Francis: We’ll get our kicks on Route 66
Hotelier to hire camper van for US road trip after another Grand Tour
for the third series of RTE’S Grand Tour. The TV presenter will turn tour guide for two weeks as he whisks 14 people off to a mystery destination.
Francis said: “I know where it is but none of them will know until they turn up at the airport.
“They haven’t got a clue and that adds to the excitement of the whole thing.
“Our first choice was Ethiopia, which I was delighted with because I’ve done charity work there and I was dying to show it off but there was a state of John & Francis Brennan emergency declared. Then the producers said we were going to Israel but then all the trouble started there so that was out.
“Now we have our country picked and everything is fine.
“I collected my passport yesterday so I’m very excited.
“The fun thing about Grand Tour is getting to know the different personalities and getting to draw them out.”
Meanwhile, Francis said The Beast From The East caused havoc with filming on the new series of At Your Service.
The first episode sees the star and his brother John visit Shankill Castle in Dublin and a country house in Kilkenny to offer their advice.
In Shankill a delighted Francis was asked to sit for a portrait painted by lady of the manor Elizabeth Cope.
He said: “I had to sit still for two 40-minute sessions and just about managed it. I don’t know where I get it but I seem to have loads of energy. I just hop out of the bed in the morning and into the shower and away I go.”
At Your Service airs on RTE One tonight at 8.30pm.
sylvia.pownall@irishmirror.ie
FRANCIS BRENNAN ON HIS NEW TELEVISION SHOW