- 3 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:12Hello there and welcome to your Wednesday One Show live on BBC One and I play with Vernon K.
00:17And Alex Jones. We're both very excited tonight, we really are.
00:21Because very soon we'll be joined by Daisy Jones and the sixth star, Sam Claflin.
00:25Plus we have an exclusive with Mumford & Sons and Julia Bradbury reveals all about her latest epic adventure.
00:32And on the subject of travel, Matt is talking planes, trains and automobiles, isn't he, in this week's Watchdog?
00:37Oh yeah, I am. We're looking at budget airline North Atlantic Airways.
00:42Some Watchdog viewers thought they'd bag themselves a cheap flight, but they ended up out of pocket after cancelled trips
00:49and refunds that just didn't land.
00:51Plus, we've been contacted by drivers with RAC Breakdown cover who found themselves waiting hours without help on the roadside.
01:00How long? Well, almost 24 hours in one case.
01:03And if you're planning a half-term getaway, we have some travel advice, particularly for train passengers.
01:10Yeah, thank you, Matt. That's coming up in just a moment.
01:12And, as we've mentioned tonight, we'll be joined by first-class guests.
01:16I said it! It was a Tongtrisse Room rehearsal.
01:18I'm going to applaud. Thank you, thank you, team.
01:20Julia Bradbury, whose adventure to the Antarctic region saw her brave the harsh elements come face-to-face with thousands
01:26of king penguins
01:27and follow in the footsteps of the great explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton. Amazing stuff.
01:33And from the South Pole to the south of France, actor Sam Claflin will be revealing how his action-packed
01:39role in The Hunger Games
01:40helped him prepare for his new Mediterranean mystery thriller. It's called Vanish.
01:44Oh, it's good, isn't it? Yeah, very good. Very good. Indeed.
01:47And we've got an exclusive tonight as we take a behind-the-scenes look at the iconic Maederbale Studios in
01:53London
01:53with none other than Mumford & Sons. It's all part of Radio 2's Piano Room, which is happening this month
01:59and sees some of the biggest musicians in the world perform alongside the brilliant BBC Concert Orchestra.
02:05We've got plenty to look forward to. And we're going to start with Matt and the Norse Atlantic Airways story.
02:11Matt.
02:11Yes, it's a long-haul airline that offers low, low prices.
02:15But when your flight gets cancelled and your refund's delayed for months, well, that just doesn't fly.
02:21They got to the airport in New York and their flight was just cancelled. No telephone number to call.
02:28You got an email, didn't you? Yeah.
02:29Saying your flight is no longer available.
02:30These are just some of the social media posts we've discovered about one of the newest long-haul airlines, Norse
02:37Atlantic.
02:38However, if delays and dodgy customer service aren't enough, we're also hearing how Norse Atlantic is failing to refund some
02:48customers
02:48or pay them legally required compensation when their flights are delayed or cancelled.
02:55The budget carrier has just launched the first direct flight from Manchester to Bangkok.
03:00But its main UK base is Gatwick, which is where Lisa from Surrey flew from to New York to visit
03:07her daughter in August last year.
03:10The day she was due to fly home, she received an email from Norse Atlantic informing her that the flight
03:16had been delayed
03:17and reminding her of the check-in time.
03:19So I got there at about half past five and I said, I need to check in.
03:25And he said, oh no, check-in's shut.
03:28Lisa was told that check-in had closed ten minutes before she arrived.
03:33Lots of other people started turning up at this point.
03:37We'd all had the same email sent to us.
03:40Did they hold the flight back?
03:41No.
03:42I had to turn away, get on a train, go back to New York.
03:47Lisa forked out for a hotel and a new flight for the following day.
03:52Once home, she complained to Norse, which admitted there had been a typing error in the email sent to passengers,
03:58giving two different check-in desk closure times half an hour apart.
04:04Norse held up its hands and promised her a refund within the week.
04:09So with expenses and the cost of the flight together...
04:13Yeah.
04:13..how much do you think you were due?
04:16It's about £7.50 and then other expenditure on the side from that.
04:21But since that email in August, Lisa heard nothing back from Norse.
04:25Have they given you anything in terms of...
