Covid fears cut short Gordon Ramsay, Gino and Fred’s latest road trip series in Egypt

THEY may have planned to dine in the shadow of the Pyramids — but a Covid scare has abruptly ended Gordon Ramsay and pals’ latest foodie jaunt.

The celebrity chef has been forced to cut short his latest Road Trip series with Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix after an outbreak in Egypt during filming.

The trio, who were touring around the Med, flew home just days after arriving because bosses couldn’t guarantee their safety.

It means the new series — to be aired this autumn — will be shorter than previous seasons.

A TV source said: “Once the lads reached Egypt after a great time in Greece, there was a Covid outbreak, with many of the locals catching it.

“It soon became apparent the Egypt production team were not taking the protocols as seriously as they should, so Gordon pulled the plug on the advice of the show’s producers after some frantic calls to ITV.

“They flew straight home into quarantine and thankfully nobody picked up anything.

“It was the sensible thing to do, but it’s gutting as the latest instalment of the hit won’t be as long.”

Gordon is currently filming his new BBC series Future Food Stars, while Gino has a new dating cooking show to wrap up, which made it impossible for bosses to reschedule.

Before arriving in Egypt, Gordon, Gino and Fred were having the time of their lives, taking in the Greek Islands including Crete, Santorini and Mykonos on a catamaran, while also jet-ski racing and shipwreck diving.

They ended the trip by immersing themselves in culture, visiting the historic capital city, Athens.

At every destination they sampled local cuisine, which is the very heart of the Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip series.

The latest Road Trip is the trio’s third series of the show.

Series one, which aired in 2018, saw them travel across western Europe, while last year’s series two took them to the US and Mexico.

In between they’ve also produced three Christmas Specials.

The third series is one of several which ITV have commissioned up to 2023.

So for the lads’ waistlines at least, cutting the new series short could be a blessing.

Sam rocking with Robson

ROBSON Green and music videos are usually a terrifying combination.

But Geordie singer Sam Fender has managed to make the former chart-topping crooner cool again by featuring him in a new promo for latest single Howdon Aldi Death Queue.

Robson – one half of Nineties singing duo Robson & Jerome with fellow Soldier, Soldier actor Jerome Flynn – has a starring role.

And he’s joined by his Grantchester co-star Tom Brittney.

Both wear matching red shirts, black bow ties and braces while they strum along on their guitars.

Fergie’s TV book deal bid

SHE’S only appeared briefly in The Crown but Sarah Ferguson wants to become an even bigger hit on Netflix.

The Duchess of York, portrayed by actress Jessica Aquilina in the blockbuster series, is desperate for her debut novel Her Heart For A Compass to be adapted for television and become as big as Bridgerton.

Speaking on the latest Tea With Twiggy podcast, Fergie says: “I hope that it can be made into the next Bridgerton.

“I need this book to be Pride And Prejudice meets 24.”

The Royal, ex-wife of Prince Andrew, was a co-producer on the 2009 film Young Victoria, starring Emily Blunt as the former monarch.

But the pay cheques will be significantly bigger should her own novel get the Netflix treatment.

Athletes’ reality training

REALITY TV shows are the perfect preparation for this summer’s Paralympics, according to Team GB stars Will Bayley and Lauren Steadman.

After Covid-19 delayed the Tokyo Games for 12 months, Will filled the void by going on Strictly, while Lauren opted for the slightly less-sequined Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins.

Table tennis star Will said: “I’m a more complete athlete than before lockdown.

“I’m stronger and my time on Strictly even improved my core balance and footwork.”

Speaking to the Radio Times, paratriathlete Lauren – who finished as joint winner on the 2019 Channel 4 series – recalled: “Mentally, you go to dark places, pushing boundaries constantly – and that’s what got me through.

“I just said to myself, ‘OK, I’m using this as training for Tokyo’.”

Jason’s trick is a treat

HERE’S the first look at Jason Watkins in must-see BBC1 thriller, The Trick.

The veteran Brit actor, best known for his roles in Line Of Duty and the Nativity Christmas films, plays Professor Philip Jones, the director of Climate Research at the University of East Anglia.

In 2009 he was targeted in “Climategate”, where computer files were stolen and used by climate change deniers to argue global warming was a conspiracy.

Victoria Hamilton plays supportive wife Ruth and the cast also includes Jerome Flynn, Adrian Edmondson and another former Line Of Duty star, Tara Divina.
The Trick will air on BBC1 and iPlayer this autumn.