Joanna's Greek jaunt was no celebrity jolly

Joanna Lumley's Greek Odyssey

(ITV1)

I have to admit I had my reservations about watching actress Joanna Lumley jet off on her jollies to sunnier climes.

On the one hand I was keen to find out about Greece. But I was a little irritated at the possibility of it being self-indulgent celebrity nonsense.

After all Joanna has already had an adventure Up the Nile – although I'm told this was "very interesting and informative".

How wrong I was. The minute she appeared on screen, her enthusiasm and passion to discover as much as possible won me over.

She started in the ancient city of Athens at the Acropolis. She was immediately swallowed up by the hordes of tourists, there are a million each year, visiting the spectacular 2,500-year-old temple of the goddess Athena.

It is undergoing restoration work but despite the scaffolding, the monument itself left Joanna in awe. She met modern-day workers who use the same tools as their ancestors. Bless her, she even fought her fear of heights so we could see the more intricate work higher up.

Out of nowhere she appeared to get glammed up ready for a 'wild night out' in a club. Apparently throwing plates, the usual activity for revellers, has been outlawed, but throwing flowers is in. Although, it's costly, they can spend as much as they would on a new car. It's no wonder the economy is in such a state.

From here she travelled to Evia, an island where the inhabitants communicate by whistling. A dying tradition, the children aren't playing, and haven't learned the language.

Next she journeyed to the Peloponnese. She braved the 'English-type' weather to visit an ampitheatre, Epidaurus. Here, she met up with blast from the past Nana Mouskouri who showed off her vocals to demonstrate the acoustics at the site. Joanna was overcome with emotion, wiping a tear from her eye. Me, I was thankful when Nana stopped warbling.

Joanna and her guide headed towards the Mani Peninsular, which is home to the mythical Gates of Hades. It is also the more wild and remote part of the country.

She was effortlessly charming when she stumbled across an old local who lives off the rather desolate land. Joanna helped the woman pick wild asparagus and stayed for a chat and dinner.

Then she headed to the Gates of Hades, the cave which was believed to be the entrance to the underworld. Joanna threw in some offerings – flowers, coins and a pearl – to the gods.

A brief stop was made at Olympia, one of the most famous sporting arenas. Joanna revealed women weren't allowed to watch events in ancient times, Apparently they wouldn't be able to keep their hands off the male competitors. Obviously.

Delphi, the centre of the world according to Zeus, is a breath-taking and sacred site. The temple of Apollo, shadowed by Mount Parnassus, is also spectacular. Thanks to CGI we got a glimpse of it in its former glory. Pilgrims in the old world flocked here to see the Oracle.

The whole programme jumped around and didn't seem to flow easily.

But Joanna held it together with her genuineness and respect of locals' traditions which proved she is the ultimate goddess of Greece.

By Lisa Broome