Rylan And Rob Rinder Series 2

Picture this: two men, a suitcase each, and an absolute banquet of camp chaos. That’s the sacred formula behind Rob and Rylan’s Grand Tour, and Series 2 has just crash-landed onto our screens like a peacock in a library. If you didn’t know, Rylan Clark is the nation’s glittery, gossipy best friend, and Rob Rinder is a barrister (yes, a real judge from TV) who once made a criminal flee just by raising an eyebrow. Together, they are the odd couple God never knew we needed.

The Plot? Who Needs One?

There is no plot. There is only vibes. The premise is simple: two middle-aged men, drenched in insecurity and hair product, travel around Europe visiting iconic cultural sites. But you won’t learn a single useful fact about art history, because Rylan will immediately pivot to asking the local guide if they’ve ever had a “run-in with a hot married count.” Rob, meanwhile, will be clutching a guidebook so tightly his knuckles go white, trying to explain the Treaty of Versailles while Rylan interrupts to ask about the palace's “best spot for a selfie.”

It is, in short, the most chaotic television since a cat got into a yarn factory. And it is glorious.

Surprising Fact #1: They Actually Get Along

You’d think putting a barrister and a former X Factor contestant together would be like pairing a calculator with a confetti cannon. But here’s the shocker: they are genuine friends. In fact, Rylan once admitted Rob texts him at 2 AM to ask if his anxiety is “validated by case law.” And Rob has admitted he lets Rylan pick his holiday outfits, which is how a judge ended up on a gondola wearing a neon-pink fanny pack. In Series 2, their friendship hits peak weirdness when they share a bed in a tiny Swiss hotel room, and Rylan kicks Rob out for snoring. Rob then sleeps on a pile of towels and calls it “judicial training.”

Surprising fact: Rob Rinder actually hates art. He told a magazine he’d rather watch paint dry than look at a painting of a bowl of fruit. Which makes his role as a “cultural tour guide” the funniest lie since my last tax return.

The Best Bits (Because You Can’t Make This Up)

In this series, they visit Rome, Venice, and the Amalfi Coast. In Rome, Rob tries to give a “serious” lecture about the Colosseum’s gladiatorial combat. Rylan responds by asking if any gladiators were “hot” and if they had a “fan club.” Rob’s face crumples like a paper bag. Later, they attempt to make pasta. Rylan puts too much flour in the machine and it explodes, covering Rob in a fine white dust. The judge looks like a powdered donut and says, “This is the worst sentencing decision I’ve ever seen.” Rylan just laughs and calls him “Chef Daddy.”

Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder sign up for second series of their popular

Then there’s the gondola incident. Rob insists they “do Venice properly” and hires a professional gondolier. Rylan immediately starts singing “That’s Amore” in a key that has not been invented yet. The gondolier, a man with a face like a wrinkled tomato, asks them to stop. They do not stop. They harmonize badly. The gondolier threatens to jump into the canal. It’s art.

Surprising Fact #2: The Budget is Surprisingly Low

You’d think a travel show with two famous faces would have a budget like a small country’s GDP. Wrong. Series 2 reportedly had a budget of “three packets of crisps and a smile.” They stay in a hotel that is actively haunted. At least, that’s Rylan’s theory after his bedside lamp flickered. Rob, ever the pragmatist, said it was “just faulty wiring,” but then a wardrobe door swung open by itself and he screamed like a tiny baby. The crew had to pause filming because Rob was hiding behind a curtain for seventeen minutes.

And here’s a wild fact: the show is partially improvised. The producers just point them at a landmark and say “go.” That means every awkward pause, every moment where Rylan asks a nun for nightclub recommendations, is 100% unscripted. The nun actually laughed, by the way. She said she “misses the nightlife.”

Rylan Clark and Rob Rinder head off together on trip of a lifetime - OK

Why You Should Watch It Right Now

This show is not informational. If you want to learn history, go read a Wikipedia page about aqueducts. This show is a miracle of pure, unfiltered personality. It’s the sort of television where you laugh so hard you choke on your tea, then immediately worry your neighbours think you’re having a breakdown. Rylan and Rob are the human equivalent of a dog wearing a tiny top hat—completely ridiculous, but you have to love them.

And the best part? Series 2 ends with them crying. Not fake tears. Real, ugly, mascara-running tears. Because after all the jokes, the terrible singing, and the flour explosions, these two actually love each other. They toast with cheap wine and say, “I never knew I needed a friend like you.” And you, sitting on your sofa in pyjamas, will start crying too. Because, let’s be honest—we all need a friend who will get covered in pasta flour for us.

Watch it. You’ll thank me later. Or you’ll blame me when your abs hurt from laughing. Either way, it’s a win.