.

Dj's going to be arriving at about 6.30, 7:00,

and the evening guests then will be coming about 7:30.

Ciara is the hotel's full-time wedding planner.

I'm looking for a big white double-decker bus.

Like James, Lawrence and Katie saw potential in her

when she was working in the hotel restaurant two years ago...

Run, go. Go, g0, 9°-

...and Ciara has been organising weddings ever since.

There we go.

Guys, just in on your right and take the lift up to six, thank you.

This year, I've had around 94 weddings.

The craziest week was probably I had six in one week.

It doesn't really go by days of the week any more,

it's names of the couple are the days of the week!

You'll find there's a lot of time you've got to clarify

what's happening, otherwise it's just a big blur.

KNOCKING

Hello? Yeah? Am I OK to come in?

Oh, sugar! Yeah, yeah.

Feeling OK? I'm nervous.

Nervous? He's here.

He's chilled, you're here, you look gorgeous. Thank you.

Today, it's 52-year-old Jayne who's getting married at the hotel.

I wouldn't get in your dress until about half an hour before,

because once you're in it, you just want to go,

and I don't want you pacing up here.

OK? All right, thank you. Not a problem.

I'm flitting in between nervous and all right.

I think I'll be nervous once I have to walk down the aisle.

Thank you.

Granny! Hello, baby girl! How are you?

Hello, gorgeous, we've been waiting for you two, haven't we?

Mum, I've stained me shoes, just the pants, I don't know how.

How've you done that already? I tied me lace.

With three grown-up children from a previous relationship

and three grandchildren, Jayne's family are all playing a part.

Me grandson and me nephew are pageboys.

Me two granddaughters are flower girls.

Two daughters are two of the bridesmaids

and me son's giving me away.

MAN: I tell you, these pants are a bit tight, you know?

Down on the second floor, Dan, Jayne's partner of 12 years,

is preparing for his big day.

Didn't really want a waistcoat, you know, but...

You know.

That was the bride, the bride's request.

Waistcoat.

A lot of people would say I'm not the marrying type.

I genuinely viewed marriage, really,

as something that I didn't really need to prove my love to someone.

When Dan asked Jayne to marry him,

it took the whole family by surprise.

I was very shocked when he proposed,

because I never thought he'd get married.

But we all love him, my kids love him,

and he's just took us all on as his own as well so...

He's fab.

Over the years they've been together...

...Dan has formed a close bond with Jayne's 21-year-old son Jordan.

Yeah, man!

My dad passed away when I was 16,

so Danny's been there since I was ten,

so he's been there half my life,

as much as my dad has been.

So I see him as a dad, really.

He's basically been the best thing

to my mum what's ever happened to her.

Hello, gorgeous!

I think I've found it easier to embrace jayne's kids

and be part of their family because I've been brought up

by my stepdad since I was six months old,

so I think it was a lot easier, mentally, for me to accept

and understand how you can love someone without actually

being their real father.

Smile, Dad, come on! One more!

There's only one hour to go until the ceremony.

And wedding planner Ciara is on hand to settle any last-minute nerves.

There you are, just where I thought you would be!

Hello. How are you? You look very handsome. Very handsome.

So, how are you feeling? Great. Feeling good. Good.

More importantly, have you seen the bride?

I have seen the bride, she looks gorgeous.

She's actually really, really good. Nice and chilled.

Is there anything you want to run through today or go over? Erm...

Yeah, only really what we've got to do!

Just, you know, like, the main wedding!

For the majority of the couples that get married at the hotel,

this is the most important day of their lives.

The pressure that that entails is all-consuming.

Once it dawns on them that they're about to walk into the ceremony,

that's the bit where I see couples change,

and after that, you wouldn't even have known there was any anxieties.

It seems like it's been a long time coming.

But, as jayne's children have grown up, they're now having kids,

it just sort of made me feel, I need to formalise this.

I'm their grandad and I felt like I needed to make it official.

Yeah, I love him to bits.

He's me soulmate, me best friend.

He's definitely the one.

Jayne, I give you this ring as a symbol of our marriage

and a token of my love.

I promise to love and to cherish you for the rest of my life

and I hope I can get it on your finger!

Push, push!

CHEERING

Couples who've been together longer, there's probably more significance

because it is finally uniting these families properly.

There's usually children or grandchildren involved,

so it's a bit more of an emotional day.

Rather than a marriage, it's like a commitment of the family together.

JAYNE: I still fancy you.

For many, the hotel is a place where romances blossom...

...and lasting memories are made.