04:27Nothing.
04:28..refund or compensation?
04:30No. I emailed and said, you've agreed to this refund.
04:33Where is it?
04:35I've had nothing.
04:36I would never, ever recommend anybody use them, ever.
04:42UK law says that if your flight's delayed by three hours or more, you could be due up to £520
04:48in compensation.
04:50That's for a long-haul flight.
04:52And on top of that, you can add reasonable expenses.
04:57Susanna from Suffolk made a claim online after an 11-hour delay flying out to New York from Gatwick with
05:04her mum, partner and two children in April last year.
05:08I've got like a generic email back response saying that, oh, thank you for your claim, we'll get back to
05:12you in the next six to eight weeks.
05:14Months later, with no response from Norse, Susanna complained to the regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority, or CAA.
05:22But it hasn't had a response from Norse either.
05:25I feel just ignored and they just don't take the customer service seriously.
05:31How much money do you think you're owed in compensation for the flights that were delayed?
05:36For five of us, I would say £2,700.
05:39It's for times like this that I keep one man on speed dial, travel expert Simon Calder.
05:45With Lisa and Susanna, how strong are their cases for compensation?
05:50Susanna's case looks absolutely cut and dried.
05:53This was a long delay and that's exactly what the air passenger rights rules are designed to address.
06:00In the case of Lisa, ultimately, she was denied boarding and as a result of that should be entitled to
06:08£520.
06:09And all the additional costs, it's time for them to get the cash that is due to them.
06:17Earlier this year, Norse's CEO posted in this private Facebook complaints group to admit things weren't up to scratch and
06:25promised improvements.
06:26But just a few hours after that post, it cancelled a flight from Manchester because of technical issues.
06:34We wrote to Norse Atlantic with our findings.
06:36Since then, Lisa's been refunded £500, but she's still pursuing money for her additional costs.
06:43As for Susanna, she's been told she'll receive £2,600 in compensation.
06:50We also wrote to the CAA, which advised affected customers to take their complaints to the Centre for Effective Dispute
06:58Resolution,
06:59a scheme that Norse has recently joined, offering independent decisions without the need to go to court.
07:06Norse Atlantic, if you're selling flights at any price, you still have to play by the rules.
07:12You can't ignore your customers, leave them out of pocket and fighting for the compensation that they're legally due.
07:20Matt, you've got to know your rights or your complaint will never take off.
07:24No, absolutely know your rights.
07:25And if you're taking off on four wheels this half term, no doubt you'll want the peace of mind that
07:31breakdown cover should offer.
07:33But RAC customers we've heard from haven't had the support they expected at the time when they needed it.
07:39RAC provides breakdown assistance and insurance for around 15 million people and says it will get to most breakdowns in
07:4760 minutes or less.
07:48However, over the past three months, we've received more complaints about the RAC than all the other recovery providers combined.
07:56Al, tell us about James from Warwickshire.
07:58All right, men.
07:59Well, James runs a furniture removal business and was on the M1 last month on the way to a job
08:04when his van broke down.
08:05He reported it to the RAC in an hour and 20 minutes later, a mechanic turned up.
08:10However, because of the van size, James was told he needed a recovery vehicle to tow him to a service
08:15station, which could take up to another two and a half hours.
08:18Because he had broken down on a smart motorway, James was told he was a priority.
08:23However, after chasing the RAC a number of times, it wasn't until eight hours after his original call that help
08:30finally arrived.
08:31And Charlotte from Wokingham had to wait even longer, Vern, is that right?
08:35Yeah.
08:36Charlotte's a student nurse.
08:37Last month, she was travelling back from uni when her car brought down on the side of a very busy
08:41road 40 miles from her home at 5.30pm.
08:45Right.
08:45Even though the RAC told her she was a priority and would get to her between 6 and 9pm, no
08:52-one turned up.
08:52Over the next few hours, the RAC continued to push back her recovery time.
08:56She was eventually told that she wouldn't be getting help until at least 2am.
09:02Now, fed up, she took a taxi to her friend's house and arranged to meet the RAC the next morning.
09:07Good emphasis, Vern.
09:08The delays carried on the next day, though.
