43-year-old(17/5/1965) Englishman Ian Wright has packed a great deal of travel and adventure into his life. Before presenting Globe Trekker, Ian spent three months in Guyana with Operation Raleigh, a Prince's Trust initiative, traveling in a self-made bamboo raft down uncharted rivers. He spent three months in Egypt, seven months traveling around India and Nepal, and six months traveling around Europe including Poland and Romania.
An accomplished artist and theatre performer, Ian has had an exhibition of his paintings at Chats Palace. He also devises plays in schools, runs drama and art workshops at the Children's House in Islington on the weekends, and works with children with behavioural difficulties in special schools. After leaving art school, his 'odd jobs' included working as a cycle courier and making and selling crafts, jewellry and homemade jams at Spitalfields Market in East London. He currently lives near here with his wife and family. To relax, Ian enjoys playing football, eating out, and going for walks in the English countryside.
Suffolk-born Ian has traveled all around the globe presenting Globe Trekker. "Comforts don't interest me," he says. "The sort of trips I go on are all about living cheap and getting dirty which is how I like it."
On three occasions, Ian has won the prestigious U.S. Cable Ace Awards for Best Magazine Host for his Morocco, Central Asia, and Ethiopia shows.
Travel philosophy
"If you spend too much time thinking about it, then you miss it! Things come. Keep looking, meet different people, and exchange ideas. There is no rule."
"The first step is in your head. So don't think about it, buy a flight ticket tomorrow and then worry about it on the plane. This is the hardest step."
Worst experiences
"In Nepal, the kit didn't turn up and we lost two days. Then we went to the Monkey Temple and after two hours the director got bitten to the blood by a monkey, and was at risk of death from rabies. It was a disaster!"
"In Vanuatu, we visited the most accessible volcano in the world. It erupted every ten minutes, spitting out moulting lava all over the crater. It was unbelievable - until the wind changed. A piece of lava landed two meters away from my head. And we ran like scared rabbits crying like babies. But now I wish I had a lava burn mark on my arm to boast about in the pub."
On Globe Trekker...
"Every single country you go to just blows your mind! You know with this job you always get five months condensed in three weeks! The final program gives you a splash of colours, a smell of the country, and that's where its success is I think."
"I love it! I'm like an adrenaline junky. That's my nutty side coming out! It always seems more dangerous when you're sitting there in your comfy room watching it on TV, but you know, most of the things I do, I'm in control of. I've done loads of stupid stuff as a kid, so I know my limits."
"Every country we meet incredible people, from an atomic bomb victim in Japan to the blind masseur in Cambodia. The people I love are the people I meet by accident. Sitting in a back street of Mongolia talking to a man who works in a run-down garage, speaks five languages, and has two degrees makes me feel the size an ant. I'm just the boring glue that sticks it all together."
Favourite Places
"I love places in the middle of nowhere, no one is there, and the landscape is phenomenal. Cambodia is just unbelievable. You have pre-conceived ideas, which often everyone has, and all you know is the Killing Fields. So the first five days you see it, but after that you forget it. People are young, they live for now. And Phnom Penh is such a brilliant capital. I went clubbing there and the atmosphere was great. Just like anywhere in Europe, young people happy and enjoying music! The DJ was there in a cut Beatle car, mixing and sending friendly messages to the travelers!"
"I also love places above the Arctic Circle. It is so extreme, so absurd. It has nothing to do with your usual life. It's mind-blowing. Greenland was just phenomenal. Almost the size of Europe, and only 55,000 people! Amazing. A big wonderful ice-cube."
Sound advice
"There is no secret; there is nothing mysterious about a rucksack. All you need is money, passport, and a change of clothes. Forget the rest."
Hobbies
"I try and find time to paint on every trip. The most inspiration I get is from being in the mountains and moody weather. One of the best place for this is Southern Ireland. I went there in September looking for this atmosphere. But it was a heat wave for the whole two weeks, I was the only one in the country looking for bad weather. What a loser!"
Globe Trekker TV shows Featuring Ian Wright
Tuscany
Mozambique
Tokyo City Guide
Ultimate Australia
Ultimate Italy
Ultimate Caribbean
Ultimate Mexico
The American Rockies
Alaska
Baja California
Southern Mexico
Jamaica
Northeast Brazil
Chile and Easter Island
Madagascar
Ethiopia
Cambodia
North Thailand & Laos
Mongolia
Nepal
Japan
Central Asia
Morocco
Deep South USA
The Middle East
Iceland and Greenland
Corsica, Sicily and Sardinia
Tanzania and Zanzibar
Tahiti and Samoa
Pacific Islands
Southeast Australia
Southern Mexico
Cuba & Haiti
Georgia & Armenia
Russia
Ireland
Norway & Lapland
Hungary & Romania
Outback Australia
Syria, Jordan & Lebanon
Iran
Tunisia & Libya
Venezuela
Bolivia
Rio de Janeiro
Northeast Brazil
Arctic Canada
New York
Vienna City Guide
New Zealand
Pilot Guides meets Ian Wright
Ian Wright, the Globe Trekker anchor man and resident lunatic has been travelling the globe solidly for seven years to bring you the best adventures, risks and tall tales from around the world. We meet up with Ian and find out the truth behind our resident Mr. Adventure and tales of murderous monkeys, escaping hot lava, and his favourite haunts...
