A slice of PARADISE

CLIVEMYRIE on his sun-soaked journey of self-discovery in the Caribbeang

- TESS LAMACRAFT

CLIVE MYRIE'S CARIBBEAN ADVENTURE 
NEW HOL MON, TUE, WED & FRI, 6.30PM, BBC2 TRAVELOGUE (BOX SET, IPLAYER)

Clive Myrie is excited to embark on an island-hopping odyssey across the Caribbean to explore his ancestral home for a new BBC2 travelogue.

The BBC News presenter's parents came to the UK from Jamaica in the early 1960s, but he's only visited a handful of times.

Now, in 15-part series Clive Myrie's Caribbean Adventure, the Mastermind host will track down family members he has never met, as well as explore the buzzing nightlife of Jamaica, the vibrant streets of Cuba, the beautiful landscapes of the Dominican Republic and the sandy shores of Barbados, to learn more about each unique island paradise.

'We've had such a lousy spring, weather-wise. I hope the show will bring some sunshine and cheer to viewers while also offering a bit of education and some history behind the four islands and their place in the story of the Caribbean and within my story,' says former foreign correspondent Clive, 59, as TV Times joins him for a chat.

Here, he shares his island itinerary...

This series is very close to your heart, isn’t it, Clive?

Yes, my parents were from Jamaica but moved to Britain in the early 1960s as part of the Windrush generation, and I was born in Bolton in Lancashire. But my older sister, Judith, stayed behind in Jamaica and lived with my grandparents until she joined us in the UK when she was seven – that was the first time I ever met her.

Judith has recently relocated back to Portland, a parish to the north-east of Jamaica, and you’ll see me visit her in the opening episode.

What are your memories of visiting Jamaica as a child?