Episode 10 Holiday of My Lifetime with Len Goodman

Childhood holidays... Oh, ho! The anticipation seemed endless.

The holiday itself...well, it was over too quickly.

So, in this series, I'm going to be reliving those wonderful times

with some much-loved famous faces.

THEY SCREAM

Every day, I'll be arranging a few surprises

to transport them back in time.

Oh, look! Ha-ha! It's just as I remember! Ha-ha!

We'll relive the fun...

THEY LAUGH

..the games...

-BOTH: Yes!

-We got him!

..and the food of years gone by...

Yum...my!

Welcome to 1959.

-Total happiness.

-Yes. Perfect.

..to find out how those holidays around the UK

helped shape the people we know so well today.

Bruce Forsyth.

Yes, marvellous, Len, you're still my favourite.

So, buckle up for Holiday Of My Lifetime.

You know, Len, I'm quite enjoying being on my holidays with you.

Today, I'm riding high in Northern Ireland

for my trip down memory lane in this little number.

It's too old for seatbelts, but don't worry,

I'm using my 53 years' driving experience

to make sure I'm in one piece to meet today's mystery guest.

Top of the morning to you.

I'm on my way to me in early riser

who's been lighting up our screens for more than 25 years!

He was born in Belfast in 1959.

Look at the wee little lad.

Like a little Irish charm.

As one of five brothers,

this little fella looked right at home in front of the camera.

No wonder he was aiming high for a job on television.

His career kicked off as a sports reporter,

but it was when he crossed the Irish Sea

that his career really started to rise and shine.

He's just as comfortable on a sofa,

behind a news desk or even giving out cash prizes on game shows.

And now he's often seen on screen beside his lovely wife.

While he might work with his missus,

his first love is going to Old Trafford

to see his beloved Manchester United.

Go on, boys!

Well, let's hope we're in for a real treat this morning.

Get it?

You know who it is! Ha-hey! It's Eamonn Holmes!

Eamonn Holmes was born in 1959 to mum Josie

and dad Leonard, a carpet fitter.

And was the second oldest of five brothers.

He studied journalism at Belfast College of Business Studies

and started his career at Ulster TV

where he hosted amongst other shows the station's Farming Ulster.

In 1986, he moved across the Irish Sea

where his career really did take off.

And it wasn't long before he became prime-time viewing.

Welcome to the Hard Spell final.

Over the last five nights, this is the show that has proved

spelling really is compelling.

He has many strings to his bow,

but I guess we know him best for his 13-year stint on GMTV

and now as co-presenter with his lovely wife, Ruth, on This Morning.

I'm on my way to Larne on the East Coast of Northern Ireland

to meet him.

HE LAUGHS

CAR HORN HONKS

Oh, this is the deluxe version.

HE LAUGHS

-Welcome to Northern Ireland, Len.

-Hey-hey!

-Oh, my goodness me.

Do you recognise this?

Well, this is more luxurious than we would have had.

It's got some sort of extension up the top, but my goodness!

HE LAUGHS

-I haven't seen...

-Good to see you.

-I haven't seen one of these since...

more...late '60s.

Well, I'll tell you what.

-There's only 25 of these registered in the whole of the UK.

-My word!

-Still, what a lovely day.

-Oh, gorgeous.

-Ain't it gorgeous?

Gorgeous. It's always like this in Northern Ireland.

Sun always shines.

Not when I've played golf, it doesn't.

So, where are we going?

Well, we are on the...

This is the start of what's called the Coast Road

and there's the most beautiful scenic -

I mean, especially on a day like this -

coastal drives that you will find anywhere in the world.

Anywhere in the world! It's up there with the Pacific Coast Highway

with the Garden Route in South Africa.

-This is just going to be wondrous.

-Yeah.

-And what's the year?

-The year will be 1968.

Oh, right, that's when the Beatles and the Stones were in the charts...

And Man United won the European Cup.

-Good, eh?

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

So, what do you reckon? Should we get in and have a go?

-Lovely, try to.

-Come on!

-Hope we can get in, yeah.

You need a hand, a man of your age?

The Antrim Coast Road on the east coast of Northern Ireland is

considered to be one of the greatest tourist trails in the world.

The route starts at the Black Arch near Larne

and continues about 25 miles north to the Red Arch

near the village of Cushendall. It takes in rugged cliffs,

spectacular scenery and unspoilt beaches along the way.

