Rylan and Rob found a life-changing trip helped them move on after their divorces. The tour played a significant role in mending their broken hearts and moving forward with their lives.
After their divorces, the presenters found a life-changing trip helped them move on with their lives.
“This journey marks a fresh start for me,” declares Rylan Clark with optimism. Accompanied by his close friend, Rob Rinder, he sets out on an exploration of Italy for a new BBC Two series, following in the footsteps of the Grand Tourists of yesteryear.
“After experiencing painful divorces recently, we’re both eager for the next chapter,” explains Clark, who gained fame through the X Factor and has since become a popular TV and radio host.
The Grand Tour, once the quintessential gap year, served as a transformative experience for the young aristocrats of the 18th Century, who ventured across Europe to immerse themselves in its culture, marvel at its architecture, and embark on a journey of self-discovery.
Clark and Rinder, both represented by the same divorce attorney, embarked on a journey through Venice, Florence, and Rome, retracing the footsteps of the renowned Grand Tourist and romantic poet Lord Byron on the bicentenary of his passing.
Byron, much like Clark and Rinder, found himself thrust into the public eye and experienced the turmoil of divorce. Seeking respite from the mounting pressures of life, he sought solace in Italy—a journey that resonates with Clark. For Clark, the breakdown of his marriage after six years, coupled with the abrupt halt in his work for the first time in a decade, triggered a profound downward spiral.
“In an attempt to end it all, I neglected to eat. I withered away to 9 stone (57kg). At 6ft 4in (1.9m), I looked utterly dreadful,” he reflects.
Despite his gratitude for his accomplishments, having grown up in a modest council house in Stepney Green, east London, Clark admits he would relinquish it all if it meant sparing his mother, Linda, from the anguish of that trying period.
“She’s a woman in her seventies, and witnessing her once-successful son fall apart has been heartbreaking for her.”
He further explains that embarking on a new chapter, especially dating in the public eye, presents its own set of challenges.
“I used to think that being well-known would make it easy to attract anyone you wanted. But it’s actually quite the opposite,” he reflects.
Rinder, a criminal barrister who gained fame as a TV judge, had been in a relationship with his partner for 11 years, but their marriage ended four years into it.
He finds it challenging to be present in the moment rather than constantly dwelling in his thoughts.
Reflecting on a recent date, he recalls feeling it went well, only for his date to express feeling interrogated. “I tend to overanalyze everything,” he admits. “It inhibits me from fully enjoying life and taking risks.”
Upon arriving in Italy, Byron experienced love. Emulating the traditional Grand Tourists, Rinder and Clark also engaged in romantic pursuits with Venetian men, stepping out of their comfort zones while exploring the art, architecture, and culture of the historic Italian cities.
“I wouldn’t consider myself an expert in art,” Clark remarks. “Coming from a working-class background, art wasn’t a prominent fixture in our household. Our family treasures were more likely to be fake chandeliers from the local market.”
Rinder hails from a working-class upbringing, raised by his single mother. “Opera, ballet, or books weren’t readily available,” he explains. “For me, education, whether in music or the arts, offered a path forward.”
While Rinder has delved into art studies, the Grand Tour wasn’t solely about him teaching Clark, but also about Clark enlightening him, he suggests. “Each painting we’ve examined, many of which I’ve seen before, he’s discovered something fresh and exquisite,” he adds.
Clark’s tour experience has empowered him, eradicating any apprehension he once felt discussing art. He openly admits to lacking self-assurance in the past.
Drawing parallels to the masked revelers of Venice, Clark reveals his own daily disguise: makeup. “I inhabit two personas,” he explains. “To the world, I’m Rylan – the lively presenter with a penchant for makeup. But at heart, I’m Ross – the laid-back individual who enjoys downtime in a tracksuit with a beer in hand.”
He describes makeup as his shield, his way of navigating between these two identities.
“So, you can mock my teeth, poke fun at my complexion, but when the facade fades, Ross remains unscathed. Rylan bears the brunt of it all, that’s my coping mechanism.”
For Clark, a design enthusiast who once aspired to be an architect, this journey offers a chance for self-reinvention.
“When you’re pigeonholed into being ‘something,’ there’s pressure to conform, but sometimes it’s liberating to blur those lines,” he reflects.
Indeed, it seems Clark and Rinder have undergone their own rebirth on this journey.
“I feel unbounded now, unfazed by anything,” declares Clark. “I’m open to new experiences, unafraid to push boundaries.”
“I’m 34, and I believe I have the youthful opportunity to begin anew in my personal life. This journey has been equally freeing for Rinder. He expresses, ‘I’ve come to understand that truly living life extends beyond mere words on pages; it must be experienced firsthand. You can’t capture the essence of love through writing or painting unless you’ve immersed yourself in it.'”
In their recent tour, this dynamic duo opened up about how music has been a source of solace and strength for them during challenging times. The tour not only showcased their incredible talent but also became a journey of healing and self-discovery. Stay tuned as we dive into their heartwarming story and how their music has connected with fans on a deeper level. Get ready for an inspiring tale of resilience, hope, and the transformative power of music!
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