Man's best FRIEND

PHIL SPENCER on escaping to the countryside with his beloved dog Luna and some celebrity pals...

Breathtaking views of the countryside, celebrity guests and five adorable pooches take centre stage in Phil Spencer's new More4 A series Great British Dog Walks.

Over the course of three episodes, the Location, Location, Location presenter and his gorgeous 10-month-old German Shorthaired Pointer, Luna, hike from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood's Bay in North Yorkshire.

On different legs of their adventure, they'll be joined by blind Paralympic sprinter Libby Clegg, JLS star JB Gill and SAS: Who Dares Wins instructor Mark 'Billy' Billingham. But there are a few challenges along the way, including some seriously tough terrain, knee-deep snowdrifts and one or two doggy scuffles! TV Times caught up with Phil, 53, to find out more...

What was the idea behind this show?

It came about because of my love of dogs and my love of the countryside, plus I was keen to meet some people that I wouldn’t normally get to chat to. To have a job where I take Luna for a walk while talking to three really interesting people about their life experiences was an absolute treat! And it was really noticeable how open they all were. Walking with somebody and sharing a love of dogs and the countryside is very different to doing a chat show!

Tell us about Luna and how she came into your life…

Our cocker spaniel, who’s sadly no longer with us, was getting fairly elderly, so we discussed getting another dog. Dogs are very central to our family life and we knew a house without a dog just wouldn’t be right.