THE BBC has announced that it is investing heavily into travel content.
Auntie has given the green light to two major new series with fan favourite star Simon Reeve, 51.
Wilderness with Simon Reeve, and Scandinavia with Simon Reeve will soon air on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
His ‘Wilderness’ series was the highest rated series for the linear channel of any genre after it hit screens earlier this year.
BBC Factual has commissioned a follow-up to the hit show consisting of four episodes.
He will give viewers an exclusive look at the planet’s most remote and beautiful wildernesses, where nature still has the ‘upper hand’.
The star will meet people who live in extreme environments as he seeks out rare surviving wildlife.
His new series will come alongside a travelogue show which will see Simon travel from the Arctic to the Baltic.
As he conducts a journey through Scandinavia, he will seek to uncover the secrets of the stunning region.
He will look into the hidden sides to the region that has become one of the most ‘important frontiers of Europe’ after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the impact of mass immigration.
It is set to air on BBC screens in the Spring of 2025.
Reacting to the news, Simon couldn’t help but gush over the two shows as he explained: “I’m delighted to be making these series and I’m really confident both will deliver surprises and a good few thrills.
“Scandinavia is vast, rugged and one of the most beautiful regions on the planet. It’s much more than just flat-pack furniture, reliable cars and candles.
“I know we’ll find situations, people, landscapes and facts that make my jaw drop.
“And I’m chuffed to bits and of course also more than a little daunted by the chance to trek and travel across more Wilderness areas around the planet.
“Filming the first series was draining and perilous, and I’m sure they’ll be plenty of challenges in the second series.”
He added: “Travelling to Wilderness areas is one of the great honours of my life, and I know for certain the next adventures will offer immense joy, wonder, and encounters with wildlife and other people that I’ll remember forever.
“I really hope that the second series of Wilderness helps to remind viewers that our planet is still home to vast wild areas of spectacular beauty – they do still exist!”