Clive Myrie swaps the black chair for an Italian Road Trip

The idea of a paid holiday sounds rather marvellous, doesn’t it?

The only problem is, they’re difficult to come by – unless you happen to be a famous person. If you are, then it often seems as if TV executives are falling over themselves to pay you to visit the kind of places many folk can’t afford to see.

Not that we’re jealous, of course…

Clive Myrie probably wouldn’t describe himself as a celebrity – newsreaders rarely do, although his standing as a quiz show host (the latest run of his tenure as Mastermind presenter recently ended) more than qualifies him for the title – he’s the latest well-known name to land such a gig. What’s more, he’s heading somewhere that others like him have been beating a path to on a regular basis over the past few years – Italy.

Live Italian saw Jack Whitehall, Maya Jama and Lawrence Dallaglio immerse themselves in the culture, while Stanley Tucci’s Italy was a rather tasty culinary tour. Our Man in Italy charted James May’s exploration of the nation’s history, landscape and people, and Gino D’Acampo’s Italian Escape followed the chef as he returned to his homeland to cook up a storm.

There are others to consider too, including a new entry in the sub-genre – Absolutely Dyer: Danny and Dani Do Italy, which recently began on E4 and reveals what the father-and-daughter team got up to during a four-week break; this week they’re in Tuscany.

So, with all that competition, Myrie’s jaunt needs to stand out from the crowd. The BBC is hoping the reporter’s natural charm and charisma will help it do so.

“Embark on a captivating journey, all from the comfort of your own home,” says BBC Commissioning Editor Muslim Alim. “Let your favourite news presenter guide you through the rich tapestry of Italy’s culture, cuisine and lifestyle. This sun-drenched series offers viewers an immersive and unforgettable Italian experience.”

Executive producer Emma Parkins adds: “Clive holidays in Italy every year, but he wanted to go deeper and really threw himself into this adventure – from competing in the Tiramisu World Cup to navigating in a vintage car rally through Prosecco country. It was great to travel with him, and we hope that the programme doesn’t only inspire people to visit, but to search for lesser-known locations and get curious about how Italians live too.”

Among the highlights of the 15-part series are Myrie’s explorations of the eternal city of Rome, the slopes of Sicily’s Mount Etna and Barga, dubbed the most Scottish town in Italy. And then there’s all that mouth-watering food and drink to savour too…

“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,” claims Myrie. “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.”

Oh how we’d love to follow in his footsteps – all we need to do now is get famous…