09:11In the end, Charlotte paid a private company £240 to tow her.
09:15And despite waiting 24 hours for the RAC to recover her car, which it never did, she was only offered
09:22£30 as a goodwill gesture.
09:25Charlotte, needless to say, not very happy.
09:28It felt like I was just completely forgotten.
09:31Even when my situation escalated because of my personal safety, nothing really changed.
09:36The hours just kept passing and I was left waiting on my own, not knowing if anyone was ever going
09:42to come.
09:43Ah, poor Charlotte.
09:44I mean, it is dangerous.
09:45You can see why she's frustrated and upset.
09:47So, when Watchdog got in touch, what did the RAC say?
09:50OK, I'm pleased to say the RAC reimbursed Charlotte £690 to cover the money she paid out and a goodwill
09:58gesture.
09:58In the case of James and his van, he was compensated £1,250 for loss of earnings and that included
10:05also a goodwill gesture.
10:07The RAC told us it rescues millions of members every year and sometimes things don't go to plan.
10:13In James and Charlotte's cases, it fell short.
10:15It also said they should have been rescued sooner and it's taking steps to ensure that that doesn't happen again.
10:21Right, Mark, you've covered plans and roads.
10:24What about people who are going to encounter issues on the trains next week?
10:27OK, because next week, half term, it's going to be busy.
10:30Here's what I'd be doing.
10:31Before you travel, find out where your train provider's delay repay service is.
10:36You should find it on their website and then have that on your phone's internet browser ready.
10:42Now, these are the rules.
10:43Cancelled or over an hour late, you will get a full refund.
10:4830 minutes or more, you'll get half back.
10:51Now, some companies will give you something if it's over a quarter of an hour.
10:55And if you're not sure if your train was late, there are websites which have a record of whether trains
11:00turned up on time or not.
11:02So you can check on those.
11:03Now, if you've got a story to share, whether it's travelled by road, rail or air, get in touch with
11:08the team who care.
11:09Email watchdog at bbc.co.uk or tag us at BBC Watchdog on the socials.
11:15I mean, consumer work, poetry, does it all?
11:19You can't buy that, Matthew.
11:20You've got it.
11:20Well, you can, actually.
11:22It's just expensive.
11:24Do you do merch rates?
11:27Thank you, Matt.
11:28Thank you, Matt.
11:28Right, still to come, I meet Grammy winners Mumford & Sons and Turn Tour Guide to give you access all
11:34areas to Radio 2's Piano Room,
11:35which has taken over the legendary Maidaville Studios this month.
11:39Oh, we can't wait for that.
11:40Also coming up, Julia Bradbury tells us how she battles sub-zero conditions in one of the most isolated and
11:46remote parts of the planet.
11:48And actor Sam Claflin will be transporting us to the Mediterranean for his thriller series Vanished.
11:53Now, before they both join us on the sofa, let's see Sam in action.
11:58I want to build a life.
12:01I love you.
12:08Tom?
12:10Tom, I've been looking all over from you.
12:11Where?
12:12Tom, are you there?
12:14I have to uncover what's going on.
12:18Tom!
12:18This is much bigger than just me.
12:21Don't!
12:25I need to find him.
12:30Oh.
12:31Wow.
12:32Let's say a proper hello to tonight's guest, Sam Claflin and Julia Bradbury.
12:38Yes!
12:39Thank you all.
12:41It looks so good, doesn't it?
12:42Honestly, Julia.
12:44I know.
12:44My heart can't help it.
12:45Well, we'll dive right in then, Sam, because this is brilliant.
12:49So it's a couple and they go on a train journey and then we don't want to give too much
12:53away,
12:54but, well, it turns a bit dark.
12:56Well, it's called Vanished.
12:57Yeah.
12:59It's something we said about the title.
13:01Well, it's my character who vanishes from a train.
13:05There's a couple who are both well-travelled.
13:08He is a humanitarian working in Jordan.
13:11She is an archaeologist working somewhere else.
13:13But they meet in Paris, you know, three years of a relationship, very, very trusting and in love and happy,
13:22honeymoon phase.
13:23And they decide to take a romantic trip to the south of France.
13:27And on the train journey, he disappears.
