Alexander Armstrong replaces Bill Bailey on More 4's Perfect Pub Walks
Alexander Armstrong has taken over More4's series Perfect Pub Walks from Bill Bailey, British Comedy Guide can exclusively reveal.
The sketch comic and Pointless host will be joined by a celebrity guest on each rambling chat, fellow comedians Lenny Henry and Chris McCausland and television presenters James May and Chris Packham.
Pub crawling to hostelries in Yorkshire, Kent, Monmouthshire and Shropshire, the ramblers will once again take in "the landscapes, nature and history, as well as sharing wide-ranging, funny and sometimes very personal conversations" across the four hour-long episodes, expected to air later this year.
"Nothing beats a walk in a beautiful landscape, a good pub, a pint and a great chat. Filming Perfect Pub Walks has been a complete delight, topped off by some fantastic conversations with four terrific icons" said Armstrong.
He and McCausland were seen shooting in Monmouthshire this past weekend.
Armstrong and Henry were spotted in the market town of Much Wenlock in Shropshire last month, while May and Armstrong shared a pint in Hebden Bridge, Yorkshire, in April.
Bailey launched Perfect Pub Walks in February last year, reflecting on the benefits of walking for "chatting about difficult subjects". His guests included Alan Davies, Paul Merton, singer Shaun Ryder and newsreader Trevor McDonald, meaning that, including Bailey and Armstrong, all 10 participants in the series so far have been middle-aged or older heterosexual men.
By way of comparison, BBC Two's Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, which shares a similar, subtextual focus on improving men's mental health through engaging in a gentle pursuit in the countryside, has featured Paul Whitehouse's The Fast Show co-star Arabella Weir among its guests, plus actors Clare Grogan, Samantha Seager and Pippa Duffy. However, Gone Fishing has run for 49 episodes since 2018, with an eighth series commissioned.
Perfect Pub Walks is directed by Gone Fishing's Leo McCrea, whose other credits include Neil & Martin's Bon Voyage and Jack Whitehall: Travels With My Father, and is once again line produced by Sarah Thornewell for Up&Away Studios (Sue Perkins Along The US-Mexico Border). The executive producers are Martin Fuller and Up&Away founder and CEO James Quinn, with Marisa Erftemeijer as head of production.
The series was commissioned by Clemency Green, senior commissioning editor, Lifestyle, Channel 4, with Jo Street, director of commissioning, Nations and Regions and Channel 4's head of Lifestyle.
"Perfect Pub Walks is a beautiful series exploring stunning areas of the UK, as well as delving into a variety of topics and issues that come up in conversation between our brilliant host and his array of wonderful guests" said Green.