'Alex Polizzi's Secret Italy': 'These days I’m five star only!'

Alex Polizzi – aka the Hotel Inspector – has found time in her busy schedule of barking at bell-boys and bailing out Britain’s small businesses to revisit her roots in new Channel 5 series Alex Polizzi’s Secret Italy.

As she tours the Mediterranean nation from north to south, the hospitality honcho offers an insider’s glimpse at some of the country’s hidden cultural gems, interweaved with stories about her family heritage and visits to the places that mean most to her.

I gave Alex a call to find out more – and she revealed how she avoids those pesky tourist crowds, why she finds travelling “so miserable” regardless of whether she’s in first class or cattle, and why returning to Italy made her feel like a Bond girl.

The new show finds you heading back to your Italian roots and a lot of the show is very personal to you, isn’t it?
“Yes, I’m what’s called an Italian mongrel! All four of my grandparents were Italian. I had a Venetian grandmother and a Sardinian grandmother, and a Neapolitan grandfather. What happened was that my last grandmother died five years ago and I literally have not been back to Italy since. I felt like it was a real blow, you know, to my links to the country. And it was really emotional to go back there and discover how strongly I felt. In a way I’d been blocking it out.”

In the show, you take a look at some of the attractions off the tourist trail that people might not know about – what made you want to do this?
“There’s still so much to discover that I had no idea was there. I didn’t want to do all the obvious stuff. I mean, it’s a well-beaten path, I do not kid myself. Everybody has gone to Italy! Every chef, every architect, anyone who’s interested in being someone has gone to Italy, but somehow there’s still so much there for one to discover. It’s hard when you’re in Venice not to go out on the Grand Canal, but that’s not what my Venice trip was about overall. Italy is incredibly scenic anywhere you go, it’s hard not to be constantly struck by its beauty. It’s one of those places that’s a real feast for the senses.”

It’s surprising to hear you speak such fluent Italian. Did you find your Italian was rusty at all?
“Well, Italian was my first language as a child – because when I first came to England I didn’t speak English – [but now] I don’t use it all. In fact, I’m incredibly culpable because I haven’t taught my children Italian. It was amazing how easily I slipped back into it, but you mustn’t forget that I lived there for years as an adult, speaking Italian, reading Italian papers – I even dreamed in Italian! I’m lucky because when I’m there I don’t have to translate from the English when I want to say something.”

The series is beautifully shot; you look like you’re travelling through a Chanel advert.
“I know darling, I felt like a Bond girl! Isn’t that frightful to admit? Because that’s as close as I’m going to get! We had the most amazing cameraman, who I will love forever as a result of it. I think that Italy does make you feel as if you’re living in some weird parallel reality, so whether it’s big fat old ladies in their dresses putting their chairs out onto the street to natter, or glamorous Milanese bustling about, dressed in black, you feel like you’ve like you’ve stepped into another life.”

You didn’t seem to be a fan of the number of tourists though…
“Well, Venice is a prime example. I have two tips for you about Venice: One is go in January – as long as it’s not flooded! The other is that you’ve just got to get up early or stay out late, because there are so few Venetians that actually live in the city, and so many day-trippers that are gone by 10pm that you can wander the streets virtually undisturbed. But I even find that in London. I would rather poke my own eyes out than be in Trafalgar Square for the New Year’s celebration. I always think that’s the prerogative of the local, you know what I mean? A true Londoner doesn’t need to do that I think.”

What kind of a traveller are you? Do you ever rough-it?
“These days I’m five-star only! Haha! I got married at 36 and until then I did package holidays, I backpacked, I even occasionally went camping! I’ve done a lot of travelling, I’ve stayed everywhere darling. Nowadays, I’ve got a bit more money and also a bit less holiday, so I tend to make the most of it. And honestly, I’m a pathetic traveller these days. I’ve got kids so the first thing I think about is how far away I am from a hospital!”

Do you have any travel bug-bears that really wind you up?
“I hate actual travelling, it’s so miserable! How is it possible that they make it such a fucking miserable experience?! It is universally loathed by everybody, and it doesn’t actually matter whether you travel first class or economy, because you still have to go through all that horrendous stuff at the airport. They still strap you into your seat an hour before, and the plane sits on the tarmac for an hour!”

As the Hotel Inspector you’re obviously renowned for your expertise in hospitality. How do the Italians rate though?
“Well, in this country waiting tables has become the preserve of only the young. It’s incredibly rare to see anyone over 30 waiting a table anymore. Italy kicks that stereotype – there are a lot of older waiters, elderly gentlemen. But I have to tell you that restaurants and hotels in Italy are no better or worse than anywhere in Britain. People are the same anywhere – if they can take the money and not put in any effort then they probably do! It’s the same problem, different country.”

Alex Polizzi’s Secret Italy begins this Friday, October 24 at 9pm on Channel 5.

‘Alex Polizzi’s Secret Italy’: ‘These days I’m five star only!’

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