13:29And then along the way, she sort of needs to sort of find out what happened to him, where he
13:34went, where he could have got to, who he really is and sort of, you know, finds breadcrumbs.
13:40And, yeah, I don't want to give too much away, as you say, but there's a lot to keep you
13:44on the edge of your seat.
13:46Oh, yes.
13:46And because your character vanishes, he disappears, the story is told via your character's flashbacks or your partner's flashbacks.
13:54Yes.
13:55Yes.
13:55So, sort of her memories of, like, conversations, previous conversations.
13:59It did allow for quite a bit of time off.
14:04Because so much of it was following her, running around Marseille, looking for me and asking questions.
14:10And then I'd sort of pop in.
14:12So, it was a wonderful holiday.
14:14Never tell them, though.
14:15No, no, I mean, it was really hard work.
14:17You know, I was staying in character the whole time.
14:21But, yeah, it was a lot of fun.
14:22And your partner is played by the Big Bang's theory, Hayley Cuoco.
14:25Yes.
14:26How was it acting alongside, not Hayley, Kaylee?
14:30Kaylee.
14:31Yeah, well, she's a real force of nature.
14:33Like, she's all at once hilarious.
14:36But, you know, I mean, as number one on the call sheet, I think all actors look up to that
14:40person as the leader, the one who sets the tone.
14:43And she's just a joy.
14:45Like, insisted on everyone having fun.
14:47Really real team player.
14:49So, I think, yeah, it was just a really, really enjoyable experience.
14:52I've been a fan of her work and, you know, everything she stands for.
14:56Her online presence, sort of rescuing dogs.
14:59She has a farm of rescue animals in Los Angeles.
15:02So, she's a really good person.
15:04So, I knew going in that I was in safe hands.
15:07And being based in the south of France, two questions.
15:10Did you literally spend all day eating tart trapézion and a little bit of coffee?
15:17And then did you practice your GCSE French?
15:20Do you know what?
15:21My GCSE French, I actually did GCSE German.
15:24Oh!
15:25Nice!
15:25But I did, you know, do a bit of French at school.
15:29I mean, I'm from Norfolk.
15:30So, most of my French was, you know, spoken with a very deep, like, Norfolk accent.
15:38But there was one day where I went for a hike in the National Park of Marseille.
15:45And my phone service died.
15:48And I basically ended up navigating my way back to a bus stop.
15:52But couldn't, you know, use maps, couldn't use anything.
15:56And couldn't use Google Translate to try to translate to the bus driver where I needed to go.
16:01The bibliothèque.
16:02Yeah.
16:02I think I just went, does this go to Marseille?
16:04He went, Marseille, oui, oui.
16:07I was like, I don't know whether he thought I asked whether we were in Marseille or whether we were
16:12going to Marseille.
16:13But nevertheless, I sort of, yeah, I struggled at home.
16:17Those things are exciting, though, aren't they?
16:18They are.
16:19Being kind of lost in a foreign life.
16:20Oh, they fill me with a sense of dread.
16:21It's like, what happens if I just don't make it, you know, back to where?
16:25But didn't you practice your Spanish on a sheepdog, Julian?
16:28Trust you to put it just like that, Alex.
16:30Yeah, when we were in the Falklands on the journey to Antarctica, there are 500,000 sheep in the Falklands.
16:36Who knew this?
16:37It's a big sheep farming community.
16:39And I was getting involved.
16:41I was shearing sheep and I was wrangling the sheep back to the countryfile days.
16:44And I was trying to get this dog to do, you know, do its thing.
16:47It was an amazing sheepdog.
16:48And I'd seen him in action with his owner.
16:50But he wasn't doing what I was telling him.
16:52And I realised it's because I was speaking the wrong language.
16:54Wow.
16:54He was his owner's Chilean.
16:56So I needed to speak more Spanish.
16:59Didn't work.
17:00No, still didn't work.
17:01Still didn't work.
17:02No, he just didn't like my accent.
17:03I don't know.
17:04When I started barking, it was all okay.
17:06Sam, there's a lot of action in the shot.
17:09Did that take you back to your finnick days in Hunger Games?
17:11It did.