The road was constructed between 1832 and 1842 by William Bald.

He had the vision of building the road at the foot of the cliffs,

therefore avoiding steep hills inland

and providing stunning views of the coastline.

It's a similar tour to the one Eamonn took in 1968.

'Today, I'm taking him back there

'to try and relive those wonderful memories. Enjoying the sights...'

It jumped. I did see it.

I wish it'd jump once more just to prove me.

'..but not always the tastes...'

That's like chewing old rubber, isn't it?

-That's like car tyres.

-Yes.

'..scoring own goals...'

HE CHEERS

HE LAUGHS

'..and getting one in the back of the net...'

In here, you will be able to get trout. Look!

-I just saw one!

-Look, look!

Well, we'd be able to get down there and hook these fish.

Before any holiday truly begins,

first you must set out on a journey.

Whether by plane, train or automobile,

we've all experienced those hours of anticipation,

just waiting to get to the promised destination you've been dreaming of.

It must have been especially exciting for eight-year-old Eamonn

and his brothers as they hit the road,

just as we're attempting to do today, in their dad's old work van.

Glad I'm not expected to drive it.

OK, I'm trying to find second...

Ah, there's second. I think on this Volvo. That's fourth.

-We're nearly there.

-This may take a long time.

VAN REVS

That's nothing. Ah!

That must be first.

Oh, yeah, you got a clunk.

Maybe, we should take the bus. HE LAUGHS

-BOTH: We are off!

-We're off and away.

-We're off and running.

Hey-hey! So, how old would you have been when you went on this holiday?

-I would have been eight.

-Right.

-Yeah.

And how many of you would have been in this van?

Us three, and mum and dad.

-There would've been five of us at that stage.

-Right.

-Yeah.

Well, I guess, this sort of thing was ideal, really,

for going on holiday cos you could chuck everything in.

There was no sort of careful packing.

This van's kitted out like a camper van. Ours was a carpet van.

My dad had... His van was called The Magic Carpet.

It had a sign on the side of it and it was a works van.

And...so what he would've had in the back for us

was a roll of felt for us to sit on.

Sometimes even have a chair or a sofa, a small sofa in there.

And we could sit there and then, you know, your holiday case or whatever

would have been in there as well.

So, was it... Did you leave Belfast and was it in one hit you went?

-Yeah...

-You didn't stop halfway and have a cup of tea or something?

We would. We would. We would. You could pull into the side.

This was the days before mobile phones, of course,

and I honestly can tell you if you pulled into a lay-by -

and we would've had a little camper stop - you could have done tea.

You could've done some mashed potato, sausage,

something like that. And then...

honestly, you would sit there and it wouldn't...

15 minutes wouldn't pass before somebody you knew honked the horn

and said, "Oh, there's Leonard and Josie. There's the carpet van,"

or The Magic Carpet as they called it. And they would pull in.

All this talk about food is making me hungry.

With a few miles left before we arrive in Cushendall,

I reckon it's time for a refreshment break 1968-style.

Well, here we are. This is what we would've had, was it?

You know, my dad used to say, "Food taste better outside." It does.

Smells different...

It was my introduction to instant mashed potato as well,

which was easier to do than boiling. Well, we've got some of that.

This is the posh version.

-Ooh, nice.

-Who would've done the cooking?

-Your mum, I guess.

-Oh, Mum!

Mum was great at everything, but...

..it was really lovely

and just the fresh air just made all the difference.

Yeah.

Your name, it... Eamonn, that's a proper Irish name.

When my mother had me, she, erm, she couldn't think of a name

and there was a magazine beside her with Eamonn Andrews face on it.

She said, "He's got curly hair, black curly hair like my wee Eamonn."

-And she just called me Eamonn...

-And there you are.

-Eamonn Andrews. He used to do all the boxing.

-This Is Your Life.

-And Crackerjack.

-Crackerjack.

-Yeah.

Sometimes I think it's a wee bit prophetic

-being named after Eamonn Andrews.

-Well...

-Maybe, meant to be.

-Yeah.

Stick your fork in this, see if...if it...

Oh, they're fine. They're...steam rising.

Ooh, yeah! Lovely. Just put it all on.

-You sure?

-That looks brilliant.

You see? And doesn't it taste better beside the sea air?

-On the Coast Road?

-With the s... The sea. Oh, let's try this.

