Today, we're joined by a titan of the travel industry. Divia Thani is the global editorial director of Conde Nast Traveler magazine, overseeing seven editions of the title across the globe, including here in the UK. If you're not familiar with Conde Nast Traveler, It's the ultimate guide to the world's most exciting destinations, hotels, resorts, restaurants, and experiences. Divia is at the helm of it all and has been shaping the brand's voice and vision for several years now, having served as ...
Apr 04, 2023•57 min
Today’s special guest is the singer-songwriter Katie Melua. Many of you will know Katie from her chart-topping hits like "Nine Million Bicycles" and "The Closest Thing to Crazy”. Over the last twenty years, her soulful voice has captivated audiences all around the world, selling over 11 million albums worldwide, making her one of the most successful British female artists of all time. Katie was born in Georgia, - a country found at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe - which was th...
Mar 28, 2023•49 min
Welcome to this bonus episode of The Travel Diaries podcast, where we are going to be talking about some of the most beautiful and awe-inspiring national parks here in the UK. We’re joined by friend of the podcast, former guest on Season 3, Juliet Kinsman, who is the Sustainability Editor of Conde Nast Traveller magazine, the author of The Green Edit: Easy Tips for the Eco-Friendly Traveller and an aficionado of the national parks of the UK. Today’s episode is brought to you in partnership with ...
Mar 23, 2023•31 min
Welcome to Season 9! It’s great to be back. Get ready to tantalise your taste buds and whet your appetite, because today we are joined by the master of all things delicious, Chef James Martin. James has been cooking up a storm on TV screens for over 20 years, and has written over 20 cookbooks as well, selling millions of copies worldwide. Born and raised in Yorkshire, James remains a Yorkshire lad through and through and still spends plenty of time in his home county, which he tells us about tod...
Mar 21, 2023•1 hr
Hello and welcome to the Season 8 finale of The Travel Diaries. You may have first got to know today’s guest as the bad boy of the reality TV show Made in Chelsea. Now married with three children to model Vogue Williams, who he met on the TV show, The Jump, he regularly tops the podcast charts as the co-host of the hilarious hit podcast, Spencer and Vogue, as well as entertaining listeners with his former Made in Chelsea co-star Jamie Laing, on the podcast, 6 Degrees from Jamie and Spencer. It i...
Oct 25, 2022•1 hr 1 min
On today’s episode I’m joined by one of British TV’s most famous faces, Richard Hammond. Stepping into the spotlight over twenty years ago, Richard became one third of the iconic trio to front the BBC's motoring show, Top Gear, alongside James May and Jeremy Clarkson. The show went on to become the world's most watched factual TV programme - as proven by the Guiness book of records - at its peak 350 million viewers around the world were tuning in each week. The show saw the trio travel all over ...
Oct 18, 2022•46 min
Welcome to this special bonus destination special episode of The Travel Diaries podcast, brought to you in partnership with Tourism Ireland. Today, we are focussing specifically on one of my all time favourite destinations, the island of Ireland. With such a breadth of experiences and activities on offer in Ireland, it’s no wonder it’s such a popular destination to have been mentioned by my guests over the last seven seasons of the podcast and today I'm joined by one of Ireland's most loved expo...
Oct 16, 2022•32 min
Today, I'm joined by one of sports broadcasting’s most familiar faces, Gabby Logan. This summer alone we watched Gabby helm the Commonwealth Games, the European Championships, the Women’s Euros and the London Marathon, to name a few. She's been a trailblazer for women in sport, no doubt inspired by her own family sporting credentials as a former international gymnast herself, as well as being the daughter of a professional footballer and manager, and the wife of a rugby international. She’s also...
Oct 11, 2022•59 min
Today, I’m joined by podcasting royalty. He is the co-host of the mega-hit podcast Off Menu (one of my favourite podcasts) and Taskmaster the Podcast, too. He is a regular on our TV screens on shows like Mock the Week, Would I Lie to You; he's soon to be one of the new hosts of Pointless and he’s part of the esteemed judging panel on the Great British Menu. He is currently touring the UK with his critically acclaimed standup show, Electric. It is of course, Ed Gamble. From coastal California to ...
Oct 04, 2022•56 min
With over fifty restaurants, multiple Michelin stars and innumerable celebrity fans, Wolfgang Puck is one of the world’s most famous chefs and global restauranteurs. Born in Austria, he began cooking alongside his mother who was a chef, before starting his formal chef training at just 14 years old, quickly going on to cook at some of France's best restaurants. But, it wasn't an easy childhood, and Wolfgang is incredibly honest about the abusive relationship he had to endure with his step father ...