But not everyone is so starry-eyed.

Aw, do we sit romantically on the chair? Oh, God, no!

You can sit in the corner.

Can I sit out the back?

Proposed after eight weeks. Did I really?

It was a surprise wedding,

no-one actually knew they were coming to the wedding.

No, we're not married.

No, no, no. Not married!

We've already... We're engaged.

Just not married. It's just a long engagement. Very!

It's two clays until the hotel's first glamping event.

And up on the roof, there's still a lot of work to do.

But Kris' team have at least found a tent company

who are willing to pitch on the roof.

Because a lot of the stuff we do is on grass,

because that's what tents go on.

And we normally do it on the ground and not on the roof.

It's just completely different. I know it's going to be all right,

but it's just the unknown, isn't it, lsuppose?

Downstairs, 24 hay bales have been delivered

to new general manager Damian...

ls it too heavy to go up?

...to give the event that festival vibe.

We need some help, guys.

So, our bales of hay are arriving, as you can see.

Breathe in!

Oh, my word.

I feel like line dancing.

Lawrence is relying on Kris and the team to create

an lnstagrammable event.

I know it's a rooftop in Liverpool, but still, we want it to be

the top-end festival, we want it to be a Glastonbury,

we want it to have that really premium feel.

But so far, it looks more farmyard than festival.

We need to make it a bit more wow.

And that's the bit I'm kind of struggling with,

just with the timescale.

You've just come up at the wrong time. We are working.

I'm just deciding what to do with the trees.

I'm going to make it amazing.

I'm on my way.

It's like putting up a Christmas tree.

Trainee guest relations manager James has just two clays left

of his probation period.

Hi! Morning, James.

Supervisor Kemi has decided to give him a second chance.

He's on time!

Obviously, he was late for his shift yesterday.

I'm giving him one more chance

because I can't carry on like this with him.

But things don't get off to a good start...

It's not this one.

I'm trying to think.

Ugh.

...when James can't find the room

he's supposed to be preparing for a hen party.

What room's the balloons in? I forgot. You know, the bride ones?

Oh, OK, yeah. OK.

I'm just rearranging these because I've just been speaking

to the maid of honour and she agreed

that she wants them a little bit closer together.

Who am I to argue? The customer's always right.

Take a photo for her.

They won't stay there, will they? It's doing me head in.

Because they've put a lot of thought and effort into their stay,

they obviously want it to be the best it can be.

This is the worst bit about balloons, you know.

Even balloons, if you put balloons on the wrong bed,

it can be an absolute disaster and ruin the weekend.

Trying to get them all to be straight.

Ugh!

Mind you, I can't moan about the balloon,

no-one can get me to be straight.

James' group of ten are just arriving from Derby.

Hi, ladies, how are yous today?

You just checking in?

Abby's the bride and her Wedding's in two months' time.

It was my partner's stag do last weekend and then hen do

this weekend, so after that, it's, like, wedding, wedding, wedding,

until the big day. What did he do for his stag do?

He went to Dublin for the weekend. Oh, nice.

Yeah, he was dead when he came back.

Well, you'lljust been in the same state when you go back!

That's the plan!

JAMES: Hi, guys, sorry to interrupt, my name's James.

I was speaking to Alex on the phone?

Alex, hiya, nice to meet you, are you OK?

I'm going to show you up to your room when yous are ready

and just talk you through the weekend, OK?

Oh, my God, it looks amazing!

Do you like it?

Aw, thank you.

Alex has organised a weekend of partying for her best friend

and bride-to-be Abby.

Me and Alex met at school,

so we've been friends for 15 years.

For me, there was never any question of anyone else doing it.

And thanks to James, the shots are already flowing.

L-li, girls! Hi! Hey!

Right, I promised shots, so I brought shots.

These clays, the average spend on a hen do is more than £500 per person.

But things were very different a few years back

for Mum's friend, Angela.

It was a nightclub in Derby.

It was meet in a pub, get a taxi to a nightclub, and that was it.

But that was all it was then with everybody, wasn't it?

That was what everybody did, and I have to say,

I had an amazing night, but, you know, it's now

evolved into something like this or going abroad and things like that.

This isn't the first hen party

Alex has organised for Abby this year.

This is actually the second hen do, is it?

Lovely girl, eh?

Cheers!

Cheers!

Are you going to get emotional?

Aw!

Can you be my best friend? I'm looking to take her!

Will you stop making a play for my best friend?

Right, yeah, I'll leave yous to enjoy your night, OK.

