The second series begins tonight on Channel 4.
Broadcaster and national treasure Sandi Toksvig sets out on more glorious adventures across the country, accompanied by some of the nation’s most fascinating and funny women.
Sandi Toksvig:
“The main thing for me, apart from the glorious landscapes and the astonishing architecture, is that in each one, it’s two women, I’m going to say – of a certain age – having a good time and just enjoying ourselves. There’s something infectious about watching people genuinely having a good time. Even though the scene you see on television might only be a couple of minutes long, you know the truth of it is that the laughter carried on for a long time before and a long time after.”
Travelling to awe-inspiring locations in search of Britain’s most extraordinary escapes, Sandi and her companions have been gifted the keys to some of the very best holiday digs – properties built to make the most of the stunning landscape on their doorstep.
From a glorious renovated off-grid home on a remote Scottish island, and an astonishing cantilevered home over a river near the Brecon Beacons in Wales, to a stunning architecturally extended mill keeper’s cottage, complete with windmill, deep in the Norfolk Broads National Park, every episode explores a different region and promises lots of adventures along the way. Coupled with plenty of hidden-away places offering glorious sanctuary and quiet time, Sandi takes the opportunity to get to know her guests a whole lot better.
In this first episode of a new series, queen of comedy and author Sarah Millican joins Sandi Toksvig in Devon. Sarah may be taking a break from her 170-date tour, but it’s still a giggle a minute from the very first stop – a stunning Scandi-inspired architectural retreat ingeniously built into a hillside and tucked away in a small wood. While connecting with nature, the duo visit the wilds of Exmoor, where Sarah gets to indulge her love of animals by naming some recently born Exmoor ponies.
In Lee Bay on Devon’s north coast, Sandi and Sarah stay in a 16th-century mill house, dramatically positioned on the water’s edge, that is full of both history and surprises. Sarah relives her childhood holidays spent rock pooling, while Sandi offers up some unexpected facts on supersized ocean penises.
Their final stop is Crowness Cleave, where they enjoy a sublime and unusual tucked-away private spa retreat, before experiencing the ultimate form of relaxation – a gong bath – which turns out to be the only time when they both stop laughing for more than a minute.
Sandi Toksvig:
“I’m ashamed to say I don’t watch very much television as I’m usually working through a massive stack of books, but I LOVE Jane McDonald, I think she’s marvellous! I was sitting behind her when she won the BAFTA and I’ve never been more delighted for anybody. It was the first time Channel 5 had won a BAFTA and I thought she thoroughly deserved it. She does that thing, which is so brilliant, that she doesn’t seem to be any different when making a travel programme than she is when you’re with her in person. She’s a really good example of a person who is just themselves and clearly having a good time – because of that, you want to watch the programme. I would love to do an Extraordinary Escapes with her as she’s fabulous and also a lovely singer.”
Extraordinary Escapes, Channel 4, 9 pm
