What is Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour?

Barrister, presenter and former Who Do You Think You Are? star Rob Rinder is fascinated by art and culture. DJ and Eurovision commenter Rylan adores architecture. Both share a love of the finer things in life. Accordingly, when Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour was first announced last year, it did seem like a marriage made in heaven – although not a real marriage, as the minor furore over Rob jokingly revealing their ‘engagement’ via social media last summer proved.

Back in the real world, new travel and history series Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour sees them travelling to Italy in the footsteps of those British aristocrats who, in the 18th and 19th centuries, embarked on the so-called Grand Tour. For those lucky enough to be able to afford it, this was the original gap year, a chance to explore the cultural treasures of the Continent. And, of course, to have some fun, and escape the stuffy confines of life in Britain.

One of those who undertook a Grand Tour was Lord Byron who, aged just 36, died 200 years ago. Rob and Rylan draw on his letters and poems as they travel, as well as the diaries of other Britons who visited Italy. 

Throughout, we’re promised insights into life as a Grand Tourist as Rob and Rylan, for example, dress up as macaronis. This was a pejorative nickname for British men, the precursors to Regency-era dandies, whose fashion sense was influenced by the more flamboyant end of the Italian wardrobe.

When is Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour on TV?

The first episode of Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour was broadcast on BBC Two at 9pm on Sunday 12 May. The remaining two episodes will be broadcast on 19 and 26 May. All episodes are also available to watch on BBC iPlayer.

Which cities feature in Rob and Rylan's Grand Tour?

In the first episode, Rob and Rylan visit Venice where, as well as learning about Venetian painters and the mechanics of glass-blowing, they discover how gay men in the 18th century found freedom during the city’s annual carnival. In Florence, the focus is on the Renaissance. According to the BBC, the “chiselled abs” of Michelangelo’s David will feature. In Rome, Rob and Rylan visit the city’s extraordinary classical ruins.