The genial Welshman marks the 100th anniversary of country music by dressing like a cowboy, and driving 2,000 miles across the US. He’s a great fit for this breezy show, which is definitely not The Trip
W
hile the Euro-hopping reality competition Destination X might not have been the Traitors-rivalling summer smash the BBC were hoping for, it did give host Rob Brydon a lovely glow-up. The convoluted coach trip clearly wanted to give off a jet-setting vibe, so its master of ceremonies was outfitted in deluxe tailoring: boldly coloured three-piece suits, silky cravats and yacht-ready blazers. All of a sudden, Brydon had the debonair look to match his vintage Roger Moore impression.
His latest three-part series, Rob Brydon’s Honky Tonk Road Trip, also features some Mr Benn-style thematic wardrobe. The genial Welshman goes full Yellowstone cowpoke in a parade of flannel shirts, rugged jackets and the occasional Stetson hat. It’s all part of a premise that sees him piloting an imposing Ford Ranger pickup truck on a 2,000-mile circuit of the southern US for a crash course in country music.
Brydon has been tasked with marking the centenary of the genre – or at least the 100th anniversary of the Nashville radio show that evolved into the Grand Ole Opry, cornerstone and kingmaker of country music for generations – via the time-honoured celebrity travelogue tradition of driving around, gabbing to locals and immersing himself in the culture. That the centenary has coincided with country becoming, he claims, “the fastest-growing genre in the UK” – thanks to Taylor Swift and recent countrified albums from Beyoncé, Post Malone and others – offers another angle to explore.
