TV presenter Dermot O'Leary to visit Causeway Coast and Derry as part of TV series

Following a hugely successful first series, which has reached over 3.3 million viewers in GB, TV and radio presenter Dermot O’Leary is back in Ireland this week filming for a second series of Dermot’s Taste of Ireland.

In the first series, Dermot visited Cork, Wexford, Dublin and Belfast.

This time round, Dermot picks up the trail on the Causeway Coastal Route, before visiting Derry and continuing to Donegal and Sligo along the Wild Atlantic Way. The ten-part series – produced by Rock Oyster Media and supported through the Shared Island Tourism Brand Collaboration Project – will be seen by millions of people across GB when it airs on ITV1 and on the streaming service ITVX next spring.

Once again, the island of Ireland’s food scene plays a starring role as Dermot tours, tastes and bakes his way around our coastline, meeting with local food producers, chefs and restaurateurs. This series will also see Dermot take part in some of the great outdoor experiences, from boat trips to surfing, that make a visit to Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland extra special.

Alice Mansergh, Chief Executive of Tourism Ireland, said: “The response to the first series of the show was extremely positive and we're delighted to welcome Dermot back to Northern Ireland and the island of Ireland as he travels, films and shares his experiences with viewers in GB. Dermot grew up in Essex but spent summers with family in Ireland; with many second and third generation diaspora across GB, Dermot's experiences will resonate with those discovering and rediscovering the island of Ireland, inspiring others to explore our iconic coastal routes for themselves.”

Commenting on being back to film this second series, Dermot O’Leary said: “It’s great to get back to the island of Ireland to discover more of its delights and tell more of its stories. It’s somewhere I know so well, and call home, and yet, in some ways, I barely know it at all. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the island, meet our people, explore our heritage, swim in our seas, and of course … eat our incredible food.”

The production of this TV series complements ongoing collaboration by Tourism Ireland, Tourism Northern Ireland and Fáilte Ireland – in consultation with the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment (Ireland) and the Department for the Economy (Northern Ireland) – to forge greater links between the Causeway Coastal Route and Wild Atlantic Way. The Shared Island Tourism Brand Collaboration Project is funded through the Shared Island Fund administered by the Department of An Taoiseach.