17:12You know, it felt like a blast from the past.
17:14I hadn't been...
17:15There he is, look.
17:16...worn a swimsuit in a while.
17:18But no, a wetsuit.
17:19But no, it has been a while since I've sort of entered that genre.
17:23And this felt like a nice introduction back in or reintroduction into that world.
17:28What do you prefer as an actor?
17:30I think playing soccer a lot, or football as a kid.
17:34I'm so used to speaking to Americans, I think.
17:37Sorry.
17:38You've changed, Sam.
17:39I know, I know.
17:40Changed.
17:41It's not Super Bowl, really easily, honest.
17:43Football.
17:43Playing football so much as a kid, I think I loved any opportunity to use my body in some capacity.
17:49And I think I enjoy the physical challenge of staying in shape, getting in shape.
17:53It's all that in Peaky Blinders.
17:54Yeah.
17:54So I think any opportunity to throw my body around in stunts and things like that, I enjoy.
18:01But I do love a good rom-com.
18:03Oh, Daisy Jones, come on.
18:05Anyway, you can catch Vanish.
18:08We love that.
18:08But Vanish is brilliant as well.
18:10And it's on Prime Video from Friday the 27th of February.
18:13And you can see Sam's incredible performance, of course, as Oswald Mosley in Peaky Blinders on BBC iPlayer.
18:18Yeah, so good.
18:19Congrats on that.
18:20Still to come, Julia will be telling us about following in the footsteps of the legendary explorer, Sir Ernest Shackleton.
18:25But first, this month marks the return of Radio 2's Piano Room, where some of the world's biggest artists perform
18:30a special set at the famous Maida Vale Studios alongside the BBC Concert Orchestra.
18:35Very nice.
18:36All under, of course, the watchful eye of a certain Mr Vernon Kaye.
18:40Yeah, it's a real highlight.
18:41It really is in the Radio 2 calendar.
18:43And this time around, there have been, well, there's already been some incredible performances from the likes of Pulp, Melanie
18:48C.
18:48And yesterday, the spotlight was on at Mumford & Sons.
18:51And I thought I'd take you on a behind-the-scenes look at how it all comes together.
18:58More than 110 acts have performed in the Radio 2 Piano Room, including Coldplay, Robbie Williams and Olivia D.
19:07And this month, 16 world-class artists will once again take to the hallowed parquet floor at this studio, Studio
19:143, at the BBC Maida Vale facility.
19:17It's unbelievable.
19:18Excuse me, guys, coming through.
19:20Just look at it.
19:21Absolutely iconic.
19:23And this is where all the performances take place.
19:26The Piano Room has been based here since 2021, and producer Dan Roberts is responsible for making it all happen.
19:33It's a very simple concept.
19:35It's three songs, a classic track, a new single and a cover, all performed with the BBC Concert Orchestra, and
19:41it has to feature the piano.
19:43For me, those standout piano rooms are the ones where we have a bit of creative control to rip up
19:48the rulebook, start from scratch, create something that's truly unique.
19:51Today, one of Britain's biggest bands are performing, Mumford & Sons, who are back this month with a brand-new
19:57album, Prizefighter.
20:02I'm catching up with band members Marcus, Ted and Ben.
20:06When you get invited to do this, is there any pressure?
20:08Yeah, a lot of pressure.
20:09A lot of nerves on this one, actually.
20:12There isn't anything else like this.
20:13This is an institution.
20:15It's why we wanted to do it.
20:15We've never done it before.
20:16Like, if we wanted to go and do this somewhere else, we just wouldn't be able to.
20:20At the end of the day, it's a massive privilege for us to get to play with an orchestra.
20:27All the orchestral parts for today's performance have been arranged by Sam Gale.
20:31Just talk us through the process.
20:33You sort of get a feel for how the ensemble works with a band, and then you'll understand the fusion
20:38and how that can help each other out.
20:40You must have a keen ear for the notes and the arrangements and how it works.
20:43Yeah, totally.
20:43Just a lot of listening to classical music and then later jazz and pop.
20:47I am absolutely in awe.
20:49Ben from Mumford & Sons has just taken to the piano.
