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Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice contribute to TV trend that won ...

Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice contribute to TV trend that won
Producers can't stop and won't stop.
Giovanni Pernice, Anton du Beke holding fans in Spain
Giovanni Pernice and Anton du Beke have headed to Spain (Picture: BBC/BBC Studios)

Anton Du Beke and Giovanni Pernice packing their bags and going on a jolly to Spain for a BBC show is the latest contribution to a popular genre.

The aptly titled Anton and Giovanni’s Adventures in Spain is the most recent programme to become part of a trend which sees celebrities enjoying free holidays in the name of entertainment.

It was decided they were worthy of a second series after Anton, 57, and Giovanni, 33, galivanted around Sicily for its first outing.

Watching famous faces travel the world at the expense of broadcasters doesn’t go down well with everyone including with disgruntled viewer Chris Arnott, who frustratingly wrote on X: ‘Is this a free holiday paid for the BBC or in other words me?’

Despite some complaints, celebrities living our dream of not having to use annual leave to go on holiday isn’t going away anytime soon, whether we like it or not. The Strictly Come Dancing favourites join a long list of predecessors who’ve taken a camera crew on a vacay.

Join us as we look back at some of the more random contributions to the genre as the TV trend continues to infiltrate the TV guide.

Absolutely Dyer: Danny and Dani Do Italy

Danny and Dani Dyer
Danny and Dani begrudgingly went to Italy (Picture: Channel Four)

What made this 2023 series interesting is that both Danny Dyer and Dani Dyer proudly and regularly admitted they had no interest in travelling, and would much prefer to just have some drinks by the pool.

‘We’re not travellers, we’re not journalists, I dunno what we are,’ Danny admitted in the opening monologue. Luckily from them, as we’ve previously clarified, a lot of producers are after celebrities.

The duo visit an active volcano, eat tuna seamen, and attempt squid fishing all within the series. But what you may find more shocking than their unique activities is they state Pizza Express does better cuisine than authentic Italian eateries. Did they not learn from Molly-Mae Hague?

Channel 4

Sue Perkins: Lost in Alaska

Sue Perkins in Alaska
Sue was sent to Alaska (Picture: Channel 5)

She watched Great British Bake Off contestants make Baked Alaska so the natural next step was obviously to send her to Alaska.

For part of the show, Sue Perkins is sent to learn how to avoid a bear attack. As someone who lives between Cornwall and London it probably wasn’t going to be too helpful once she’s got through Nothing to Declare, but it did the job of filling a ten-minute segment.

The comedian also gets her car stuck in a ditch (she’s lucky a bear didn’t turn up at the point), and ponders her recent decision to go from vegetarianism to pescatarianism on a fishing trip.

Channel 5

Ekin-Su and Davide: Homecomings

Ekin-Su & Davide looking at each other and smiling
Ekin-Su & Davide’s holiday show was a tad chaotic (Picture: ITV)

Giving Love Island couples their own TV shows is always risky business. We all remember when Olivia Attwood and Chris Hughes decided to crack on with their lives away from each other before Crackin’ On even made it to the small screen.

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Clearly up for taking chances, ITV decided Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu and Davide Sanclimenti should take a camera crew with them as they headed to their homes in Turkey and Italy and met each other’s families.

It quickly became less about beautiful vistas and more about Davide taking pictures with women at an after-party. The show felt confused.

ITV

A Wright Family Holiday

Mark Wright with Mark Wright Snr and Josh Wright
Mark had a jolly old time with his family (Picture: BBC / Twenty Twenty)

Mark Wright left The Only Way is Essex over a decade ago, but decided to return to a form of reality TV and grabbed his brother Josh Wright and his dad Mark Wright Snr for A Wright Family Holiday, which explored Britain. They all wanted to spend more time together, so instead of arranging a Sunday roast, they piled into a car and subjected TV viewers to their antics.

There is a popular sub-trend of TV stars picking a parent and getting them in on the act. Romesh Ranganathan already travels the world with best friend Rob Beckett for Rob and Romesh Vs, but clearly determined to follow Drake’s advice and run out of room to put stamps in his passport, he took his mum to America in 2017 for Asian Provocateur. Jack Whitehall’s Travels with My Father, and Bradley Walsh: Breaking Dad join the list.

BBC

The British Tribe Next Door 

Scarlett Moffatt and family on British Tribe Next Door
The British Tribe Next Door aired five years ago (Picture: PA)

Scarlett Moffatt’s 2019 TV show had a unique premise, to say the least. Unlike some other shows on the list where hotels or local homes were used as accommodation, for The British Tribe Next Door, a replica of the Gogglebox star’s Country Durham home was built in Namibia and she moved her family into the temporary fixture for one month.

Joining Scarlett was her mum Betty, dad Mark, sister Ava-Grace and grandma Christine, who all packed up their 20,000 belongings for the trip to Africa.

There were many watch-behind-your-hands moments such as a welcome dance where the family seemed uncomfortable, and Scarlett talking about her penchant for fake tanning to a group of Black women.

Channel 4

Anton and Giovanni’s Adventures in Spain airs on BBC One on Mondays at 9pm. All three episodes are available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.

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MORE : How Ekin-Su Cülcüloğlu can bounce back from becoming Celebrity Big Brother ‘villain’

MORE : Giovanni Pernice ‘dumped’ by ex Layla Brown before moving on with nearly identical new girlfriend

MORE : Giovanni Pernice makes statement despite scorned Strictly partners holding secret meeting

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