Bellissimo
Close pals Rylan and Rob Rinder take a cultural – and entertaining – trip around Italy…
In a revealing new series, Rob Rinder and Rylan take the ‘The Grand Tour’ – an 18th-century cultural odyssey designed to turn young aristocrats into civilised and educated gentlemen – taking in Venice, Florence and Rome, learning and bonding (and laughing!) as they go. Back on home turf, Inside TV heard all about it…
Hi, both! How did this series came about? Rylan Me and Rob have known each other for years. We’ve been through a lot of the same things, but we kept calling this ‘The Unlikely Lads’, because if you talk about going anywhere with me, or anywhere with
Rob, they’re two very different holidays. So it’s this concept of me showing Rob my Italy, and him showing me his Italy… Rob There’s this idea that great art is only available to the culturally few – and we live in a time when people are conscripted to ‘stay in their lanes’. So we’re celebrating these cultural spaces, and exploring things together.
It’s an emotional series, too – you’ve both been through divorce recently – were you comfortable talking openly?
Rob You immediately identify with Rylan because of his kindness, his respect and his open-mindedness… Rylan We were like, if we’re going to do this, let’s not hold anything back. Rob is such an easy person to talk to, and it felt like just us two. We’ve just connected. And we’ve genuinely cackled. I don’t think we realised how different we are, and how similar at the same time. Now I feel like him and me could take on the world!
How do you think audiences will react? Rylan One, I think viewers will watch and want to go to all three places. Two, I think they’ll be surprised by how candid and raw it is. Also, I think they’ll look at me and go, “Oh, he’s not as stupid as I thought!” – and they’ll look at Rob and go, “Oh, he’s let his hair down”…
Rob What’s left of it!
Ilive with something called borderline personality disorder [BPD], and one of the symptoms of that, in me, is that I think about killing myself a lot,” is how Joe Tracini opens this highly personal film, following the much-loved Hollyoaks star as he prepares to perform a stand-up comedy show.
Determined to make his life more liveable, Joe speaks to his loved ones (his dad, fellow entertainer Joe Pasquale, mum Debbie, and girlfriend Holly included) and BPD experts – also introducing ‘Mick’, the name he’s given to the voice behind all the worst thoughts in his head – as he readies himself for his potentially transformative performance…
“I wanted to make something that would help me, and it was also really important that it was funny – when you’re dealing with something that’s difficult to hear, that’s a positive thing,” shares Joe, as Inside TV meets him for a chat about his poignant film. “Because of how bad my head has been recently, everything that I do feels like the last thing I’m ever gonna do, so I wanted to make something that I’d be proud of – and I do want to tell people about this.
“It’s because of the help I’ve had making this film, and how honest my family has been in it – about how I am and what that’s done to my family and to me – that I’m really glad I am proud of it.”
BPD – a condition currently affecting 2% of the population at some point in their lives – impacts how a person thinks and feels about themselves and other people, prompting intense and unstable emotions, chronic insecurity and intrusive thoughts. Joe has been admirably honest about his own experiences on social media, and now hopes his documentary might also help promote understanding of the daily reality of dealing with BPD.
“There’s just not much information about stuff like this, because it’s quite difficult to explain,” he tells us. “I can only speak to my experiences
– I never say that anything I’ve got is the same as anybody else’s – but if it helps other people, that’s great.
“The film has definitely helped me, because I do want people to see it,” adds Joe. “And that really is a positive thing, because it’s been quite a while since I’ve felt like that…”