Wright Around the World

From Asia to the Arctic Circle, Suffolk-born Ian Wright has tackled every new adventure his career has thrown at him with unbridled enthusiasm and a lust for life. But, as he tells Jake Taylor, despite his many exotic TV expeditions, his love for the coast of his childhood remains as strong as ever

AT the point where the call connects with Globe Trekker presenter and all-round TV traveller Ian Wright, it becomes clear he’s having a bit of trouble with the nation’s occasionally patchy phone coverage.

“I’m out in the sticks – I’ve had to drive out here to get a signal,” Wright squawks in his idiosyncratic estuarial intonation. “That’s Suffolk life for you – if you live in rural Suffolk you can forget your phone. But it’s actually quite nice. I like it because you’re not always reliant on your phone 24/7 like most people. You can get a bit of peace and quiet!”

‘Peace and quiet’ is a notion that seems somewhat at odds with the Suffolk born traveller, whose wicked cackle and scattershot answers, chock-full of anecdotes and put-on voices, make for a lively chat to say the least. This incredible enthusiasm is also one of Wright’s most popular traits. Since his big break into the world of TV travel at the relatively late age of 28, he has quickly established himself as a man who is ever-willing to dive in at the deep end in the name of discovery.

“Passport, money and clothes,” he cries when quizzed on his travel essentials. “That’s all you need. Don’t worry about anything else, because I think you can get into the thing where you’re like, ‘Oh I must have this, I must have that’ and by the end of it your rucksack is the size of a small town. Just take the passport and money.”