Sep 27, 2022•58 min
On today’s episode we’re joined by one of the UK’s most successful singer-songwriters. He’s collaborated with everyone from Kylie Minogue to Bob Dylan and Nile Rogers, and recently sold out Wembley Arena - we’re joined today by the utterly delightful and extremely talented Jack Savoretti. Jack had a truly international upbringing, moving from London to Switzerland, and spending idyllic childhood summers in Portofino, Italy, where his father’s family hail from as well as on a remote Bahamian isla...
Sep 20, 2022•55 min
Welcome to Season 8 of The Travel Diaries! And who better to kick off the season than national treasures Si King and Dave Myers, a.k.a. the Hairy Bikers. My first duo on the pod, they’ve been entertaining Britain with their TV shows and books for over twenty years. Their unique blend of foodie expertise, humour and motorbike enthusiasm has earned them national treasure status. And part of their success has been their foodie travel shows, where they’ve biked incredible routes across the world, wh...
Sep 13, 2022•1 hr 3 min
Today, I’m joined by a legend of stage and screen. Britain’s naughtiest national treasure. It’s the award-winning actress, Miriam Margolyes. Miriam’s movie roles have included the BAFTA award-winning Mrs Mingott in Martin Scorsese’s ‘The Age of Innocence’ and of course Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter films. She’s appeared in a host of hugely popular TV shows from Blackadder and Miss Marple to more recently the Real Exotic Marigold Hotel and Call the Midwife. And she’s also a prolific travel...
Jun 28, 2022•59 min
On this week’s destination special we are heading to one of the world’s most popular travel destinations. We're off to the South East of Europe, to a country of thousands of islands dotted throughout the Aegean and Ionian Seas. The cradle of Western civilization, its capital, Athens, is home to ancient landmarks dating back to the 5th-century B.C. like the Acropolis and the Parthenon. A country of magical natural landscapes, turquoise seas and secret beaches, with the longest coastline in Europe...
Jun 21, 2022•46 min
Today’s guest is Britain’s undisputed Queen of breakfast telly. A national treasure, who for the last 12 years has been the host of her self-titled show on ITV, Lorraine - it is, of course, Lorraine Kelly. Lorraine became a journalist the hard way, working on local papers before working as a researcher on BBC Scotland, where bosses told her that, because of her Scottish accent, she’d never get a job in front of the camera. Oh how she proved them wrong. Joining TV-am she went on to report on some...
Jun 14, 2022•57 min
Today is a Travel Diaries first - a Listener Special where you, my amazing listeners, are this week’s special guests. I’ve interviewed many a star over the past seven seasons, but the real stars have been you, the listeners. Your incredible support has allowed the podcast to grow as quickly as it has, so it only felt right that I turn the tables, and the microphone, back on to you to tap into your collective wisdom and travel experiences, as you answer the seven chapters of the travel diaries. F...
Jun 07, 2022•35 min
On today’s episode I’m joined by Mr Blue Eyes himself, our favourite judge from the Great British Bake Off, and making a very rare podcast appearance, I’m thrilled to be joined by Paul Hollywood. Paul began his career as a baker, quickly ascending to become Head Baker in some of the world’s most exclusive hotels. His talent caught the eye of TV producers who snapped him up for cooking shows and before long, he was cast as a judge on one of TV’s most successful shows of all time - the Great Briti...
May 31, 2022•51 min
Today, I’m joined by one of the world’s most successful adventure and nature photographers, Chris Burkard. Nearly 4 million people follow Chris’s work throughout the year on Instagram as he travels to some of the world’s most remote destinations and extreme environments, often requiring Chris to take on immense challenges to capture his work. His stories inspire us to consider our relationship with nature, and the importance of the preservation of wild places everywhere. His travel diaries take ...
May 24, 2022•47 min
Today, I’m joined by Raven Smith, the best-selling author and Vogue columnist who’s been hailed as the funniest man on Instagram and dubbed London’s fashion world philosopher. His first book, Raven Smith’s Trivial Pursuits, captured readers as a witty and irreverent guide to modern life and he’s back with a new book, part memoir part commentary on masculinity, called Raven Smith’s Men. As you’ll soon hear, Raven is also an avid traveller and has written for numerous travel titles about his exper...
May 17, 2022•53 min
Today’s guest is one of the UK’s most loved chefs, Gennaro Contaldo. A key player in bringing his native Italian cuisine to British shores over recent decades, Gennaro’s written over a dozen best-selling Italian cookbooks and is the mentor to his protege Jamie Oliver, who credits Gennaro with teaching him everything he knows about Italian cooking, and Gennaro calls him his sixth child. You’ll have seen on numerous TV shows with Jamie, on Saturday Kitchen and on Two Greedy Italians, with the late...
