Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen was educated at Alleyn's School in Dulwich and later graduated from the Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts. After graduating, Llewelyn-Bowen worked for the Harefield Group of Companies and the interior design firm Peter Leonard Associates. In 1989 he started his own design consultancy. Laurence presented the BBC television series Changing Rooms where he quickly gained something of a reputation for clutter; in many ways the decluttering trend was a reaction against his style of design. Many times people were filmed in tears of sadness after having seen what he had done to their drawing room: frequently people said they were going to repaint the room with white paint.This reaction made him use darker colours for the walls which could not be painted over as easily. A study of Laurence's family tree featured in the BBC One show Who Do You Think You Are?, which was first aired on 29 September 2008. It showed that Llewelyn-Bowen's mother's family had a seafaring history. Between 2009 to 2011 Laurence appeared on every episode of the ITV show House Gift. Laurence appeared as a judge on the 2010 series of the ITV reality talent show Popstar to Operastar as a critic alongside Meat Loaf, and classically trained mentors Katherine Jenkins and Rolando Villazón. Between 2010 and 2011, Laurence has presented the daytime ITV show Auction Party. Laurence participated in the first series of the ITV entertainment series Stepping Out with his wife, Jackie. They were eliminated on 21 September 2013, claiming third place. Bowen was the Creative Director For the 2010 Blackpool Illuminations, designing new illuminations including dinosaurs, vampires and ghouls. In March 2005 he starred in a one-off mockumentary as a prospective candidate for Parliament. His party, the Purple Party, "lobbied" for a restoration of Britain's heritage, and several extreme architectural measures such as tearing down all buildings that did not conform to their surroundings.British homestyle consultant and television personality best known for his appearances on the BBC programme Changing Rooms.