Bolton-born Clive Myrie is taking viewers on a trip of a lifetime.
The former Hayward School pupil, who is now a BBC News presenter and the Mastermind Host, is taking viewers to one of his favourite holiday destinations, Italy in his new BBC Two series Clive Myrie’s Italian Road Trip.
Clive’s been going to Italy for over 30 years, but this 15-part series is the first chance he’s had to stay longer and delve deeper.
Travelling through cities, coast and countryside, Clive gets behind the scenes of Italian life - swapping health tips with locals in a hot spring in Lazio, to playing football in Florence, to taking to the stage to sing in a Capri nightclub.
During the road trip, Clive travels to the eternal city of Rome, the slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna and Barga, the most Scottish town in Italy. He discovers what makes Italian food and drink so delicious, including the technique that’s made Neapolitan pizza world famous, why some of the best Prosecco is harvested at full moon in the foothills of the Alps and why a volcano might be the best place to grow a tomato.
Clive will also show viewers how some of the country’s most iconic dishes and ingredients are made, as he makes Mozzarella in Amalfi, shapes tortellini in Bologna and prepares chocolate according to one of the world’s oldest recipes in Sicily.
As he travels across Italy, Clive also discovers exquisite, one-of-a-kind accommodations from art gallery hotels to cosy vineyard abodes in repurposed wine barrels, he even spends a night in a traditional cave house in Matera.
Clive, who was back in Bolton last summer to be honoured by the University of Bolton, said: “I hope viewers enjoy this road trip as much as I have and fall in love with Italy – a place that captured my heart many years ago. It really is one of my favourite holiday destinations, and even after several years of visiting, I always have something new to learn and explore.
“This trip helped me discover places, communities and traditions I'd never come across before and the series is packed with beautiful locations, delicious food and the friendliest people, I hope BBC viewers enjoy the Italian sunshine with me this May.”
Clive Myrie’s Italian Road Trip starts 1 May, 6.30pm on BBC Two. All episodes will be available on BBC iPlayer.
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