Paul O’Grady’s Great British Escape is the new UK travel series on ITV.
The six-part show will see presenter Paul O’Grady shares the beautiful sights, stories and secrets of his beloved adopted home county, Kent.
With foreign holidays off the cards, Paul’s heading off in search of thrills, spills and misadventure on his very own doorstep, from his Kent farm. He will escape across all corners of the county to discover the weird, wonderful, extraordinary and unusual gems that Kent has to offer.
From exploring some of the county’s extraordinary scenery and wildlife to unearthing quirky tales of local history and tradition – Paul is on a mission to share the ultimate Kent staycation and lots of laughter along the way.
Paul says: “I was born in a quaint little hamlet called Tranmere in Birkenhead and when I grew up I emigrated down south and had quite a good fling with London for a few years.
“Then I found myself down here in Kent and I’ve been here for over 20 happy years, I love the place.”
Episodes air at 8PM weekly on Wednesday on ITV or you can watch online and catch up via ITV Hub.
Paul O’Grady’s Great British Escape episodes
Episode 1 – 11 November
In episode one, Paul kicks-off his adventure by taking to the skies in style, hacking hops, meeting a moody sea eagle and learning the secrets behind a stunning historical castle.
Episode 2 – 18 November
This episode sees Paul explore his neck of the woods in Kent – the spectacular Romney Marshes and Dungeness. This unique, mystical landscape is full of extremes, and despite having lived here over 20 years, Paul discovers it’s still full of surprises and the unexpected.
Episode 3 – 25 November
This episode sees Paul head off on an expedition to explore Kent’s stunning coastline that stretches over 350 miles, hiding many surprising secrets. Paul’s escape starts in Dover Harbour where he boards a speed boat to blast along the iconic white cliffs.
The journey takes Paul past wartime tunnels and over long-lost shipwrecks before having an emotional encounter with some of Kent’s more unexpected residents; a colony of harbour seals living on a disused MOD navy base.
Episode 4 – 2 December
In the fourth week, Paul visits places long on his Kent bucket list – iconic spots on his doorstep but where he’s amazingly never set foot before. He starts by heading off on a modern-day pilgrimage to the beautiful city of Canterbury. After failing to impress his pigs with a reading from ‘Canterbury Tales’, Paul follows the footsteps of Chaucer’s pilgrims by visiting the world-famous cathedral.
He’s not here as a tourist though, instead he’s put to work helping out with roof renovations. But his excitement at this exclusive invite as an honorary builder takes a hit when he learns the lift is out of action…. However despite a climb of over 230 ft, Paul’s not one to miss out on this extraordinary opportunity to leave his mark on this historic building.
Episode 5 – 9 December
This episode sees Paul explore Kent’s beautiful forests – in fact the county is number one in England for the most ancient woodland. Covering over 10% of Kent’s bucolic countryside, Paul meets the people, and animals, who thrive in this stunning backdrop.
First, Paul escapes to the Wildwood Trust just outside Canterbury – a wildlife conservation centre helping protect some of Britain’s most endangered animals. He first meets one of the UK’s most iconic, but threatened rodents – the adorable dormouse – before helping to muck out the hutch of another classic British animal – the water vole.
Episode 6 – 16 December
In the final episode of the series, Paul heads off in search of the fascinating and unanticipated, discovering Kent’s tales of the unexpected. And his first stop is a real escape into the unknown where he encounters most extraordinary sight – the Red Sand Sea Forts.
Built 13 miles out to sea in the Thames Estuary, these eerie looking WWII anti-aircraft towers proved a great success helping to deter and report incoming German air raids. Now a rusty relic to the war, Paul is bowled over by this unique monument to Kent’s brave history he never knew existed before.
Details on further episodes are to be confirmed.
Picture: ITV/Olga Productions
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