Coach Trip
A reality game show where tourists vote each other off a coach.
Coach Trip is a British reality game show that debuted on Channel 4 on 7 March 2005. Each series features between four and seven pairs of travellers on a coach tour, mainly across continental Europe, lasting from twenty to fifty days. Tour guide Brendan Sheerin appears in every episode. Every evening, the couples vote for the pair they least enjoy travelling with; the couple receiving the most votes gets either a yellow or red card.
The show first went on hiatus on 30 June 2006, returning after a three-year break from 25 May 2009 to 9 March 2012. It went on hiatus again in early 2013, replaced by two new shows, *Brendan's Magical Mystery Tour* and *Brendan's Love Cruise*. In September 2013, Channel 4 announced a renewal for 2014, and on 9 April 2014, four further series were confirmed following the success of the ninth series earlier that year.
The fourteenth series, the first under the *Coach Trip: Road to...* banner, aired on E4 from 25 July to 2 September 2016 as *Coach Trip: Road to Ibiza*. The fifteenth series, *Coach Trip: Road to Marbs*, ran from 16 January to 24 February 2017, and the sixteenth, *Coach Trip: Road to Zante*, from 24 July to 15 September 2017. The show was renewed for a seventeenth series in July 2017, titled *Coach Trip: Road to Tenerife*, airing from 8 January to 2 March 2018. The eighteenth and most recent series, *Coach Trip: Road to Barcelona*, began on 28 January 2019 and ended on 8 March 2019, returning to 30 episodes. In February 2023, Channel 4 stated the show's future was uncertain.
A spin-off, *Celebrity Coach Trip*, launched in November 2010, featuring celebrity pairs on shorter trips of ten to fifteen days. Seven editions have aired, with the latest concluding on 21 January 2022. Christmas and Halloween specials have also aired: *Christmas Coach Trip* in 2011 and *Celebrity Ghost Trip* in 2021.
**Broadcast, narrators and repeats** Originally, *Coach Trip* aired weekdays at 5:00 pm on Channel 4 (with a repeat the next morning), then moved to 2:55 pm for the second series. After the revival, it shifted to 5:00 pm (series 3, 4, 7, 9, *Celebrity Coach Trip* 2 & 3, and *Christmas Coach Trip*) and later to 5:30 pm (series 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and *Celebrity Coach Trip* 1). From the fourteenth series in 2016, it has aired weekdays at 7:30 pm on E4.
Quick Facts
- Genre
- Reality
- Presenter
- Brendan Sheerin
- Narrator
- Andy Love / David Quantick / Dave Vitty / Jackie Clune / Clara Amfo
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Num Series
- 18 (Regular) / 7 (Celebrity) / 1 (Christmas) / 1 (Ghost)
- Num Episodes
- 640
- Runtime
- 30–60 minutes
- Company
- 12 Yard
- Network
- Channel 4
- First Aired
- 2005-03-07
- Last Aired
- 2006-06-30
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
The fourteenth series marked the relaunch as Coach Trip: Road to... series, airing on E4 from 25 July 2016 to 2 September 2016 as Coach Trip: Road to Ibiza. Subsequent series included Road to Marbs (2017), Road to Zante (2017), Road to Tenerife (2018), and Road to Barcelona (2019). The show's spin-off, Celebrity Coach Trip, launched in November 2010 with celebrity pairs on shorter trips of ten to fifteen days. Seven editions of Celebrity Coach Trip aired, with the latest concluding on 21 January 2022. Christmas and Halloween versions also aired, including Christmas Coach Trip (2011) and Celebrity Ghost Trip (2021).
Reader's Guide
Coach Trip holds significance as a long-running British reality game show that pioneered a unique format combining travel, social dynamics, and elimination voting. Its longevity, spanning from 2005 to 2019 with multiple revivals, demonstrates its cultural impact and adaptability. The show's format, featuring daily votes and replacement couples, influenced later reality competition series. The introduction of themed Road to... series and celebrity spin-offs expanded its reach. The show's uncertain future as of February 2023, when Channel 4 said its future was uncertain, marks the end of an era for a program that consistently engaged audiences with its blend of travelogue and game show elements. Its legacy includes memorable tour guide Brendan Sheerin and a format that has been sold to other countries.
Did You Know?
- The show originally aired weekdays at 4:30 pm before Deal or No Deal debuted on Channel 4.
- The first coach used was a Volvo B10M with registration T100 MTT, supplied by Motts Travel.
- The fourteenth series was the first of the relaunched Coach Trip: Road to... series, titled Coach Trip: Road to Ibiza.
More in British television series revived after cancellation 1-24
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