Oh, Eamonn.

I haven't been outdoors since I was a kid,

you know, sort of camp-fry like that

and after you doing that today...

I'm not going to do it again. HE LAUGHS

Back in 1968, there was just one piece of reading material that

an eight-year-old Eamonn and others like him would absolutely love.

Lovely. Have a seat.

So, you'd be sitting in the back here playing games

-and maybe reading a comic or so.

-Yeah.

-Well, just so happens...

And we've got to be careful because we've borrowed these.

Oh, my word! Aye, yes, yes, yes.

Oh, and these are actually 1968. Korky The Cat.

-We don't mess about on the show.

-Yes, no, yes. Oh...

Goodness me. Do you know, when I look at this and I see

there's...there's just such innocence, man.

-If I showed this to my 12-year-old now, they'd laugh.

-Yeah.

Winker Watson. My God. Greedy Pigg. That could be for me that one.

THEY LAUGH

Greedy Pigg. Billy Whizz. Roger...

I used to be Billy Whizz, now I'm more Greedy Pigg.

-Lord Snooty.

-THEY LAUGH

There's a couple you can't say anymore. Dirty Dick.

THEY LAUGH

When Eamonn and his family drove along the Coast Road in '68,

little did they know that three months later

a civil rights march in Londonderry, on 5th October,

would be the catalyst to three decades of conflict.

Over in England, the M1 motorway was finally completed

and London Bridge was sold to American entrepreneur,

who rebuilt it in Arizona.

Also in the States that year,

on his election trail, Senator Robert Kennedy,

younger brother of assassinated President John F Kennedy

was also assassinated in Los Angeles.

# What a wonderful world...

In the music world, Louis Armstrong was at the top of the charts

with What A Wonderful World.

# To myself

# What a wonderful...

# World. #

For Eamonn and his family, they knew

they were just a few minutes' drive away from their final destination

when they saw the Red Arch as they approached Cushendall.

So, that's the Red Arch.

When you come through that, you realise your next stop Cushendall.

That's Waterfoot, next stop Cushendall

and you smell the sea air and...

It's a most picturesque area.

It's just incredible.

-And I guess as a child, you don't really appreciate that so much.

-No.

I always just remember it seemed as if there wasn't much to do,

but there was everything to do

because everything became an adventure.

I guess this was like an escape from the Troubles

and everything else to come here.

Yeah, and even industrial Belfast where the smells were different.

I mean, the smell of coal in the air and smoke in the air

and the smell down here was different.

You had the smell of the sea. You had the smell of the grass.

You had the smell of turf burning in fires.

If, like Eamonn, you want sea air and countryside views.

a drive along the Causeway Coastal Route,

which runs between Belfast and Londonderry

will give it to you in spades.

And there are plenty of things to see and do along the way

and here are ten of my best.

Ballygally Beach beside Ballygally village

near our starting point of Larne is 200m long

and is sandy with seaweed and boulders.

There are great views in all directions

whether looking towards the Antrim Coast and its dramatic headlands

across the sea to Scotland or inland to the Antrim Hills.

The Glens of Antrim is a region of County Antrim.

Famed in poetry, song, myth and magic,

there are nine glens and each is endowed with an evocative name

and weaves its own special kind of magic.

Glenariff, the Queen of the Glens, is one of the nine Antrim Glens

and home to beautiful waterfalls.

The Waterfall Walkway at Glenariff Forest Park passes

through a National Nature Reserve and the three waterfalls

offering amazing views and relaxing riverside walks.

We might only be a hop, skip and a jump away from Cushendall,

but now I've got my Morris J2 into gear,

I've just got time to find out what drove Eamonn towards the career

he has today.

Did you have any ideas of what you wanted to do

when you left school or what you wanted to do when you grew up?

When I left primary and got into secondary school,

the Troubles were beginning to boil.

They were really beginning to happen.

1971 I went to grammar school and within a short space of time

because I was really quite deprived of my teenage years,

there would have been no sort of thing as going to a local youth club

or going to the sort of dancing lessons

and having the sort of freedoms

that somebody like yourself would have had.

You stayed indoors and you watched television.

And television educated me to a large degree.

And I knew from 11...

Well, I wished from 11 that I wanted to be a journalist

and specifically, I wanted to be a television journalist.

I wanted to be a broadcast journalist.

After a stint in retail,

Eamonn finally made it to journalism college.

