a day ago
- Entertainment
- Belfast Telegraph
Dermot O'Leary back in Northern Ireland as filming begins on popular travel and food show
Former X-Factor presenter Dermot O'Leary is returning to Northern Ireland this week as filming begins on the second series of his popular food and travelling programme.
The announcement comes a year after the successful first series of ITV's Dermot's Taste of Ireland aired, which saw the presenter visit Cork, Wexford and Belfast in a bid to rediscover his Irish roots.
The first season saw over 3.3 million viewers tune in from across the country.
This time round, O'Leary will kick off his tour of the island's food scene starting at the Causeway Coastal Route, before visiting Londonderry and continuing on to Donegal and Sligo along the famous Wild Atlantic Way.
Throughout the journey, O'Leary will meet with the producers, chefs and restaurateurs of the local food scene, while also experiencing the tastes of the coastline.
In the series, viewers will also see the This Morning presenter enjoy some of the best outdoor experiences, including boat tours around the coast and try his hand at surfing.
The 10 part series will be produced by Rock Oyster Media, and supported by the Shared Island Tourism Brand Collaboration Project. It is set to be seen by millions of viewers when it airs on ITV1 and ITVX next spring.
The radio and TV presenter explained he is looking forward to journeying the island once more.
'It's great to get back to the island of Ireland to discover more of its delights and tell more of its stories,' O'Leary said.
'It's somewhere I know so well, and call home, and yet, in some ways, I barely know it at all. I'm looking forward to seeing more of the island, meet our people, explore our heritage, swim in our seas, and of course eat our incredible food.'
Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, Alice Mansergh, said the response to the first series was very positive for the sector.
'We're delighted to welcome Dermot back to Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland as he travels, films and shares his experiences with viewers in GB,' she said.
'The response to the first series of the show was extremely positive.
'Dermot grew up in Essex but spent summers with family in Ireland; with many second and third generation diaspora across Great Britain, Dermot's experiences will resonate with those discovering and rediscovering the island of Ireland, inspiring others to explore our iconic coastal routes for themselves.'
The production is also a collaboration with Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland and Fáilte Ireland.
