TV & Radio

BBC1’s Holiday What's the longest bike ride you can take without pedalling? How do you rub noses with the Maori people? And are Harley-Davidson riders born to be wild, or mild? These are all questions I've been tackling while travelling around the world for the BBC's long-running Holiday programme. To reflect the fact that there has never been a better time to circumnavigate the planet, my mission has been to show how to get the most out of the trip of a lifetime - while staying safe and without breaking the bank. My adventures will be shown as part of Holiday, introduced by Craig Doyle, from November. Oh, the answers so far: by hitching a ride to the top of a volcano in Maui, Hawaii; signing up for a cultural tour at Hawke's Bay in the North Island; and "mild". Perfect Holiday The idea behind BBC-1's Perfect Holiday is just perfect: that each of us has a dream holiday, even if we're not quite sure what it is, and that there are many people who deserve to live their dream. So the Holiday programme put out an appeal for viewers to nominate friends or relatives who needed a special travel experience. Unknown to the chosen "victims", the person who had nominated them allowed Perfect Holiday's investigators access to their home. They were led by Russell Amerasekera, and included Jamie Bowden, Jennifer Cox, Mary Johns and me. We would have an hour or so to rummage around looking for clues about the sort of destination and style of holiday that would appeal. Then we adjourned to the nearest pub for a full-scale row about how best to create a perfect holiday for them. Meanwhile, the unsuspecting victims were being secretly filmed. The first they knew about it was when Russell suddenly popped up, "This is your life"-style, to tell them their prize. Despite Russell's strange affinity for flamboyant shirts, none of them actually ran away, and they all went on to have fabulous holidays - with one of us as their little helper, fixing surprises and treats that, we hope, will live with them forever. Perfect Holiday will be screened in the New Year.