I took on about four jobs a day to pay way through.

And...

there's no day I really go to work and it feels like work

because it's what I wanted to do from when I was 11

and it's such a privilege to be able to do what you want to do. Yeah.

Cushendall was a great place,

not just for children,

but teenagers who used to spend their summers there.

Husband and wife Brendan and Marie remember hanging out there

as teenagers in the '60s.

We used to gather outside Hamel's Cafe,

where the jukebox was on the corner in Cushendall.

And we'd play all the sounds of the '60s there.

Sit out on the pavement and listen.

I would have been probably one of the more modern-type dressers

with a cravat and backcombed hair

and all that sort of thing, you know.

And platform...platform soles and everything else.

You seem to have spent the '60s either listening to music,

dancing to music or going to the cinema.

And if you weren't doing that, you were away buying something,

so you could wear it to the next dance.

Part of the magic of any childhood holiday

is the excitement of staying somewhere new.

The sights, sounds and smells of those hotels, motels and campsites.

For Eamonn and his family what was originally called

The Thornlea Hotel became home from home.

Well, Eamonn. Hey!

-It's a bit yellow.

-Yes, certainly yellow.

-I guess it wasn't yellow your time.

-No. This was a house.

You can see there is an extension on here,

but the original house, it was white.

-Yeah.

-I remember that. But it's much bigger than we remember.

-Yeah, so, it's changed on the outside.

-Yeah.

Well, I'll tell you what.

-Let's go in and see if it's changed much on the inside.

-OK.

In the old hotel, Eamonn and his family would have had the room

at the top of the stairs.

-Here we go.

-Here we come.

-Wow!

-See?

Well, there are steps.

Yes, but this would've been...this would've been two steps. Yes.

You see, they've built this up differently.

And this would have been the original door.

This would've been the door, room nine.

And this would've been in here and...

-and this is it.

-Yeah.

-This is it.

-Would this have just been your mum and dad's room?

-I can't remember.

-I think it was us. I think we were all in here.

-Was it?

There must've been... Well, there must have been two rooms.

We...we were in here. No, us kids, we were definitely in here.

So, the three of us would have been in here.

And Mum and Dad would've had another room.

That would have been a novelty - a TV.

Absolutely no TV for the two weeks that you were here.

And I suppose as a kid, you were addicted.

Oh, my Blue Peter. What was going to happen...

How was I going to see my Blue Peter?

Back in 1968, Blue Peter had already been on the air for a decade

and boasted what is arguably its most famous line-up

with John Noakes, Peter Purves and Valerie Singleton.

Elsewhere, Gardeners' World debuted on BBC One with Percy Thrower,

who went on to be Blue Peter's resident gardener.

But it was Captain Mainwaring and his hapless Home Guard volunteers

who had us all laughing as Dad's Army first aired.

Don't panic! Don't panic! They don't like 'em up 'em.

-So, back in 1968...

-Yeah.

..this was the bridge where you could do a bit of fishing.

Yeah, so, here we are. This is Cushendall

and this is the River Dall

that flows through the village of Cushendall.

-And in here you will be able to get trout. Look! Look!

-I just saw one!

Look, look, look! It's really nice,

but much shallower than I remember it. And...

But look, fish everywhere, everywhere.

-Big and big.

-Everywhere. Now, we used to...

We had, hence the nets, right?

So we... They were as sophisticated as this,

but a bit of bamboo pole with a wee net on it,

but we'd be able to get down there and hook these fish.

I remember my dad catching one once.

And when we... When he cut it open,

he was going to cook it on the camp stove.

It was all full of worms.

-Yeah, put me off.

-Put you off. No, if it were full of worms...

But you know what, I think everyone over there,

we might be able to get over and down on to the bank.

-Good idea.

-Should we try?

-Goodness knows what will catch.

Well, you never know, eh?

We might be able to.

-We might be able to what?

-Get over.

-Are you joking?

Well, this wasn't here in my day. We could go right down onto the bank.

-No, don't, don't, don't.

-No. You're right.

Well, let's perch for a minute.

Did your mum and dad help you with your career in any ways?

Well, how could they help? You know, Dad was a manual labourer.

Mum was a housewife. They didn't have connections, you know.

But in fairness to my father,

he used to finish on a Friday night and he'd get his pay packet

and he would go to a bar where journalists drank

called the McGlades in Belfast and he would often sidle up to a few

and say, "You know, my son does this. He wants to do that.