Ian Wright in South East Australia
Tell us about the young Mr Wright junior.
Well I went to a 20 year school reunion not long ago in my old school in Ipswich, it was unbelievable. There were so many people there and the old head master. He said: " Ahh, Mr Wright, yes. Always getting other people into trouble, I remember".
When I was at school, it was in the height of the mods and rockers revival. So half of my mates were teddy rude boys and the others, like me, were sort of rockers or hippies. We used to go out as groups and there were always fights in the playground. I remember being hoiked in front of him in his office once. He looked at me and said: "Whether you have long hair or short, whether you're being mods or rockers, you are all flowers of the Cobblestone School garden".
What were you doing before you became a TV presenter?
I went to art school, and did a lot of painting. I loved it. Then I did a lot of little jobs, made money and went travelling. The jobs were brilliant. It doesn't matter what you do, it is all about who you work with. I did cycle couriering for a while, and got fit, at least! I also had a market stall in Spitalfields Market in London. I used to make paints, jewellery, weld things up, make candlesticks, clay artwork, jams, chutney and mint sauce and sell them there. But you have to be so business-minded, so I wasn't making much cash! I also worked at Hoxton Community Centre doing clay, drawing and painting. I was so busy... The record was five plays in three weeks! I also taught art and drama to kids aged between five and twelve. In fact, that was the hardest work I've ever done. I use to enjoy taking them out of London for a weekend. At first, the countryside is a shock for them, they almost think carrots come from a tin, they are scared of the horses, and the night seem so much darker than in the city! After a couple of days, the magic is there and they don't want to go back to the city....
"I love places above the Arctic Circle. It is so extreme; so absurd, it has nothing to do with your usual life, it is mind-blowing."
How did you get the Globe Trekker presenter job?
I was also doing a bit of video, which is a great medium. A friend of mine saw this ad in the newspaper for a presenter… young, enthusiastic, done a bit of travelling. I had travelled to Egypt for a couple of months, Nepal and India for seven months, Guyana for three months, hitchhiked though Ireland, and the whole of Europe. I sent a show reel for a laugh, Channel 4 loved it, and I've never looked back since!
What do you think distinguished you from the others wannabes?
You know, in any show reel, the first 10-20 seconds are the most important. You see, they have thousands to look at, and about 90 percent are identical. You've got to start with the biggest punch you can so that people carry on watching!
My showreel was a joke, five minutes long… me in Liverpool Street Station (London) and all my bags fall over, I slip along the floor, hit my head on the camera and start the piece to camera: "Here we are in London…" Then I was trying to change money on the black market, getting beaten up. There was a sequence when I was on the toilet talking about the rich food and advising visitors to take it easy. Then I was getting arrested, ended up in jail…I sent it for a joke, although part of me was hoping… Then I got the letter back for the interview!
Ian in the Wild Wild West
"The worst crime on a shoot is lack of imagination. I like to be natural and spontaneous."
What is it like with the crew on a shoot?
If you get a good crew you get a good show usually, or you get a relaxed show. On one hand the crew might be good, but unfortunately there is not so much to shoot in the country and it's a struggle. Or on the other hand there might be brilliant things, but the crew might not be functioning so well. It only takes one person or two… The worst crime on a shoot is lack of imagination. If the director can't see things, or is not opened enough, just keeping to the script all the time, you can't let anything breathe. For the pieces to camera, I like to be natural and spontaneous. To try to restrict me to pieces that are word-perfect, you might as well get someone else, don't use me! If you have absolutely no control over what you are saying you become a mouthpiece and that's not how I work.
In Nepal, we were a great crew, but things went wrong anyway! The kit didn't turn up and we lost two days. Then we went to the Monkey Temple and after two hours the director got bitten to the blood by a monkey, and was at risk of death from rabbies. It was a disaster! But honestly most people who work on these shoots are so brilliant, really! There are really so many sweet people in TV, contrary to what some people might say sometimes.
Which country have you enjoyed visiting the most?
Every single country you go to just blows your mind! You know with this job you always get five months condensed in three weeks! The final programme gives you a splash of colours, a smell of the country, and that's where its success is I think.
