Northern EXPOSURE

GRIFF RHYS JONES embarks on an epic Canadian odyssey

Griff Rhys Jones is off on his travels once more – this time exploring the wide, open spaces of Canada on a 4,000-mile trip from Newfoundland in the east to Vancouver Island in the west, via Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

En route, the sprightly 68- year-old comedian and presenter has a close encounter with a polar bear in Churchill and takes on a different challenge in each of the six episodes that are themed around subjects including ‘Frenchness’, ‘Coldness’ and ‘Happiness’.

We caught up with Griff to find out more about his adventure…

Griff, episode one starts with you floating in the freezing Atlantic Ocean. How did they persuade you to do that? I always say we should have something arresting to start the series, like me jumping out of a boat for the Australian one, so it is genuinely my own fault!

My intention was that I’d be in the middle of a storm and rescued by helicopter, but unfortunately the budget wouldn’t run to that. And I had to wear a drysuit, because otherwise I would have been dead in 30 seconds!