"Is there any chance, is there any chance, any chance?"

I admire him. I really do. When I think back, he's dead now,

but you know, I think, "Well done, Dad. You really... You tried."

And well, now look, we've got these nets,

we've got the talent. Let's go...

You've reminded me of my nan, then.

My grandad used to say...

My nan used to say to my grandad, "Is it cold out?" He'd say, "Cold?

"You need two hairnets today."

-Well, we've got two.

-We've got two!

-Let's use them.

-Come on.

In the summer of 1968, little did Eamonn and his family know that

his trouble-free childhood would soon come to a very abrupt end.

Political historian and head of lifelong learning

at Stranmillis University College, Eamonn Phoenix can pinpoint

why 1968 was such a significant year in Northern Irish history.

1968, of course, as I well remember, was the last innocent summer,

if you like, in the history of Northern Ireland,

just before the Troubles.

The '60s had seen the arrival of the Beatles and other pop groups.

You know, television was beginning to develop.

People were going on their holidays to Cushendall and Cushendun

and, of course, tensions were beginning to arise on the streets.

You had the rise of the civil rights movement.

The first marches demanding one man, one vote

and a fairer system of government.

And within really a year, this had turned to violence.

You had the first fatalities.

You had the burning houses of August 1969

and the arrival of British troops.

So, in many ways that last summer of '68

for children who were spending those long summer days here

was the last summer of innocence and you might say normality.

At the heart of the conflict was who ruled Northern Ireland.

The goal of the Unionists, who are mainly Protestant,

was to remain part of the United Kingdom.

The goal of the Nationalists, almost exclusively Catholic,

was to become part of the Republic of Ireland.

To escape the Troubles,

Eamonn's family decided to flee Belfast a year later in 1969

and headed to their beloved Cushendall.

Well, you can't come to Ireland and not have a drop of stout.

You're right. And it's not just the drink and the alcohol,

but it's the craic when you go into the pubs.

You can hear the music already. And that's what I remember from as a kid.

Wherever you went, there was happiness,

there was laughter and there was always a fiddle and a drum and...

-Let's go.

-Come on.

-Cheers.

-Cheers.

-All the best.

-The music's calling.

-Oh, yes!

TRADITIONAL IRISH MUSIC PLAYS

Hey-hey!

THEY CHEER

Now, do you know who this man is?

Now, I'll give you a clue.

His name is Ciaran.

Many years ago, you stayed in our house

on high street here in Cushendall,

-Sundial House...

-Yes.

-And I guess...

-Well, my mother ran a boarding house then.

-Yes.

-I'm not quite sure when it was, but I remember...

-I know.

I remember way in the earlier parts of the Troubles,

-there was a mass exodus of people left Belfast. There was...

-Yeah.

And an awful lot of people getting away out of city.

-I'm not sure if was that time.

-It was.

-It was at that time.

It was absolutely, Ciaran, at that time.

We packed up and we came down

and Cushendall was the place of refuge and peace. And it was only...

It was all we knew where to escape to and it was 60 miles away.

And it was really hard to find somewhere to stay

and we got booked into your guesthouse.

Well...well, I remember my mother had,

I think she had three rooms or something,

but that particular night,

she had 29 people stay and I know I slept in the bath.

HE LAUGHS

And...and...

We were all desperate, Ciaran,

and I remember genuinely we didn't know how long we were going to stay.

And the simple fact, we stayed as long as we had money.

And after, I think it was about eight nights or so,

my dad ran out of money and there was nothing else to do.

We didn't want to go back to the riots

or what was happening in Belfast, but we did.

We turned around and we went back because you just had to get home.

Eamonn's family stayed in Belfast,

but it wasn't until 30 years later, on the 10th April, 1988,

that The Good Friday Agreement was signed,

bringing to an end the sectarian conflict.

But in 1968, that all seemed like a world away.

So, back in '68, this is where you would have come

with your brothers to play a bit of football.

Yeah, and while the adults would be sitting down there

on their picnic rugs, the beach is quite stony and shaley,

-we'd be up here doing what we do.

-Now, you're a big Man U fan.

-Yeah.

-How did you get into that?

Well, again, that's going back to '68, United winning the European Cup

and George Best being from Belfast.

He was from the place we were from.

