Craig Charles’ adventures from the open road
Best known for playing Lister in the cult sci-fi sitcom Red Dwarf and hosting Robot Wars, Craig Charles is also a seasoned DJ and comedian. What’s more, this Liverpudlian funny man certainly knows how to pull off a great road trip – as long as he and his wife can manage to zip up her suitcase first…
19/03/2025
Favourite road trip destination?
My wife Jackie and I have got a little place in the Spanish mountains, down near Almería and the Tabernas Desert – the only desert in Europe. It’s where they used to film the spaghetti westerns. The tiny roads around there are dangerous but absolutely beautiful with sweeping turns and hairpin bends. We always hire something small in the airport – try driving them in a massive 4x4 and you might come a cropper.
Top of your road trip bucket list?
My dad came over from Georgetown in Guyana in 1958 and we were planning to take him back for his 82nd birthday. Sadly, he got ill and died later that year. My dream is to see Dad’s home and maybe meet some of the family still living there.
Ultimate travel song?
I like to play albums rather than a Spotify playlist. Give the music a chance to breathe. A bit of jazz like Mario Biondi and the Hi-Five Quintet... or maybe some classic prog from Pink Floyd. As long as there are no 25-minute keyboard solos!
Most dramatic road trip story?
Some years back, Jackie and I decided to drive from Marrakech through the Atlas Mountains to Agadir. It was fantastic. No tourists, little villages with no motorised transport… Like going back in time.
Your three packing essentials?
Ha! You should see how much space Jackie leaves me in the suitcase whenever we go away. Barely enough room for a couple of T-shirts, a couple of pairs of shorts and my Birkies. She always has this huge list of stuff to bring. One year, she took her easel and a set of oil paints, just in case she fancied doing some landscape painting.
The original Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow
What’s been your most extravagant car purchase?
Back when I first met Jackie, I was so full of it, always giving it ‘the Big I Am’. I was filming in Dublin and told her I’d got a Rolls-Royce. Then, unexpectedly, she said she’d come down to London with me after the shoot. Panicking, I got my mate to buy an old P-reg Silver Shadow and pick me up at the airport. The most expensive lie I’ve ever told. A lovely car, though.
Do you think you’re a good traveller?
Because I’m lucky enough to have a driver for work, I tend to spend most of my travelling time asleep. I’ve got one of those Mercedes Marco Polo camper vans, with generous, comfy seats. Going from Manchester to London is four hours of kip for me. It’s about time management.
Craziest travel experience to date?
We used to do a lot of US fan conventions in the Red Dwarf days and I remember stopping off during one of them at a liquor store in New York. Inside, it was more like a jail, all grills and padlocks with a baseball bat in the corner. Without saying a word, the guy opened the grill and ushered me into the back room. I assumed he was a serial killer and I was about to disappear. And then walk in on his mates all slumped on bean bags watching the first series of Red Dwarf. You should have seen their faces. And mine!
Any travel hacks?
Do nothing! That’s why I love long-haul flights. Turn off your phone – no texts, no emails and nice people serving you dinner. What’s not to like?
Weligama Bay on the south coast of Sri Lanka
If you could live anywhere else in the world, where would it be?
Jackie and I spend a lot of time in Sri Lanka, in a place called Weligama Bay. Another choice would be Bali, I reckon. Hire a boat, sail around the coast pulling into little bays and having grilled fish for lunch. That’ll do me.
Craig Charles presents on BBC Radio 6 Music weekdays 1-4pm and Saturdays 6-9pm. He will broadcast from the 6 Music Festival in Greater Manchester, 26-29 March, which features performances from Ezra Collective, Mogwai, Kae Tempest and more.
