From thrilling fireside dance rituals to hair-raising car rallies, Martin Clunes discovers the wild and wonderful in his new travel show exploring the islands of the Atlantic – but one stop on his journey lifted the lid on the true cost of island life.
In Martin Clunes Islands of the Atlantic, a new three-part series airing on ITV, the 63-year-old actor-director visits some of the Atlantic’s most remote islands – from the Azores to the Faroe Islands and Greenland.
Martin Clunes kicks off his travels in São Tomé and Príncipe, where he learns about the islands’ sinister slave past and ends his journey in Greenland, with one discovery that shocked him to the core.
His final stop, Greenland, with its stunning glaciers and vast icebergs, hit hard. “It was stunning, mind-blowing, but it’s a hard life,” he says.
From melting ice caps that can spark tsunamis to the deep isolation of island life, the stories were sobering. “For some people it’s depressing – we spoke to one man who had tried to take his own life,” Martin says.
While in São Tomé, part of the African Galapagos, Martin tried to fully immerse himself in the culture. But he had one near-miss – getting up close with crocodiles on the Bijagos Islands. “We were too late,” Martin says, “We could only see them at a distance.”
The wildlife had plenty of surprises for Martin, as he came face to face with the endangered Obi snails and sea turtles. But crocs never fazed him.
“Australian saltwater crocodiles I’d be very wary of,” he says, “I wasn’t worried about the ones we saw in the Bijagos. They wouldn’t go for me.”
In Príncipe, it was the people who surprised him. “They’re poor but they are the healthiest people I have ever seen,” he says. Their ingenuity left him impressed.
“They were running out of sand for building. So they crush bottles and turn them into building blocks for their homes. They make beads for jewellery from the crushed glass. I made some myself – and was offered a job!”
On the Bijagós Islands, Martin got up at first light to look for crocodiles, but couldn’t get close. “Australian saltwater crocodiles I’d be very wary of,” he says. “I wasn’t worried about the ones we saw in the Bijagós. They wouldn’t go for me.”
In Madeira, he went on an exciting white knuckle ride with rally driver João Silva and enjoyed a visit to one of his favourite spots, a vineyard.
But while there, a newly installed cable car gave him pause. “It was a long way down,” he remembers. “Though it was precarious, you just have to have faith.”
With breakthrough moments and picturesque landscapes, Martin delivers an eye-opening show exploring the beauty of the planet. “It’s just stunning and magical,” he says.
*If you’re struggling and need to talk, the Samaritans operate a free helpline open 24/7 on 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit their site to find your local branch
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