And there was even a record on the charts about George Best

called Belfast Boy.

# Georgie, Georgie

# They called you the Belfast Boy. #

-Hey! There's a dolphin!

-Wow!

-Ha-ah!

Hey-hey! There is... I just...

Now, look. It jumped.

Well, in all my time here, I've never seen a dolphin.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

So, over the years, has your mum been one to give you advice

-and help you along the way?

-Well, she is Mrs Feet-on-the-ground.

It's always when you phone her, "Hi, Mum. How are you doing?"

"Didn't like that tie you were wearing this morning," you know.

"Thought you were a bit grumpy on that. Didn't like..."

You know, so, you get...

You definitely get kept in position.

You know, my mum's still alive.

She's 97 now, but she's exactly the same, you know.

I remember once on Strictly, I was nasty to a boy

called Matt Di Angelo.

He did go completely wrong, forget the routine and sit down.

So, you know, I didn't mark...

"I had to phone up and vote for him seven times.

"Why were you so cruel to that young boy?" You know, so...

-Your mummy's your mummy.

-That's right.

-That's...that's...

That's right. I'm still scared of her now.

So, I'm going to set this penalty shoot out.

-What do you fancy, kick or keep?

-I'll keep.

-Right.

-The goal is this seat.

-OK.

-Cos I'm not diving.

-No.

-I'm promising that.

Left or right, left or right, left or right,

left or right, left or right. HE GRUNTS AND LAUGHS

HE CHEERS

Joy of joys!

There are loads of things to see and do

along the Causeway Coast and surrounding areas.

Dunluce Castle is located dramatically close to a headland

that plunges straight into the sea

and was the headquarters of the MacDonald Clan.

Constantly fought over.

Eventually, it succumbed to mother nature

when part of it fell into the sea in 1639.

On the Coast Road between Cushendall and Cushendun

is the old Layd Church.

It is thought to have begun life as a holy place

in the Iron Age or before.

It was in ruins in 1622, but rebuilt towards the end of the century

and remained a site of Protestant worship until the 1800s.

And heading further inland is the World Of Owls at Randalstown,

Northern Ireland's only owl

and bird of prey conservation educational centre.

There are handling sessions,

which allow us to get up close to the birds

as well as plenty of other animals to admire.

Woo-hoo, lovely.

So, would you go for a swim?

HE LAUGHS

I'd love to have gone for a swim. None of us could go for a swim.

Five boys, none of us could swim.

Mum wouldn't let us in the water. Well, she would let us in the water,

but, you know, she'd have to be there and supervise us.

I'm not even sure she'd let us have a bath

-without the door being open...

-Right.

And now there's a photograph of you, I've seen it,

in a very natty pair of swimming trunks.

-Oh, those were my leopard-skin trunks.

-Oh, yes?

All the rage!

-All the rage.

-EAMONN LAUGHS

Well, you know, my trunks...

-My nan used to knit them.

-Did...

-They were wool.

-How can you have wool...?

-I promise, I promise!

-Cos my mum... My nan...

-It would sink you.

Oh, once you went in the water, they would swell up,

your crotch would go down about...

And I'd waddle out...

-I want to see a picture of that.

-Yeah.

-That's what I want to see.

And what about sandcastles? Should we have a go?

-A bit of sand there, look.

-Yeah?

-Yeah.

-Now, listen, I'll hold the bucket. Now you shovel in.

-Happy?

-Yeah, go on. Shovel it in.

-Right, OK, I'll leave you...

-You can do the patting.

-I'll do the patting.

So, what about GMTV, how did that come along?

Well, I was working away on breakfast television on the BBC

and then the phone call came, "Would I be interested to do this?"

And, of course, I was going to be interested in doing that

because really this was just like the teatime programme

I'd been doing in Belfast, but earlier.

And, erm... You know, so that was August '92, I got the call.

We went on air New Year's Day 1993.

How many on-screen wives have you got through?

Ooh, an awful lot there.

Ooh...

Jill Dando, Lorraine Kelly,

Fiona Phillips, Esther McVey,

who's now an MP and member of the cabinet.

Erm, erm, erm, oh!

Penny Smith, Charlotte Hawkins,

Isabel Webster.

Erm... I'm missing... Oh! Anthea Turner.

Erm... Oh, Fiona Phillips. Have we got Fiona Phillips in there?

This is like the Generation Game. And my real wife.