20:52Ben, this is pre-rehearsal rehearsal.
20:54Oh, yeah.
20:55Piano room's quite epic, really.
20:56And you're at the piano, so you've got the focal point.
20:59I think that hit me about ten minutes ago, yeah.
21:01And so now I'm actually trying to figure out what we're doing.
21:03I guess there's a little bit of pressure because you're with the BBC Concert Orchestra.
21:07You're just hamping that up.
21:10But it's going to be fabulous.
21:11All piano room performances are filmed and streamed on BBC iPlayer, so everyone wants to look their best.
21:18Some people might not want to be on camera without make-up, because, you know, it is show business after
21:23all.
21:23But I do apologise that you're on camera without make-up.
21:27With the orchestra in position and the band rehearsed and ready to perform three tracks, including their classic hit, The
21:32Cave, it's time to go live to the nation.
21:36Please welcome Mumford & Sons.
21:37Woo-hoo!
21:39Yeah!
21:41It's empty in the valley of your heart.
21:45The sun rises slowly as you walk.
21:48The orchestra, they made us feel really comfortable.
21:51Actually felt very relaxed and loose.
22:05A great piano room performance for me really is when we are allowed to create something that's truly unique and
22:11exclusive.
22:16I think putting old and new songs into a fresh context with an orchestra like this is like bringing everything
22:23into one sort of sonic space.
22:28And hearing what an orchestra can do with that is amazing.
22:47Oh, I'm going to be honest with you.
22:48It's brilliant.
22:49Do you know?
22:50It really is.
22:50It must be a privilege to do that.
22:53It's so much fun.
22:53It's amazing.
22:53And Mumford & Sons were fabulous today.
22:55As well as The Cave, they performed their new single, The Banjo Song, and also did an amazing cover of
23:00Taylor Swift's Cowboy Like Me, which you can watch on the iPlayer and you can listen on BBC Sounds.
23:04Alongside all the other performances that we've had so far this month, just search Piano Room and over the next
23:09two weeks, The Piano Room will welcome Tori Enos, Jessie J, Squeeze and Labby Sifri, as well as Mika.
23:16Now, we're on air at 9.30 and you can catch Piano Room at 11.25, all on Radio 2.
23:21Is Tori Enos doing Conflict, girl?
23:23I hope so.
23:24Me too.
23:25Or professional widow.
23:26Sam, we mentioned Daisy Jones and the Six, obsessed.
23:29And you learned to play the guitar for it, didn't you?
23:32Well, do you know, just watching that little clip, Marcus Mumford wrote a song for Daisy Jones.
23:39Which one?
23:39He wrote Look At Us Now.
23:41And whilst I was recording that song, he was in the next studio recording his solo album and he came
23:46in and was like, do you know what?
23:48I think the producer was like, Marcus, just come and have a listen to Sam's thing.
23:52And he's like, okay, okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, maybe if you just do it a bit like this.
23:55And then he, I was like, I'm not going to do it like that.
23:57Like, I mean, Marcus Mumford.
23:59How cool is Sam?
24:00That's brilliant.
24:01It was a pretty, pretty incredible experience.
24:03Learning guitar, all of it was just a whirlwind.
24:06Yeah.
24:07Look at us now.
24:08That is a brilliant song.
24:09Yeah.
24:09Time now to talk to Julia about her adventure of a lifetime, travelling to the Antarctic and the sub-Antarctic
24:15islands for her new series.
24:17The journey saw her experience, well, once in a lifetime experiences.
24:21Hostile climates, crazy, crazy stuff.
24:23And you came first to first with Epic Wildlife.
24:26Now, before she tells us all about it, let's take a look.
24:30The frozen south.
24:34Untamed, unforgiving, and awe-inspiring.
24:39The last true wilderness.
24:43With close encounters of the wildest kind.
24:48Three whales servicing at the same time.
24:51Oh, thank you very much.
24:54This is just heaven at the edge of the earth.
24:59Julia, not many people get to experience that.
25:02No, they really don't.
25:03Very, very, if you look at global travel and adventure, very, very few people get to go to Antarctica.
25:09It truly is a remarkable experience.
25:12And it's a long, long way.
25:13You have to be very committed to get there.
