Comedians Sara Pascoe and Roisin Conaty are the hosts of a new travel series, Zero Stars, which takes a satirical look at the worst tourist traps around the world. The show, airing on Channel 4, explores overpriced attractions, dodgy food, and disappointing experiences that leave travellers feeling cheated.
Unlike typical celebrity travelogues, Zero Stars offers a fresh premise: instead of showcasing the best of travel, it focuses on the worst. Pascoe and Conaty, who describe themselves as “comedians but, more importantly, best friends,” navigate a fine line between enthusiasm and ridicule, keeping themselves as the main target of humour.
In the first episode, set in Istanbul, the duo try a water bike excursion that ends in chaos, and visit a fortune teller who spends most of her time on the phone. They also stay in a five-star hotel that turns out to be a feeder hotel for hair-transplant patients, with the lobby full of men with bandaged heads.
While the show is entertaining, some critics argue it pulls its punches. The hotel, despite its unusual clientele, is still a nice five-star establishment, and the series avoids truly dangerous or unpleasant experiences. The show also features drone shots of beautiful scenery, which some say contradicts its premise of highlighting bad travel experiences.
Despite these criticisms, the hosts are praised for their performances, particularly Conaty, who was previously seen only on a screen in the show Last One Laughing. Zero Stars is a rare exception to the often smug and lazy celebrity travelogue genre, offering a novel and humorous take on travel.
