Regency House Party Who's Who

The Men:

Chris Gorell Barnes

Host of the Regency House Party

Chris, 29, runs a company that makes commercials but is considering a switch from the production to the creative side of advertising. Educated at a progressive private school, he grew up in London but loves the country -- especially when he's shooting and fishing. Fresh out of a relationship, Chris hopes that spending a few weeks as a Regency gentleman will give him time to think about his potential career move and put a little romance in his life. He admits to being "on the prowl." As host of the party and master of the stately home at which it takes place, Chris plays the most fortunate of the guests.

James Carrington

Gentleman

A singer-songwriter with his own band, James, 27, recently secured a publishing deal. Though he flirts mercilessly, he says he'd love to settle down with the right woman.

John Everett

Wealthy Gentleman

Charming, witty and "in circulation," John, 29, is a stage manager and master carpenter with the Bush Theatre in London. The youngest of five children, John recently discovered the joys of poker, and has added the game to his list of existing hobbies: astronomy, painting and drawing, among others.  

Mark Foxsmith

Gentleman Cleric and Tutor

Born and raised in Plymouth, Mark, 32, overcame a life-long struggle with dyslexia to become a biology teacher. A self-described mad scientist, he keeps a diary and hopes to use his interest in science to consider the problems, ideas and theories of the Regency. He also hopes to meet someone who can put up with his oddities!

Jeremy Glover

Gentleman Naval Captain

A native of Bangor, Northern Ireland, Jeremy believes there are two forms of intelligence – academic and streetwise – and that his is the latter. After stints as a computer science student, a potato picker and an entry-level advertising employee, Jeremy launched an Internet company called Blacknet, which was worth millions before the dot-com bubble burst. Still comfortable financially, he is now a consultant considering starting up another business. Though at 41, Jeremy fears he may be a bit of a commitment-phobe, he expects to handle the Regency's rules quite well, as many of them are still in place in Northern Ireland, especially for women.

Zebedee Helm

Hermit

Zebedee, age 32, studied fine art and is now a successful artist who has saved money by spending the last few summers camping out in a tepee on various estates.

Paul Robinson

Gentleman Soldier

Now a hairdresser living in Brighton, Paul, 29, studied art and still likes to paint in the Pop Art style. He says the idea of a lifestyle that involves heavy drinking, gambling and womanizing appealed to him tremendously, and claims to fall in love quite easily. Though he grew up working-class, Paul describes himself as having many upper-class traits. He recently broke up with a long-term girlfriend and feels that spending time as a Regency buck is just what he needs.

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The Women:

Lisa Braund

Gentlewoman

With two married sisters, 34-year-old Lisa is the oldest of the house party guests and is desperately looking for Mr. Right. Passion for the theater led her to work in costuming for Les Misèrables, but after several years she left that line of work and became a scuba instructor and then a receptionist for a building developer. She's now passionate about rollerblading and Regency fashion. Lisa and fellow partygoer Hayley Conick take on the roles of middle-class women worth little more than loose change.

Hayley Conick

Gentlewoman

Born and raised in a small Welsh village, Hayley, 25, says she grew up sheltered. She attended Cambridge University and now works in London as a trainee headhunter, as she has no trust fund! Hayley's father, who is half African-American, is a retired police officer and her mother is a civil servant. Like Lisa Braund, Hayley portrays a middle-class woman.

Victoria Hopkins

Industrial Heiress

At 28, Victoria is the deputy director of her family's lucrative business, which manufactures catering appliances. Although she enjoyed a privileged childhood, drives a sports car and has a closet full of Gucci and Prada clothes, Victoria says she isn't spoiled and that the hardest thing about Regency life will be dealing with a chaperone who curbs her tongue. She was previously engaged, but called off the marriage at the last minute. At the "house party," Victoria is a woman of sizeable fortune, but with little social standing.

Larushka Ivan-Zadeh, Countess Griaznov

Highest Ranking Female Guest

Of noble Russian descent, Larushka, 27, is a real-life countess, although the title no longer means anything today. She studied English literature at Cambridge University and now splits her time between working in a pub and writing film reviews; she lives in the Knightsbridge section of London. Growing up with a psychiatrist father, Larushka feels, taught her a great deal about relationships and about herself. She describes herself as a hopeless romantic and competitive in love. Although Larushka's Regency character is seemingly the loftiest of the women, she is actually of little means.

Francesca Martin

Lady's Companion

A recent graduate of Bristol University, Francesca, 21, specialized in the study of 19th-century society and wrote her dissertation on the role of women during that time period. She is an aspiring writer and has begun a Bridget Jones-style novel about girls her age. Francesca's father teases her by saying he hopes she will marry a Scottish baron and live in a castle, taking her from middle to high class. Although he claims he's joking, she believes he's totally serious. As a Lady's Companion, Francesca's character is the least fortunate of the ladies, as she has no means at all and is relegated to the position of an unpaid servant.

Tanya Samuel

Heiress

Half Nigerian and half West Indian, Tanya, 31, is an entrepreneur who designs high-end accessories, teaches at the London School of Fashion and serves as chairwoman of a non-profit group. The fourth of six children -- one of whom is the singer Seal -- Tanya believes that men behave as badly as women will allow them to.