The BBC’s travel documentary, The Real Marigold Hotel, was inspired by the hit film, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.
The premise of the show is simple: a group of famous elderly celebrities travel around India to find out whether it’s the place they’ve always wanted to retire to.
The show is now in its third season, and there’s a new batch of participants who’ll be discovering the delights, and horrors, that India has to offer.
Stanley Johnson, Selina Scott, Stephanie Beacham, Susan George, Bob Champion, Syd Little, Janette and Ian Tough and Peter Dean will be visiting the Indian city of Udaipur and its surrounding areas on the show this year.
British television, radio, film and theatre actress, Stephanie Beacham, 71, has recently spoken about her time in India and she revealed what surprised her the most about India.
“Lack of road rage!” she answered immediately.
She continued: “In ridiculous traffic jams caused by creamy, lazy cows which are of course are sacred animals, and if they take up two lanes of the motorway, that’s what happens.”
Beacham then went on to discuss her most memorable moment of her trip.
“I think it was the wondrous Amet family home, which was our Marigold Hotel,” she said.
“Also, the view of the lake from my allotted room and doing Yoga with the surroundings of the White Palace, the lake and the storks in flight.”
It sounds like this season’s hotel will be yet another paradise on Earth.
The main reason for going on the show is to find out whether India is the place the participants would like to retire to, yet Beacham didn’t have time to reflect on her experience at all.
“No – there was no time at all. Very busy camp!” the actress answered when she was asked whether she had had time to reflect on her time in India.
That said, she did reveal that she would love to go back to the country and explore its future.
“I’ve got so much more I need to see,” she stated when asked if she’d ever return to India.
So far, The Real Marigold Hotel has explored Jaipur, Kochi and Udaipur.
Given the size of the country and the sheer number of incredible places to visit in India, The Real Marigold Hotel could theoretically continue for years to come.
There has also been a spin-off show made, The Real Marigold on Tour, in which some of the participants visit other places around the world.
So far they’ve visited Florida in the United States, Kyoto in Japan, Chengdu in China, Havana in Cuba, Reykjavik in Iceland and Chiang Mai in Thailand.
The Real Marigold Hotel airs tonight on BBC One at 9pm.
