Ranvir Singh and Alex Beresford celebrate life in Britain's communities with 'upbeat' new show

With many people struggling with their mental health right now, it’s arguably more important than ever to show local community spirit across the UK. That’s why now is the perfect time for ITV to air its new topical magazine show, All Around Britain.

It’s presented by Good Morning Britain favourites, Ranvir Singh and Alex Beresford, who will travel to a different location for each episode of the series, to celebrate life in various towns, cities and regional communities.

“I think we’ve probably endured as much as we can take as a nation, just going through lockdown and obviously the pandemic,” suggests Beresford, 39, who’s been a weatherman for ITV since 2007, but also made his hosting debut on GMB earlier this month. “This show is going to be a breath of fresh air for many people because it’s going to be upbeat, relaxed, fun.

“To be able to show some brilliant people that may have been showcased on regional telly but deserve that network coverage, I think that’s what the show is all about.”

Singh, 43, says she was “chuffed to bits” when she was approached about the series. “It’s nice to get away from news and do something that was, for us, unrelentingly and unashamedly positive and uplifting and hopeful,” elaborates the TV personality, who’s known for her work as a political reporter on GMB, as well as hosting.

Her only concern was whether they’d have to film on a Sunday. “When they said no, I was like, ‘Sign me up!’ No matter how passionate and dedicated you are, I just think we work so many hours; I’m so happy to be able to be at home with my dog and my son [on a Sunday], switch on the telly…All Around Britain is on at 11.20 in the morning, and I’ll be watching it in my PJs.”

It’s a little hard to get a word in edgeways at times during my phone call with Beresford and Singh; they’re both incredibly outgoing, lively and amusing. Singh quips they’ve been working on their chemistry.

“My favourite thing is, if I see Alex in the morning in the corridors at GMB or in the studio, we have a lot of mickey-taking banter,” says Singh. “And I think that when you feel like you can take the mickey out of someone, it just shows that you actually really adore one another. We can push the barrier with each other.”

It’s certainly going to be a busy few weeks filming All Around Britain, seeing as the pair will still be doing their normal jobs too. “Obviously there will be some tough days, it will be quite gruelling at times – but I know having Ranvir by my side will make it doable,” notes Beresford. “It’s going to be very enjoyable because we will just laugh our way through it. If everything else fails, just laugh.”

How have they both coped during the Covid-19 lockdown? “I’m alright now; I did struggle very much at the beginning, I have to say,” confides Singh. “For the first four or five weeks, I found it really, really hard. I was working anyway, so I’m just as tired as if there’d been no lockdown in many ways.

"I was eating and drinking way too much. And, actually, I’ve still got quite a bit of weight to lose; lots of people put weight on in lockdown, but I certainly have, and I’m not finding that very easy or comfortable.”

The presenter also brings up their GMB colleague, 53-year-old Kate Garraway; her 53-year-old husband, Derek, remains ill in hospital from the effects of coronavirus, after first being admitted in March.

“You look at lovely Kate, and all the hardship that she’s still going through… You look at the reality of what this virus can do and what it’s done to our really lovely friend, you just look up to the sky and you just think, ‘Dear God, just let everything be OK’. Ultimately, as long as your family’s well, as long as you’ve got money coming in, you’re alright, aren’t you?”

The second episode of All Around Britain airs on ITV on Sunday.

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James Mitchinson