-Of course!

-She's there. Yes.

-She's there now. Yes.

But there's been quite a few. Do you know, that has been a delight

and people would tweet me all the time and they would say,

"You are a lucky so-and-so.

"Look at those beautiful women you are surrounded with."

And I said, "I'm lucky?

"Think about what it must be like for them looking at me every day.

-"I'm lucky?!"

-Yes. Yeah.

-What a treat that is.

-And they pay them as well.

-Oh!

-Yes! And then do you know the one thing nicer than building them...

Oh, no, don't! Wait till we've got a few.

And after that overexertion, Eamonn's got a treat for me!

I hope he isn't going to try and get me back for those sausages.

-Have some of this. This is what's known as dulse.

-Dulse.

Dulse around here. Seaweed.

Seaweed. It's a natural snack.

It's got salt added. Makes you thirsty, I'll tell you.

-Quite salty as anything, isn't it?

-Mm.

Mm! Well, now that brings me back. I...

It won't surprise you to hear I haven't eaten that since 1968.

No, I can't understand why, really.

It's like chewing old rubber, isn't it?

-Take your dentures out.

-Yeah.

THEY LAUGH

It's awful. Disgusting.

But it's natural. Good for you.

-Yeah, well, go on.

-Gives you all your minerals.

I'd rather have the plastic bag.

There are a lot of things to see and do on the Causeway Coast

and surrounding area,

which thankfully are good for body and soul.

At the southern end of Antrim, itself,

are the 400-year-old Antrim Castle Gardens.

They're a unique living museum

with layer upon layer of design features

and planting added over the centuries.

Must-see features include the Yew Tree Pond and the Pleasure Gardens.

The Royal Portrush Golf Club on the north coast of Ireland

was founded in 1888 and is the only club in Ireland

to have hosted the Open Championship.

Harry Colt, one of golf's greatest course architects,

used the natural contours and dunes to create a course,

which attracts golfers from all over the world.

Portrush is also home to Barry's Amusement Park,

the largest theme park in Ireland.

In 1925, travelling members of the Chipperfield

and Trufelli circus families were invited by the local railway company

to permanently locate there on a site beside the station.

The first delivery lorry had the name Barr on it,

so Barry's was chosen as its name.

It still maintains a mixture of traditional

and modern amusements to this day.

A few miles west of Portrush is the Giant's Causeway,

an area of approximately 40,000 interlocking basalt columns,

the result of an ancient volcanic eruption.

First documented in 1693,

the Causeway has often been described

as the Eighth Wonder of the World

and was declared as Ireland's first World Heritage Site

by UNESCO in 1986.

Having spent the day with Eamonn,

I can understand why people are happy to talk to him

from politicians to international superstars.

However, whilst presenting GMTV with Fiona Phillips,

there was one American illusionist who was not up for talking,

not one bit.

Of course, you were... You're famous in this country as well

for appearing in a car advert doing tricks as well.

Is it a trick to talk?

What about the interview with David Blaine?

'All I know is no-one knew of him before that interview

'and they all knew about him after that interview...'

And what is that? What is the eye on the hand? Let's see that again.

-Protection.

-Protection.

What does that mean?

-Protection from death.

-Oh.

But that was the longest six minutes of my life

and Fiona, who never shut up, would always chip in with everything,

at the end of the interview,

I remember turning round to her and saying "Thanks very much,

"thanks for help." She just kept quiet

throughout the whole interview. All I know is that it was different.

Yeah, certainly was different.

Growing up, did you see yourself as different?

-In any way?

-I didn't think about it that way.

-And 13 years on GMTV.

-Yeah, it was hard to leave.

It was hard to go, but it was time to do something else.

The climate was changing, I think, with breakfast television as well.

Sky News came along and that was...that was right for me

at my age and time. And...to go there and be...

Become an established anchor for a breakfast programme

is a great privilege.

I think it is a very responsible job to be the one

who has to impart news, you know, and the way you do it and someone...

And what I love about you is how you say it, you know.

If it is serious, you go into...into that mood

and if it's something a bit jolly, you...you play on that.

A lot of people would think news is not fun. News can be fun.

But what can't be, what I believe it can't be,

it can't be dull. You can't make it...

Whether it's serious, whether it's light,

it has to be accessible. I want to say to people,

"Oi, wait till you hear what's happening out here.

