BBC to film new documentary on holiday hotspot as they go inside destination’s seedy underbelly of crime
IT’S usually the party islands and big resorts in the Mediterranean that get scrutinised by BBC Three documentaries — and they are usually sensational viewing.
But I can now reveal that the Beeb will be turning their attention towards Thailand for their next exploration of holiday hedonism, and it promises to be racier than anything that’s gone before.
It’s not clear just who will be hosting but it does have a distinct whiff of the documentary Ibiza: Secrets Of The Party Island, made by former Strictly and Love Island star Zara McDermott earlier this year which was also on BBC Three.
As well as looking at all the various temptations available there, the show also looked at the underbelly of crime and violence that inevitably comes with it.
A TV insider said: “These shows looking at the light and shade of party destinations always make for compulsive viewing and they’ve almost become a genre in their own right.
“Throw in a celebrity host, particularly one that’s already associated with foreign frolics, and it’s a recipe for success.”
The programme is being made by South Shore, a top production company that isn’t afraid to go the extra mile to deliver us some telly gems.
These include BBC One’s Freddie Flintoff’s Field Of Dreams On Tour, where cricket great Freddie took a disparate band of young cricketers from his home town of Preston in Lancashire to India.
Plus, Channel 4’s The Greatest Snowman, which was filmed in Austria, and saw celebs compete to build the best snowman.
As if proof were needed of just how much of a party destination Thailand is, the new series of Geordie Shore is set in Koh Samui and will kick off on January 7 on Paramount+ UK and MTV UK.
It sees James Tindale organise a stag do, but there’s a huge surprise in store as “long lost brother” Scotty T returns to join in the carnage.
I wonder if they might bump into Zara while they’re over there . . .