But Mongolia sticks out. It is just phenomenal. I love places in the middle of nowhere, no one is there, and the landscape is phenomenal. Cambodia as well is just unbelievable. You have pre-conceived ideas, which often everyone has, and all you know is the killing fields. So the first five days you see it, but after that you forget it. People are young, they live for now. And Phnom Penh is such a brilliant capital. I went clubbing there and the atmosphere was great. Just like anywhere in Europe, young people happy and enjoying music! The DJ was there in a cut Beatle car, mixing and sending friendly messages to the travellers!
I also love places above the Arctic Circle. It is so extreme, so absurd; it has nothing to do with your usual life. It is mind-blowing. Greenland was just phenomenal. Almost the size of Europe, and only 55,000 people, amazing, a big wonderful ice-cube. In Nuuk, the capital, there's a tower block and one percent of the population live in it! Ethiopia was good, Cuba…ahh so many places, you know!
Ian gets buried alive in Kagoshima beach, Japan
What's the one time you wished you weren't there?
It has never been because of the country. Sometimes things are going wrong, but simply because you are there for the purpose to film. The only time it goes wrong is when you are not hitting sixes with the film. But that's not a reflection on the country. There has never been a place where I couldn't find that. Never.
Have you ever gone back to a place on holidays?
No. I'm away six or seven months in a year, for a holiday the last thing I ever want to do is getting on a plane again! But there are certain places I would like to go back to, maybe Greenland or Easter Island.
What is the one don't-leave-home-without essential you always take with you on trips?
I never travel without my sketch book, but that's about it! There is no secret, there is nothing mysterious about a rucksack. All you need is money, passport, a change of clothes, and forget the rest.
How do you manage to achieve all these stunts, show after show?
I love it! I'm like an adrenaline junky. That's my nut side coming out! It always seems more dangerous when you're sitting there in your comfy room watching it on TV, but most of the things I do I'm in control of. I know what is possible. I've done loads of stupid stuff as a kid, so I know my limits. The most boring thing would be to die doing television! Although I did a bull ride in Mexico, and that was a little bit out of control, because all you have to do is obviously slip off the back, get kicked in the head, and it's all over! So there are risks involved, but you know there is not too much that I've felt really quite scared. Once in Vanuatu, between the Solomon Islands and Fiji, lava almost hit me. With the crew, we went right up to the top of the volcano, the whole thing is shaking, and I see bits of lava flowing down. The noise is just phenomenal, it bubbles up like living colours. I've never see an extraordinary orange like it. As it gets dark, the lava cools down and becomes more ferocious. We didn't realised that the wind had changed and suddenly an explosion sent lava literally five meters from us. At the next explosion we started to run down the path. It was mad! But that's what gives the extra buzz!
"I'm just the boring glue that sticks it all together."
Do you often get time when filming to meet the locals?
Yes, there is plenty of time. The good thing about my job is that you meet the people of the country to hear it from the horse's mouth. That is what makes it so special. Sometimes, I meet just ordinary people doing normal things, like anyone else. And now and again you meet very special people, like in Japan, when I talked to an atomic bomb victim. All these people, they are the interesting ones, I'm just the boring glue that sticks it all together. They are the ones with the stories. I always try to make them feel relaxed and comfortable to get the best out of them. I tell them to forget the camera. It is weird for them, imagine this camera right in front of them in the middle of Mongolia! But we just chat, and they feel relaxed. Usually I tell them, "look, just forget the camera, let's talk about this and that." And they think, "thank God for that!" Taking the time to talk is essential. I often spend three or four hours, which for an intense conversation is a long time, just me and a chap. And then you move on. We are rarely staying anywhere for more than a couple of days. Usually the crew and myself build up a nice relationship with drivers. In Tunisia the driver was really sweet. He was brilliant, 70s style, listening to Pink Floyd. In other places, like in Mongolia, drivers are rockers, listening to ACDC and Status Quo, and again, they are brilliant! I am really bad at writing but now and again I send them tapes.
Who's the most inspirational character you've met on your travels?
Tons! A lot because of what they have been through. You just can't comprehend, and you realise that you've done nothing in your life, and that you are just so lucky to be born in England or a Western country. The atomic Bomb victim, a phenomenal person, she must be about 80 now. She was in a hospital when the bomb dropped, and was the only building still standing, a big concrete thing. She was in the toilets… boom… and looked out. You just can't imagine it. Just looking out and your whole town is devastated. She said she walked around for three-and-a-half days just in daze, walking round the bodies, and felt guilty that she couldn't help anyone. She's had about 25 cancer operations. She believes she's only alive to tell the story to others. She goes around and tells it. And when she's telling it, it upsets her every time. You walk along the street in Ethiopia and you chat with someone on the street, you meet a guy who speaks five different languages and has two degrees and is working in some little job for nothing.
"I'm like an adrenaline junky. That's my nut side coming out!"
