Anton & Giovanni go on adventures in Sicily

We’re still months away from the next series of Strictly Come Dancing, and Dancing on Ice recently ended, meaning fans don’t even have that to fill the gap.

Luckily though, the BBC has found a way to break up the long, Strictly-free season by reuniting two of the show’s best loved-stars for the travel series Anton & Giovanni’s Adventures in Sicily.

If you’re not a regular viewer of the BBC’s hit pro-celebrity ballroom dancing contest, Anton Du Beke has been with the show since it began back in 2004. Although he never lifted the famed glitterball trophy with any of his partners, he quickly became one of the best-loved professional dancers.

Then in 2021, he was promoted to being a judge when Bruno Tonioli had to step back due to ongoing uncertainty around travel, and has since taken on the role on a permanent basis.

Meanwhile, Sicilian-born Giovanni Pernice joined Strictly in 2015, making him something of a new kid compared to Anton. But in eight series, he’s managed to make four finals, and won in 2021 with EastEnder Rose Ayling-Ellis, sealing his place as one of the show’s most popular pros.

Now, though Sicilian-born Giovanni is leaving the ballroom and going back to his roots – and he’s taking Anton with him.

Understandably, the Italian dancer is excited to be heading home. He says: “To say this has been a dream project is an understatement! Taking Anton to my much-loved home of Sicily was simply Bellissima! We danced, we laughed, and had the time of our lives – with great culture, food and company. I cannot wait for viewers in the UK to come on this journey with us.”

Anton shares his enthusiasm, adding: “When I first heard about this trip it was pretty irresistible. What’s not to love? It’s all my favourite things, great food, great country and spending time in the sunshine with Giovanni. Marvellous!”

In the opening episode, their adventure begins in the port town of port town of Sciacca – and they make a suitably dramatic arrival by speedboat.

Giovanni is keen to hit the road, but Anton thinks they should grab some refreshments first. It’s an opportunity for Anton to try out his Italian and give a local barista a masterclass in how to make what he considers to be the perfect cup of coffee, much to his travel companion’s embarrassment.

Then there’s the little matter of who’s going to be driving their hire car. They think that the fairest way to decide is with a race – whoever gets to the motor first in an Ape taxi, similar in appearance to a tuk-tuk, gets to be the first behind the wheel.

From there, it’s on to one of Sicily’s greatest treasures and one of the most visited tourist attractions on the whole island, The Valley of the Temples. Originally built as part of a huge Greek city, it’s considered to be one of the world’s finest examples of classical architecture, and Giovanni has a bright idea about how they can navigate the huge site in a hurry.

They need to get a move on, as the dancers have plenty more places to visit in this first episode – including a tango festival….