A Brazilian husband and wife who hold the Guinness World Record for the “world’s shortest married couple” are opening up about the ways in which they have customized their marital home in order to fit their special needs as they share a glimpse into their relationship in a new reality series.
Paulo Gabriel da Silva Barros, 40, and Katyucia Lie Hoshino, 36, who cemented their place in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2016, when they tied the knot, are the latest subjects on the new TLC documentary-reality series “Most Extreme Humans.”
The show profiles people from around the world who are living with a variety of extremely rare conditions, such as Mark, a man from the Philippines whose hands have grown 20 times larger than the average male’s appendages due to a diagnosis of macrodactyly, and Claudio, who was born with a backward spine, yet is training to climb a mountain to mark his milestone 50th birthday.
Each episode follows a different individual or couple who qualify as one of the world’s “Most Extreme Humans” as they overcome obstacles of all kinds and showcase their inspiring resilience.
At a height of 2-foot-11, Gabriel da Silva Barros and Lie Hoshino share the challenges they face on a daily basis due to their size—even when inside their own home.
In an exclusive clip from the forthcoming episode, “Peaks and Valleys,” the couple open the doors to their personal residence in the city of Itapeva in São Paulo to show off all the changes that had to be made to the average-sized dwelling to make it functional and safe for them to comfortably call it home.
Gabriel da Silva Barros and Lie Hoshino begin the tour in a cream square-tiled entryway, where they push open a slatted white door with a window and point out a pair of important adjustments.
“Our door handles are all lower,” notes Lie Hoshino.
“And another thing that was also lowered are the light switches,” adds Gabriel da Silva Barros.
Moving from the entry into the kitchen, there’s a wall of exposed shelves beside a suite of laminate cabinetry made up of mostly pull-out drawers rather than traditional cabinets with hinged doors.
“The kitchen has several things that I’m going to show you—it is lower,” begins Gabriel da Silva Barros about the unique cabinetry choice that allows them to easily see and reach utensils stored within.
“You can see that most of them are drawers. When I open it, I can have full access to everything,” he says.
Above the drawers, multiple small appliances are displayed on a countertop that is opposite a noticeably shallow stainless-steel sink that sits below a long faucet, which Gabriel da Silva Barros reveals is his favorite feature of the retrofitted room.
“Now comes the coolest part of the kitchen: the sink,” he says. “It was custom-made. When I wash the dishes, I can have more access.”
Gabriel da Silva Barros shares a similar explanation for the lowered black gas stovetop.
“When I am going to cook, a pan is at this height,” he motions before continuing. “So I can still do it, cooking and looking in the pan, so it makes our daily lives easier.”
Also making daily life easier in the kitchen are a stack of green plastic step stools that can easily be moved around the space for grabbing items stored beyond the couple’s reach.
Nearby the kitchen, a reading nook is adorned with a framed photo of the happy couple and a gray textured accent wall serves as a backdrop to a cozy gray couch. A green throw blanket protects the furniture piece while a smattering of blue, pineapple-patterned pillows supports Lie Hoshino as she relaxes with a book beside their dogs.
A different angle of the nearby kitchen unveils the dining room, which is anchored by a honey-toned wooden table and a collection of white chairs.
A view of the laundry area shows a lowered utility sink and front-loading washing machine—two features that give Gabriel da Silva Barros and Lie Hoshino the ability to complete the chore independently with ease.
The couple’s office space also appears to have modified desks and chairs positioned in front of a window providing plenty of natural light.
The seemingly small upgrades make for a collectively big transformation for the couple, who now consider the humble abode to be their most comfortable sanctuary.
“My house is my safe haven,” says Lie Hoshino. “It’s where I know I have independence. It’s the place where I don’t need help. I am just another person in the world. I am not the unique one. I’m not the different one, not in my house.
“When we leave our home, we have to adjust to the world to fit in,” she adds. “But in our house, especially in the kitchen and bathroom, it’s the opposite. It’s the people who have to adapt to us.”
The TLC series marks the second time that the couple’s relationship has been thrust into the spotlight. In 2016, when they wed in a ceremony in London, they became the world’s shortest married couple, a title that was verified by a Guinness World Records official.
According to the organization, the couple had a combined height of 71.42 inches when they wed, having been together for eight years when they became husband and wife.
“We may be short, but we have big hearts and lots of love for each other as well as everybody in our lives,” Lie Hoshino said at the time. “Our life isn’t without its challenges, but we are so happy we can tackle these challenges together.”
‘Most Extreme Humans’ airs on Wednesdays at 9 p.m. on TLC.
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