Do you shop a lot when you travel? What are the worst and best souvenirs you've bought?
I love shopping! I love it! I rarely buy for myself, just a few little things which have a sentimental value, but I enjoy buying for other people. I love tack; I love crap presents! The best that I have ever bought for the Pilot Productions' office was in Romania: a tray with a bottle in the middle, cups around the sides, and when you lift the bottle up it plays a tune. And the best present ever is from Syria. I found it in a women's underwear shop. A crotch less g-string made out of tiger fur, and inside, there is a little circuit board. You turn it on and lights flash right on the crotch. Plus, it plays tunes as well. Happy Birthday, Love Story… I bought loads of them, the best present ever!
I bet you're friends can't wait for you to return!
Now they are sick to death. They've got so much crap! One friend once told me, "no more, just bring me back a small key ring!"
What kind of friend are you? Do you see them much?
You know, my job makes it difficult. I've been travelling around for seven years… I make sure I squeeze everybody because that's important to me; I don't want to lose relationships. But I don't chill out. I don't complain because travelling is great, and I've chosen it. I'm just glad that most of friends are in cycling distance really!
How do you relax?
The best is to go out for a big meal. There are so many brilliant restaurants in London, and cheap if you know where to go.
Also I love playing football. It is like yoga for me. For two hours, your mind is completely clear; nothing else comes into it but getting that ball in the goal. And you are physically moving, exercising your body, it is extreme and you feel good. I also like to go to down the pub and watch football with my friends!
What is your favourite food?
I like to try anything, I remember trying cockroach in Cambodia! But what I like the most is Southeast Asian food. I love it. And in Asia, even if you are in the middle of nowhere, you know you are going to get a fantastic bowl of noodles anyway. Whereas in most western countries, in the middle of nowhere, food is usually disappointing, particularly if you are travelling low budget. What sums it up is, in the USA, our driver once telling us "Are you hungry? If you want a quick snack, we can go to the store, but if you want a proper meal, we can go to McDonald's!" Anyway, I am vegetarian, although not for the show…
Ian boards a replica of the HMS Bounty in Tubuai, Pacific
Are you into music?
I love dancing and I love music. But that is a different thing. There are quite a few clubs in Manchester or in East London which have a good beat... I love dancing to 70s and 80s music, disco, country, jazz…
I know you like painting, how would you describe your style?
I mainly paint landscape. When I travel I'm always sketching. One of my favourite artists is Albert Pinkham Ryder, an American artist of the turn of the century. He paints a lot of night scenes; so layered and layered that it is all cracking. It is quite dark, but within that darkness there is so much going on. He has also done incredible seascapes where the water is boiling over.
I'm not so attracting by conceptual art. It is close to philosophy, but I think it alienates and excludes people. I am very visual, if you see a picture, why should you also have to read a book about it? Don't get me wrong - I love abstract - but not conceptual art. It is just a little club.
"Every time I think that maybe I've lost the buzz for it, I meet fantastic people and I realise I adore it."
Will there be a stage when you think you'll stop trekking the world?
Eventually yes, but not yet! Every time I think that maybe I've lost the buzz for it, I meet fantastic people and I realise I adore it. The only thing really is that I wish I had more time in London.
Are you working on other projects?
At the moment I'm working on a prelude to the World Cup. I'm just coming back from Japan and soon going to South Korea, looking at their sports and at the football influence. You know it's only been there for 15 years in Japan but it's huge and they've gone for it!
What is your ideal lazy day in London?
I don't have any lazy day cause I get bored! I'm actually a real pain. I can't lie in, unless I've had a really long night and then it's fine. Once I've woken up I'm up. So a lazy day often means doing as much as I can, mainly painting. My best days are spent painting when I feel it goes well!
"if you spend too much time thinking about it, then you miss it!" Where do you dream of going to where you haven't yet been?
Definitely Vietnam. I love Southeast Asia. There is such a buzz on the streets there, the food is brilliant and the people are just buzzing! Siberia, and Antarctica as well. But you know, there are always so many amazing places in your own backyard. England is wonderful. From London you can just jump on the train and you can be out in the country in an hour, walk, have a lunch in a beautiful country pub and then come back. Suffolk is particularly beautiful. There are rivers everywhere, it is stunning, so many little villages… I have a friend who leaves in the smallest village you can imagine, when I visit him everything just goes fffffff, and you're just so relaxed. As soon as you turn into a one-lane road, you feel the pressure and the weight coming off your shoulders, you just chill out! There is something about being with nature, being in the country, there is no stress. That's the nicer thing about travelling; you leave some of it behind and just concentrate on what is going on. The sea is always a beautiful thing to see. Even just going over bridges in London and looking at the Thames gives you this little magic instant.
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发表于 2008-8-15 18:33
