Rob Rinder and Rylan Clark jetted off to Italy for Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour as they travelled from Venice to Florence and then on to Rome.
The TV presenters and friends embarked on a new adventure as they discovered the greatest art treasures in Italy while laying bare their own insecurities and vulnerabilities.
On the 200th anniversary of the death of Romantic poet Lord Byron, Rob and Rylan followed in the footsteps of Byron and the original Grand Tourists, taking in the art, culture and lively nightlife.
The Grand Tour saw endless English aristocrats between the 17th and 19th century leave behind the confines of British society for freedom and discovery abroad.
Both Rob and Rylan were left heartbroken by painful divorces, so did this Grand Tour give them the new chapter they needed?
They started their adventure in Venice and cast their eyes over one of the largest paintings on canvas in the world, Tintoretto‘s Il Paradiso.
The duo also discovered the artistic legacy of Canaletto and headed off to Murano to try glass-blowing. They also spent time at Venice's famous Carnival and dressed up as drag queens along the city's Grand Canal.
Here's everything we know about Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour...
Where to watch Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour
Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour consisted of three episodes and started on Sunday, May 12 at 9pm on BBC Two.
The second episode aired on Sunday, May 19 at 9pm on BBC Two and the final episode aired on Sunday, May 26 at 9pm on BBC Two.
All three episodes are now available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour locations
Episode One - Venice: Rob Rinder and Rylan Clark set off on the original package holiday, the Grand Tour, which was a cultural odyssey designed to turn young upper-class Brits into civilised, educated gentlemen. Their first stop was Venice, where Rob conducted Vivaldi's Four Seasons in the church where it was first performed, while Rylan discovered the hidden side of Venice's famous carnival.
Episode Two - Florence: Rob and Rylan headed to Florence, setting out to discover how grand tourists tried to uncover the secrets of the Renaissance in the Italian city. Their journey began with a climb up to the spectacular dome of the city's cathedral, before they viewed statues of the biblical figure of David by Michelangelo and Donatello, and visited the Uffizi gallery, home of the Venus de Milo sculpture.
Episode Three - Rome: Rob took Rylan to see a painting by one of his favourite Baroque artists, Caravaggio and to learn more about Caravaggio’s technique, known as chiaroscuro (‘light and shadow’), the men recreated Caravaggio’s painting of David and Goliath. They also visited the Coliseum and later threw themselves into 18th-century fashion.
Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour hosts
Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour was hosted by TV stars and close friends Rob Rinder and Rylan Clark.
Rob Rinder is a criminal barrister who rose to prominence as a TV judge and hosted his reality courtroom series Judge Rinder.
Rylan Clark shot to fame after appearing on The X Factor and has since become a hugely popular TV and radio presenter, having gone on to host the likes of Eurovision and This Morning.
The pair have since become close friends after meeting through the TV business.
Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour interview
In an interview with What To Watch, Rob and Rylan revealed all about what was on their itinerary for their travelogue...
Did the two of you know each other before embarking on this adventure?
Rylan: "Yes we met through the world of telly. The first time I messaged Rob was when I was filming a show in Manchester and I broke into the Judge Rinder set because I was desperate to see it. I sat in the Judge Rinder chair, posted a picture on Instagram and Rob replied saying something like, ‘You look great darling’. We have become good friends but are the Unlikely Lads, yes we are both gay, both work in telly but we are polar opposites when It comes to pretty much everything."
Rob: "Everything!"
Go on, tell us more!
Rylan: "Rob is the sort of person who will read a book to learn something. He will find out every fine detail, probably too much detail. My job on this trip was to take the book out of his hand and go, ‘Let’s not read about it, let’s go and do it. Let's touch it. Let’s feel it.’"
Rob: "Yes, the aim of an original Grand Tour was to sap the marrow out of life. We're here for a limited blink of an eye, so you want to return home better informed, more complete and to have had this full cultural experience which means immersing yourself fully into it."
What were some of your stand out moments?
Rylan: "In Florence we were incredibly lucky to see an Artemisia Gentileschi painting and learn how the original was painted. There is a really sad story behind Artemisia, she was abused and raped. We learnt how the original nude self-portrait we saw was actually later changed and parts of her body covered up because it was thought to be distasteful."
Rob: "A bucket list moment for me was having the chance to conduct Vivaldi’s Four Seasons in the church where it was originally performed in Venice. I would never in a million years have had the courage to do it if it hadn’t been for Rylan. It was one of the best nights of my life."
We see you both go on dates with Italians in Florence. Were either of you hoping to find romance?
Rylan: "I mean it was my sole purpose of this trip! (Laughing) No, I don’t think we ever thought that, but I did get a romance from it, I got him! (He nudges Rob beside him on the sofa) Genuinely, the whole experience made me realise I don’t need to be with anyone. I've got Nonna. I nicknamed Rob ‘Nonna’ (Italian for grandma) because he was so slow walking around. You had some romance didn’t you Rob…."
Rob: "That's true. Rylan made me feel empowered to go out one night in Florence. I’m normally in bed by 9. I met a very sweet man who was a professor."
Rylan: "And I met a rugby player!"
Did you bring back any souvenirs from your travels?
Rylan: "One of our little sayings was ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ which means ‘I came, I saw, I conquered’ and Rob bought me a little teddy bear wearing a T-shirt that says ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici.’ It lives on my bed."
Rob: "I brought back the mask that I wore in Venice as part of our Carnevale experience."
Rylan: "Yes, I brought back my mask too. I wear it around Brentwood with a cloak (laughing)."
Would the two of you like to do more TV shows together?
Rylan: "The Grand Tour was fun and we've shown viewers what the grand tourists were all about, so now it might be time for me and Rob to see what we're like as tourists ourselves."
Rob: "Whatever enables people, whoever you are, whatever background you come from, to go ‘Yes! I’ll have a go at that.’ I think that’s the thing that matters."
What do you think viewers will take away from this?
Rylan: "Firstly, I think people will watch it and will 100 per cent want to go to all three cities. Secondly, I think they'll be really surprised at how candid it is because it’s not a glossy entertainment show, it’s actually quite raw. And I think they'll also look at me and go, ‘Oh, he's not as stupid as I thought’ and at Rob and go, ‘Oooh… he’s let his hair down.'"
Rob: "What’s left of it!"
Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour trailer
You can watch the full trailer below where Rob and Rylan proved that opposites definitely do attract...
FULL TRAILER Rob and Rylan’s Grand TourSunday 9pm @BBCTwo and @BBCiPlayer X pic.twitter.com/y9HdKuMZWqMay 9, 2024
