Rylan Clark expected to be in prison by now in honest admission

Rylan Clarkmay be a household name these days, but it wasn't so long ago the TV personality was auditioning for The X Factor and hoping to make his mark on showbusiness.

Returning to the screen alongside Rob Rinder with their new show, Passage To India, months after their last series won a TV Bafta, the Essex-born star admits he can't quite believe how far he's come.

“If I think back 20 years ago, I was going out in G-A-Y underage and wearing the Ted Baker sale, so I definitely didn’t see myself doing what I do now. I thought I’d probably be doing time!” admits Rylan as he jokes about the thought of being behind bars.

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Similarly, Rob - who made his name in courtroom drama Judge Rinder - never foresaw his career in showbiz. He explains: “20 years ago I was defending murder trials – I didn’t see this in my future. But it comes back to that full life cycle and that you never know what’s around the corner.”

Rylan rose to fame after his 2012 stint on The X Factor, where his emotional performances and over-the-top persona caught the eye of fans. He went on to appear on Celebrity Big Brother, and has since bagged presenting gigs on shows like This Morning, his own Radio 2 show and reality series such as Dating Naked.

In his latest venture, Rylan joins Rob to travel around India as the latter aims to educate his friend on the country's culture, something Rylan admits he wasn't too sure about at first. “I was worried about everything,” he says. “Everyone said, ‘You’re going to get ill, you’re going to get Delhi belly, it’s going to be hot.’

"And I thought, ‘This is my worst nightmare.’ And lo and behold, I get off the plane, it must have been about midnight, and I walk into Delhi airport and get bit in the face by some mosquito thing and I’ve got a golf ball on the side of my cheek.

“I thought, ‘Here we go.’ Not a great start. I then have about four hours’ sleep, and am chucked into a tuk tuk in the middle of what I can only describe as a Wacky Races replay. I really dived into India head first.”

However, the show does depict some emotional moments during the trip, especially when Rob and Rylan see the religious traditions associated with death along the River Ganges that lead them to talk about their own mortality.

“I can’t emphasise enough that either of us would never have taken part in anything that, even in the thinnest way, felt like constructed reality. It really mattered to us that we could have safe and deep conversations,” Rob explains.

“It’s part of Rylan’s power. He creates a space where I just forget they [the camera crew] are there, so we can share those challenging conversations. It’s sometimes difficult, but it is a real privilege to make.”

Rob and Rylan's Passage To India is on Sunday 14 Sep, 9pm, BBC Two

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