It was lovely meeting yous all and I'll see yous over the weekend, OK?

I'll see you later, girls, thanks very much! Bye!

Abby and Alex are among thousands who choose to celebrate

their friendship at the Party Hotel every year.

We've all, like, best friends. Yeah.

Besties! Besties!

That's why we're here, yeah.

Because we have really, really good nights out.

We're known as twins. People ask if we're twins.

As soon as we met, we were... Cut from the same cloth, aren't we?

Absolutely. Yeah.

She's like an adopted sister. Yeah, literally that!

We grasped the opportunity to bond our friendship.

It's nothing to do with the all-day drinking at all.

There's a delivery over here for bar, of glasses and stuff,

that needs moving. Champagne flutes, etc.

Up on the sixth floor,

events manager Mel is busy preparing for her next big function.

We've got the Edge Hill University nursing in tonight,

so it's mature students graduating.

150 of them for a three-course dinner and a party afterwards.

But Mel's last event didn't live up to boss Katie's expectations.

Can you just have a look if there is spoons around anywhere?

I ordered 150 and they're not here.

Keen to avoid the same mistakes,

Katie's decided to pull Mel aside to give her some feedback.

I create these events. Yeah.

So I want to have this trust and confidence that,

when that function sheet is passed down to yourself,

as the event organiser, you're following it through.

The Mad Hatter event was disappointing for me to see.

What she really needs to show me now

is that she can be the event manager I want her to be.

She's definitely 60% there, but we're not looking for 60%,

we want 100%.

Right, guys, our table service tonight is going to be...

Sophie, tables one to five.

Erin, tables six to 11.

Sian, 12 to 15.

And Danny, 16 to 18.

The role of events manager is one that Mel has been working up to

since she was a waitress in her teens.

One chocolate, one normal, one chocolate, one normal.

But her career path hasn't always been straightforward.

So, I fell pregnant at just 15.

I actually ended up having my little boy

when I was meant to be taking my GCSEs.

Went into labour just before my science exam.

Funnily enough, it was my biology exam that I missed for science!

So, I think I passed it!

That was obviously quite a hard time.

Being 16, being a new mum, just left school

and had this brand-new baby.

Having my son made me completely turn a corner.

I had to decide, was I going to carry on being a waitress

or was I going to go to university, whether I could afford university.

Mel decided to juggle childcare with a career in hospitality

and ten years later, she's one of the youngest managers in the hotel.

I set myself life goals from the moment I had my son.

I decided I wanted to own my house,

what car I wanted, where I wanted to be in my career.

He made my life because I wouldn't be where I am today

if I hadn't have had him at such a young age.

Downstairs, checking in for tonight's event

are friends Michelle and Lisa.

Hi there, how can I help you?

I'm staying tonight. It's Michelle Brierley.

What's the occasion for yous?

It's our graduation ball. It's here tonight.

Oh, lovely.

What is it you're graduating?

Nursing.

It feels amazing that I've actually finished university

and I've got a job

and I can actually earn some money

and help my husband pay the bills!

You graduating as well? Yes?

It's been a long three years, hasn't it? Four years!

CORK POPS

THEY LAUGH

Michelle and Lisa both started university in their 40s.

Do you want a bit more mascara? Oh, yeah.

They'd always dreamed of a career in nursing.

It will be fun later.

But with six children between them, family life always came first.

The course was difficult at times.

A lot of tears and a lot of late nights just trying to get

the assignments done as well as run around after a young family

and be a wife.

You're all done. Thank you.

Get dressed, that's all, isn't it? I know, yeah!

As a teenager, Lisa had her own doubts about starting a degree.

The older, the more your confidence gets knocked, doesn't it?

CORK POPS

Oh, no!

And so are you.

Cheers.

As Michelle and Lisa enjoy a pre-dinner drink...

That chair needs changing.

...Mel and her team are up against it, putting the finishing touches

to their graduation event.

We're just making sure we've got everything in place.

These are the type of events that sometimes you forget little things.

But so far so good, fingers crossed, everything's fine.

After four years of studying,

for the graduate nurses, it's finally time to celebrate.

Hello, everybody. I'd like to thank you all for coming.

Everyone looks absolutely amazing and I'd just like to say

congratulations to us all for graduating.

CHEERING

As the nurses and their partners toast their achievements,

Mel's working against the clock to get 150 meals out the door.

We're roughly about ten minutes behind schedule now

so we're just trying to get everyone seated.

Can you just do the announcement one more time?

And with this event,

she's determined that no detail will be overlooked.

