Eugene Levy explores glamour of Saint-Tropez with Dame Joan Collins in The Reluctant Traveller

Virgin Radio

15 Mar 2024, 08:09

Eugene Levy is far away from Schitt's Creek as he traverses the glamorous sites of Saint-Tropez for the second series of The Reluctant Traveller. 

The comedic actor is back for another episode of his sun-drenched travel series, in which he’s visits some of the world’s most beautiful and intriguing destinations in Costa Rica, Finland, Italy, Japan, Maldives, Portugal, South Africa and the United States, exploring hotels and the places and cultures nearby. 

In the third episode of series 2, to air tonight (15th March) out on Apple TV+, Eugene gets up-close-and-personal with a Hollywood great, Dame Joan Collins, who is a long-time Saint-Tropez resident. 

In a preview clip of the upcoming episode, Eugene gets a surprise dinner invitation from the actress and author, and he’s instantly bowled over by her being able to recognise him...but not before chastising the Canadian star for being late. 

“Where is he? He’s late. I don’t usually wait for men,” Dame Joan remarks while fanning herself in the sweltering French heat. 

The pair then discuss how different Saint-Tropez is now verses when it was a much quieter fishing village, before being discovered by the good and the great of society. 

“Coco Chanel would come here in the 30’s, with Hemingway and people like that,” Dame Joan recalls. “So a lot of people have been coming here for a long time, but it was basically undiscovered.”

She continued: “I do think there’s a lot of showing off with those big yachts [in Saint-Tropez]. I prefer the mountains and hills.

“You should definitely go on the backstreets of St Tropez, where you’ll see all these wonderful artisan shops that are not Prada and Gucci and all of that, but you have to go through the back alleys.”

Eugene recently stopped by The Chris Evans Breakfast Show with webuyanycar to talk about his Apple TV+ series, telling our Chris at the time: “I'm really not fond of travelling,” 

The American Pie star explained that he originally turned the Apple TV+ executives down. “I said ‘No, honestly, I think you've got the wrong person because I don't love travelling and I don't think I have the attributes to be a good host. I'm not a curious person. And I don't have a great sense of adventure, so how can I be myself hosting a show, which I've never done?' I've never been on camera, outside of being in character, doing something.” he said.

However, rather than putting the Apple bosses off the idea, it turns out that the telly star had inadvertently suggested a slightly different take on the show. He said: “They got on the phone together and said, ‘That's the show. That's the show. He doesn't love to travel. [We] didn't know that. But that's the show that gives it an edge, gives it a personality. That's the thing’. And then they call me back and pitch that version and I said, 'Oh, I get it. So I don't have to love everything. I get why that can be humorous. Okay, let's give it a go.’”

The first two episodes of The Reluctant Traveller season 2 are now available on Apple TV+ with new episodes airing weekly every Friday.