Dermot O'Leary
The Travel Diaries
Holly Rubenstein
4.5 • 813 Ratings
🗓️ 28 April 2026
⏱️ 54 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Today’s guest is someone whose voice - and face - I think most of us know instantly. Dermot O'Leary has been such a constant in British life for years now, from hosting The X Factor, to his Friday slot on This Morning, to his weekend shows on BBC Radio 2.
He’s had this really varied career - presenting everything from major live events like the Brit Awards and BAFTAs, to documentaries, and his more recent travel and food series Taste of Ireland with Dermot O’Leary on ITV, which is back for a second season.
What I loved about this conversation is how much of his life has been shaped by travel. He grew up in an Irish family, going back and forth between England and Ireland, with those long childhood journeys to Wexford becoming some of his earliest memories. And that sense of place, of identity, of belonging really runs through everything he talks about in this episode.
So today, we’re diving into the seven chapters of Dermot’s travel diaries, from those childhood summers in Ireland, to travelling solo across America, winter escapes to Norway to the Italian region that’s completely stolen his heart.
Holly’s Destination Recap:
- Priesteregg Resort, Leogang, Austria
Dermot’s Destination Recap:
- Soneva Fushi, Maldives
- Wexford, Ireland
- Curracloe Beach, Ireland
- Cahore, Ireland
- St Davids, United Kingdom
- Fishguard, United Kingdom
- Dordogne, France
- Atlantic Coast France, France
- Norfolk, United Kingdom
- Bodrum, Turkey
- Donegal, Ireland
- Sligo, Ireland
- Causeway Coastal Route, United Kingdom
- Ballycastle, United Kingdom
- Portrush, United Kingdom
- Portstewart, United Kingdom
- Derry, United Kingdom
- Coleraine, United Kingdom
- New York City, United States
- Washington DC, United States
- New Orleans, United States
- Los Angeles, United States
- Hermosa Beach, United States
- Seattle, United States
- Puglia, Italy
- Salento, Italy
- Oslo, Norway
- Bygdøy, Norway
- Lofoten Islands, Norway
- Bergen, Norway
- Kirkenes, Norway
- Prague, Czech Republic
- Japan, Japan
- South Korea, South Korea
- New England, United States
- Maine, United States
DERMOT O'LEARY'S TASTE OF IRELAND kicks off on Saturday 2nd May on ITV 1 and ITVX, in partnership with Tourism Ireland
With thanks to…
Citalia - Discover the real Italy with Citalia, the UK’s leading Italian holiday specialists. Let the Italy Experts craft the perfect holiday for you and experience Italy like a Citalian.
EZRA - You can use the code EzraUK300 for £300 credit towards a scan.
Airbnb - Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.co.uk/host
If you enjoyed this episode, please hit follow or subscribe wherever you’re listening. It really helps the podcast grow, allows me to keep bringing you these incredible guests - and it means you’re delivered a fresh dose of wanderlust each week.
And if you’d like a little more Travel Diaries in your life, you can find me on Instagram and TikTok @hollyrubenstein.
Thanks so much for listening, and I’ll see you next week.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Today's episode is supported by Chitalia, the UK's leading Italian holiday specialist. |
| 0:05.5 | Dermott's all-time favourite destination today is in Italy. |
| 0:09.6 | Poolia, especially Salento, where he has a holiday home. |
| 0:13.1 | And once you've been, it is easy to see why. |
| 0:16.3 | It's all whitewashed towns, crystal clear waters, incredible food, |
| 0:20.6 | and that slower sun-soaked pace of life |
| 0:23.1 | that Italy does so well. It's also a part of Italy that still feels a little more under the radar, |
| 0:27.9 | but completely magical once you discover it. Down in Salento, right at the heel of Italy's boot, |
| 0:33.3 | you've got miles of coastline, beautiful baroque towns like Lechay and some of the best seafood in the country. |
| 0:39.9 | If that's the kind of Italy, you're dreaming of. |
| 0:42.6 | Chitalia can help you experience it in the best way possible. |
| 0:45.9 | With over 95 years of expertise, no one knows Italy like Chitalia. |
| 0:50.7 | Their Italy experts specialize in tailor-made trips and multi-centre holidays, helping you see |
| 0:55.7 | more of Italy in a way that feels completely personal. From hand-picked hotels in the best |
| 1:00.6 | locations to carefully curated itineries that go beyond the obvious, they make planning |
| 1:05.0 | your Italian escape effortless. And with Chattalia's book with Confidence Promise, you'll have 24-7 support so you can relax |
| 1:12.7 | into that Italian way of life. So if Dermott has inspired you to discover somewhere like Poolia |
| 1:18.0 | or anywhere else in Italy, visit chatalia.com to start planning today. That's c-I-t-l-I-A-com. |
| 1:26.9 | Thank you to Chitalia. |
| 1:34.1 | Hello and welcome to the Travel Diaries podcast. I'm your host, Holly Rubinstein, and here each |
| 1:41.1 | week I uncover the seven chapters of my guests travel diaries. |
| 1:45.6 | From the first place they fell in love with to their all-time favourite and hidden gems, |
... |
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