25:15You were saying that it's two days before you actually see something once you set off from Chile.
25:18Yeah, so we set off from Chile.
25:20We were on the MS Frown, our lovely ship.
25:22And as we set sail, heading south, south, south.
25:24You know, you lose sight of trees.
25:26You lose sight of greenery.
25:27And you know me.
25:28I love my trees and my greenery.
25:29And that's all heading behind you.
25:31And then you're in this vast openness of nothing.
25:33And then you start to see icebergs and land.
25:37But the type of which you've never seen before.
25:40It is journeying to Antarctica.
25:43It's almost as special as actually getting there itself.
25:46And the route that we took was to stop at the Falklands and to stop at South Georgia and make
25:51our way to Antarctica.
25:52And that's what the series tells the story of that.
25:54And obviously, as I get closer and closer, the excitement grows.
25:57But each and every one of those stops along the way is magnificent.
26:01The wildlife, the experience.
26:04In Falklands, there are actually humans living there, unlike Antarctica.
26:07So I get to speak to them and watch the penguins, the rock hopper penguins, which I saw.
26:12They were the first penguins I saw at the Falklands.
26:15And rock hoppers are tiny, but they can jump about two metres out of the sea.
26:19They get bashed against the cliffs.
26:20And then they've got the red eyes and they've got these fronds.
26:23And so they're kind of like rock star penguins.
26:27And they are the toughest animals that you've ever come across because they, like, bash out the sea and then
26:32they hop.
26:33They've got a special hopping motion.
26:35They're the only ones that don't waddle of the penguin species.
26:37So they literally launch themselves and hop, hop, hop, feed their mate, say hello, and then head back and start
26:44it all again.
26:45And you saw king penguins, king, and you saw king penguins.
26:49Yes, I'm excited.
26:50In South Georgia, right?
26:51I mean, South Georgia is phenomenal.
26:54We did a couple of landings in South Georgia where we were just surrounded by thousands of seals and penguins.
27:00But what you're looking at here is one of the largest colonies of king penguins that you are likely to
27:08encounter.
27:08You can see there's a real mix.
27:10You've got fledglings, you've got the adults, you've got chicks, you've even got some nesting happening.
27:15So there are even eggs under there.
27:17I was surrounded by 100,000 king penguins.
27:21And you're very careful.
27:22I mean, when you're on these expeditions, you don't get too close.
27:25You stay five metres away.
27:27You can't kneel down on the ground.
27:28You can't have any food with you.
27:30You can't.
27:30Biodiversity is incredibly important.
27:33So I was standing there, but the penguins that come up to you, they're very curious.
27:37They haven't seen.
27:38So these big, massive kings come up to you and are eyeballing you.
27:42And then you're all sort of reversing, reversing and trying to stay away and stick to the rules.
27:47But then the smell and the noise of that colony, they're quite stinky penguins because they poo a lot.
27:54So you smell them often before you see them.
27:56But you get used to that and then just being there and listening to that noise
28:00and listening to that call of 100,000 squeaking, talking, communicating penguins.
28:06Phenomenal.
28:06I mean, an experience of a lifetime.
28:08And you can only get to places like this on a boat.
28:11You can only go on the ship.
28:12So the MS Foundation took us so far and then these little Zodiac boats take you up to the landings
28:16and you hop off.
28:18It really is unbelievable.
28:19It's a...
28:20I'm so, so proud of this series.
28:22It's one of the best series I think I've ever...
28:24Well, just that clip.
28:25We were all looking and couldn't believe it.
28:27Yeah.
28:27Well, Julia Bradbury's Wonders of the Frozen South is this Sunday at 12.45 on ITV1.
28:33And, of course, ITV Extra.
28:34That's all for tonight.
28:35Big thanks to Julia and, of course, Sam for joining us.
28:38And, Matt, we watch talk.
28:39Tomorrow I'll be back with Roman when Greg James will be sharing some very exciting news.
28:43Jason Watkins tells us all about his latest drama.
28:46And Simon Cowell's new boy band, December 10.
28:49That went quick, didn't it?
28:50Have a good evening.
28:51Bye.
28:51Yes.
Comments