May 10, 2022•41 min
Today, we’re being transported to an island paradise. An archipelago of nearly 700 coral islands, 100,000 square miles of the world’s clearest turquoise ocean, secret sandbars, private coves, secluded pink sand beaches, and undisturbed wildlife. We’re heading to The Beautiful Bahamas. There are 16 main islands in the Bahamas, and no two islands are alike with their own culture, history, cuisine, diving, fishing - there is something for every type of traveller, and I'm joined today by two fabulou...
May 03, 2022•49 min
Today, we’re heading to a mountainous island nation in the Pacific Ocean, with two main islands, the North and the South. A land of mammoth national parks, epic biodiversity, dynamic Māori culture and world-class adventure sports. One of the most popular destinations to be picked by my guests as top of their travel bucket list. It is of course, New Zealand. Today’s episode is a bumper celeb guest double bill, representing both the North and the South Island, kicking off with the comedian, writer...
Apr 26, 2022•52 min
Hello and welcome to The Travel Diaries Season 7! I’m starting this season with a Destination Special mini series - three incredible destinations, all on my travel wish list, with some great celeb guests and destination experts helping us bring them to life, and today is no exception. We are heading on a journey to South East Asia, to a small but mighty thirty mile long tropical island, surrounded by sixty two smaller islands, with Malaysia to its north and Indonesia to its South. It is of cours...
Apr 19, 2022•47 min
On today’s destination special we’re travelling far away to the warmer climes of South East Asia. To a country renowned for its opulent monuments, ancient ruins, floating markets, palm-fringed tropical beaches, turquoise seas, lush jungle, sumptuous cuisines and a people so friendly that the country is nicknamed The Land of Smiles. Of course, today we’re heading to Amazing Thailand. I’m thrilled to say that chef and TV presenter John Torode returns to the podcast, having been so passionate about...
Dec 28, 2021•47 min
Today, we’re embarking on a journey to the far north of Europe. To a place of summer midnight sun and the magical northern lights of the winter. The Land of a Thousand Lakes. A place where saunas are as common as cafes. And, with just a few days to go until Christmas, I imagine it’s a hive of activity given that Lapland in the north of the country is the home of Santa Claus and his elves. Of course, I’m talking about Fantastic Finland . And I’m joined by two wonderful guests today to help bring ...
Dec 21, 2021•50 min
Today’s guest is the co-founder and CEO of Airbnb, Brian Chesky, an interview that has been years in the making, and a real honour. For billions of us, including myself, Airbnb has completely changed the way we travel. It opened up people’s homes, creating an army of Superhosts in the process, bringing tourists and locals far closer together. It’s no short of lie that Airbnb created a travel revolution. So you could say today’s episode is both Brian’s and Airbnb’s. For a CEO of his magnitude, it...
Dec 14, 2021•55 min
Today, I’m joined by a legend of the culinary world, the chef, restaurateur and broadcaster, Michel Roux Jr . Michel was practically born in a kitchen when his mother went into labour during service at his father’s restaurant. He’s the son of Albert Roux and the nephew of Michel Roux, brothers who revolutionised the restaurant business in the UK when they opened Le Gavroche in 1967, famously becoming the first establishment in this country to gain one, two and then three Michelin stars. When his...
Dec 07, 2021•43 min
Today I’m joined by the much loved comedian, musician and actor, Bill Bailey. Known for his hugely inventive stand up, he’s of course such a familiar face on our TV screens, spending several years as team captain on the long running music and comedy BBC panel show, Never Mind The Buzzcocks , making regular appearances on QI and Have I Got News For You , and most recently being crowned the champion of Strictly Come Dancing with partner Oti Mabuse, last year. Bill kicks off his travel diaries havi...
Nov 30, 2021•57 min
Giovanna Fletcher is one of the UK’s most successful women’s fiction authors. She's the host of Happy Mum, Happy Baby , the chart-topping podcast which sees her interview celeb guests about the highs and lows of parenting. She and her husband Tom Fletcher , from the band McFly have a huge YouTube presence where they perform together; and she’s I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here’ s reigning champion, the Queen of the Castle. To say Giovanna is multi-talented, is quite the understatement. Giovanna...
Nov 23, 2021•1 hr
Steve Backshall is a BAFTA-winning presenter, writer, explorer, naturalist and all round daredevil. His big break as a broadcaster arrived when National Geographic offered him the post of Adventurer in Residence and he’s been taking on some of the toughest challenges on earth ever since, gracing our TV screens with shows like Deadly 60 , Expedition , and The Lost Land series. On this episode you’ll hear that Steve’s great passion is discovery. Discovery of new places and new animal species - whe...
Nov 16, 2021•53 min