All right, guys, we're going to be starting in a second.

Does everybody know what the vegetarian is?

Ready to go? Ready. Yeah?

Having successfully staged dinner for such a huge party of guests,

Mel's come a long way from waiting on tables as a young mum.

Something just clicked in me one night that I said,

I don't just want to be a statistic,

I don't just want to be another teenage mum

that doesn't really do anything.

I want to go out there and I want to make it known that

teenage mums can carry on doing what they want to do,

they can start living.

It doesn't matter what timeline you do things at,

you're still achieving.

I'd only met his dad for a couple of months

and found out I'd fallen pregnant,

and 10, 11 years later we're still riding that storm now.

We just make it work as best as we can.

And Mel's dedication to her career hasn't gone unnoticed.

I know how hard Melissa has worked to get to this point...

...to make a better life for her and her family.

MUSIC AND CHAT

She's absolutely nailed the graduation event.

Are yous checking out? Yes, please. We've got 501 and 521.

After a night of celebrating, it's the morning after

for chief bridesmaid Alex, bride Abby and their crew of hens.

Yous are all looking very fresh today.

I think it was the breakfast that helped.

As Abby and her hen party prepare to depart...

Thank you. Thank you, see you later. See you later. Thanks.

"James is ready to welcome another.

Oh, thank you.

Yes.

His trial as a guest relations manager is almost at an end.

And his performance has been closely monitored.

James, you know, he'd be amazing for this job.

He's got the charm, got the gift of the gab, talks to all the guests,

but what I need to see from him is his professionalism.

Punctuality, and obviously

once I see that out of him,

then I see he will be perfect for this role.

That's at one o'clock.

That is amazing, isn't it?

The little picnic bench with the toiletries on.

Hotel owner Lawrence tasked senior director Kris and his team

with creating a unique glamping event on the roof.

And just seven clays later,

Kris has brought Katie up to show her their progress.

Party on here. That's amazing.

It's cool, isn't it? Look at that!

SHE SQUEALS

Would I? Yeah.

Yeah, absolutely, yeah.

With just an hour to go until the festival opens,

the team have pulled it out of the bag,

but there's one person who's yet to give his seal of approval.

Lawrence happy? Is he happy?

We need to get a video crew to come down and have a look at it.

Yeah. And do that for us.

No use doing something weird and eclectic like this

and then not have any footage to show anyone.

It's all about social media.

He's smiling, though. That's the main thing.

Well, seven days. I think you could have done it in six.

Or four!

Yes. Yeah.

Over 60 guests are due at the festival...

Oh, my God. Hello! Welcome to The Shankly. Hello.

Glamping on the roof? Yes, I'm so excited.

...including Lally, who's celebrating a personal milestone

with her friends from school.

Thank you.

So I've come here for the tepee party.

My friend Molly is hosting it.

All of our friends are moving away for university

so she thought it would be nice to get us all together

for one last time, to have a little party and celebration

before we all go away.

Oh, my God, it's so nice up here.

It's amazing.

Hi! Hello!

Hi, guys.

The hotel is charging £140 a head for this exclusive rooftop festival,

and Lawrence is hoping it will create enough of a buzz

on social media to scale up in the future.

Ladies, shall we have a sneak peek? Yeah.

I've never seen a tepee before. I'm really excited.

I've obviously camped on a field but this is obviously a bit different.

This is glamping, isn't it? It will be amazing.

MUSIC PLAYS

With the party well under way,

all that's left to do is capture it on camera.

But management have just realised

that no-one alerted the social media team, and what's worse,

owner Katie was the first to notice.

She's just gone absolutely wild

and she's like, "What's the point of paying a social media team

"if it's not here on the busiest day?" And she's right.

With no-one here to cover the event, they have to hope that

the guests will get posting and create a buzz online.

Thankfully, they are only too eager to oblige.

And as the event draws to a close,

word of the festival has spread across social media...

Gorge.

...reaching over 55,000 people.

And for Lally, it's about creating memories of her last night in town,

as she's moving away from home tomorrow.

What are you going to do about your washing?

Are you going to do your own washing? No, I...

I was actually thinking I'm going to take my washing home on weekends.

No. Do you know how to work... Loads of people do that, though, you know.

No, but, like, do you know how to work a washing machine?

No. Are you joking?

Do you? Yeah!

This is going to go till three o'clock.

It's going to go to the wire.

The hotel's in meltdown on the busiest day of the month.

Is it draining?

Fool's emptying!

LAUGHTER

Somebody didn't put the plug in the pool!