"You think this doesn't affect you,

"but really it does affect you and here's how."

And that's what I want to do. "You'll be very interested in this."

So, where does that come from, that enthusiasm?

I think probably from...from school.

I think we were told at school,

"God has given you a gift and if God has given you a gift

"and you're a good golfer, you're fantastic mathematician,

"or you're good with animals...

"That's your moral duty, really, to go through with that

"and you shouldn't do things half-heartedly."

Shows a lot about you as a character and a person. It really does.

In 2006, you started interviewing with Ruth, your wife.

HE LAUGHS

You would say the same, darling.

Because it's your real-life partner...

When you work with somebody who's your professional partner,

you'll say, "Thank you, Len. That was very good, Len.

"Thanks very much.

"Don't get me with him again. He was..."

THEY LAUGH

But when it's your real-life partner,

you will tell the truth and maybe the truth hurts sometimes.

But it's a wonderful privilege to work with somebody,

who you love and you respect so much.

I think you can see

there's a chemistry between the two of you, you know.

And not always saying it's all warm and cuddly,

but it's always there.

Len, it is her ambition to get on Strictly.

Right. I've been asked about three times.

I'll say, "No. Strictly and after... No, I don't want to...

"No, I don't want to do it." She'll go, "I can't believe you.

"They never ask me." And I go, "Yeah, quite right.

"It's only the big names now." LEN LAUGHS

Oh, that goes down well.

How do you think your holidays down here as a little boy

has shaped the person you became?

Ooh, well, you know, when I was holidaying here,

I wasn't aware that it was overly simple or overly humble.

It's overly beautiful and you can see that by revisiting it.

And I've been able to travel lots around the world

and there's so many beautiful places around the world,

and so often it's not the place, it's not the location,

it's the people that you're with.

'It's been just wonderful to spend time with Eamonn

'and to learn more about his family

'and how that precious time before the Troubles

'led him to be the influential broadcaster he is today.

'From our travels down the coast...'

-VAN REVS

-That's nothing. Ah!

That must be first.

-Oh, yeah, you've got a clunk.

-Maybe, we should take the bus.

'Me not being the perfect host...'

I haven't eaten outdoors since I was a kid, you know,

sort of camp-fry like that and after you doing that today...

I'm not going to do it again.

HE LAUGHS

'..to the memories that haunt us most...'

We were all desperate, Ciaran,

and I remembered genuinely,

we didn't know how long we were going to stay.

'It's been a day of reflection, but also of fun.'

Not bad. A bit more follow through you needed.

Well, I'll tell you what, I've never been to this area

and I have loved it! And I loved the day.

And for me, you know, this is idyllic. I just...

I've had such a good time

and I'd love it if you could remember this day forever.

Oh, I will, I will.

And, well, as a little reminder I've got...

I've got this little scrapbook for you.

Holiday Of My Lifetime with a few memories.

Thank you. Oh! That is so good of you.

A scrapbook of memories of Eamonn's time spent here

on the Antrim Coast Road.

And bearing in mind how this holiday has rekindled those memories,

I have one last surprise.

That was so good. Len, I'm so glad to have shared it with you.

-I'm not finished.

-What?

-There's more.

-Oh?

-This is a show that gives.

-Mm-hm.

So, just hold on.

We thought you might like...

Oh, now that... Oh, that is beautiful!

That is really, really thoughtful. That's lovely. That's really lovely.

-Thank you. That means a lot.

-And...

-"The magic carpet."

A replica of Eamonn's dad's magic carpet van,

which brought him and his family here.

-Where on earth would you get that?

-Well, there you go.

The detail on that is incredible! I mean, that's a...

That's an exact replica, even the address.

Down to the address of the carpet selection centre. The Magic Carpet.

-The Magic Carpet lives.

-Yeah.

-Lovely.

-If you want to keep a man happy, buy him toys.

-Yeah.

And that's...that's the best toy.

Even Santa has never brought me anything at good as that.

That's absolutely delightful. Thank you.

-It's been great.

-It's been lovely.

Today, I have seen for myself just how much Eamonn's family background

and fellow countrymen mean to him

and how his experience then led him to where he is now.

-Should we have a selfie?

-Oh, go on. Your camera or mine?

I think yours cos it's posher.

-You've got a posh one.

-You're right. That's a selfie. That's you, look.

-Oh! Look!

-Look!

Do you know what? That's a good one.