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LONDON – U.K. TV networks company ITV said Tuesday that its channel ITV2 has ordered a travel reality show featuring Olympic diver Tom Daley.
The show, from production firms Twofour and GroupM Entertainment, has the working title Tom Daley Takes on the World and will follow “the traveling adventures of the diving sensation as he embarks on a whistle-stop backpacking trip,” the firm said.
The British TV giant’s flagship network ITV previously featured the 19-year-old athlete on reality diving show Splash! The new show announcement comes as Daley, one of the stars of the London 2012 Summer Olympics, has been looking for further opportunities in the entertainment world, particularly on TV.
“Cameras will follow Tom and his best friend Sophie as they kiss their families goodbye, pack their bags and head for the wilds of some of the most incredible countries on earth, such as Thailand, Japan, Australia, Morocco and New Zealand,” ITV said in a description of the new show. “The trip will be a life-changing experience that will see Tom as he’s never been seen before — roughing it in hostels, sleeping on night trains and making new friends.”
Daley also hopes to do such things as fly a plane and bungee jump on the six-week trip, the network said.
Said ITV’s director of digital channels and acquisitions Angela Jain: “Tom’s career as a diver has captivated the nation. We hope this show will give people the chance to see the teenager behind the trunks as he enjoys his global back-packing adventure.”
Said Daley: “Diving and training are my first love, but I am looking forward to a break from the norm and discovering more about places I’ve never had the chance to explore before.”
Added Juliet Rice, head of factual entertainment at production firm Twofour: “I am always amazed by Tom’s schedule and his commitment to his sport. This six-week adventure will give him the chance to let his hair down and face a whole set of new experiences, like any other teenager on the cusp of adulthood.”
E-mail: Georg.Szalai@THR.com
Twitter: @georgszalai
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