MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

ROB BRYDON TALKS EXPERIMENTAL FASHION AND EUROPEAN TRAVEL AS HE FRONTS NEW REALITY ADVENTURE COMPETITION, DESTINATION X. BY LYNN RUSK

- BY LYNN RUSK

Gavin & Stacey star Rob Brydon, who hosts the new series, says he looked to The Traitors presenter Claudia Winkleman for inspiration.

"I love her lightness of touch there and the way she's a conduit to the show," says the 60-year-old Welsh actor, "She gets the balance right."

"I didn't want to get in the way of the show. I was very aware of that - I wanted to just be the bridge between the viewer and the contestants, because they are the stars.

"Their personalities really come out over the course of the series. Watching that first episode back, you see the beginnings of relationships and people's characters blossoming."

Known for playing Uncle Bryn in Gavin & Stacey, Rob says he's also embraced a more adventurous sense of style while taking on hosting duties.

"I'm being a little more experimental with my wardrobe than in the past, and I think that can only be a treat," he laughs. "There are often clues in what I'm wearing. Sometimes it's sort of regionally appropriate, with little flourishes."

Although the contestants spend their nights on the coach, Rob admits he wasn't joining them onboard.

"I would follow them round and then I would greet them - and it was great. I'd meet them at different locations, in a different outfit," he says.