Clive Myrie has clarified why his Italy travel series would vary from Stanley Tucci’s Searching For Italy.
When the BBC broadcaster’s Italian Road Trip was revealed, comparisons to the Devil Wears Prada actor’s CNN series, which was dropped by the broadcaster, were made on social media.
One witty Twitter user suggested that the Citadel actor, 62, will ‘demand a word’ about the programme, to which Clive responded, ‘Oops! Is he deranged? Inform him that I’m out of town…in Italy!’
But the 58-year-old journalist has now put a stop to the parallels to Stanley’s popular series, joking that the similarities end with their stylish looks and bald heads to the media.
‘Of course, there were going to be links made because we’re running around the same country, we’ve both got shortages of hair and we both dress very well,’ he joked.
‘But his [show] is mainly about food, and quite rightly as he does it absolutely brilliantly, and I was keen to play with my strengths.’
Clive added that he hoped his’strengths’ were getting to off-the-beaten-path locations and playing into his journalistic background.
‘It’s more of a travelogue, informational effort,’ he continued. ‘It’s not just me on a pedalo in the middle of Lake Como because that wouldn’t be interesting to anyone.
‘I hope there’s a little more journalism – and I don’t want journalism to define it – but a little bit more content that allows for more context of where we are.’
The broadcaster, on the other hand, stated that while he discusses the migrant issue in Sicily and Rome’s ‘political antics,’ he wants the show to be ‘fair.’
Clive added: ‘This is BBC Two, it’s 6. 30pm in the evening, and it’s at the start of summer so we don’t want to bring people too much of a downer with heavy political stuff.
‘But there’s a little bit of that in there because I think that adds credibility to me being part of the project as well.
‘I mean, all of a sudden I’m dancing and singing guy. Fine. But there is still that side to me that the public knows and understands I hope that they might actually pick up a few things and learn a couple of things.’
Clive Myrie’s Italian Road Trip starts on Monday on BBC Two at 6.30pm.
Source My Celebrity Life.
