With a wealth of personal connections to the country and a sense of Italian identity ‘rooted' in her psyche, Alex Polizzi's latest series for Channel 5 was always going to be an emotional affair. In a touching scene from the first episode of Alex Polizzi’s Secret Italy, the presenter is shown sampling some frittelle - a type of Venetian doughnut, which her late grandmother often used to make. One bite is enough to transport her back to her nonna’s kitchen and tears well up in her eyes. ‘She was an amazing cook and I’m really sad that I didn’t take more advantage at the time. Coming back here has reminded me just how much this city means to me’, she says.
@highlight
Polizzi’s latest show for Channel 5 is a heartfelt love letter to Italy
@highlight
The Hotel Inspector star reveals her favourite places to visit in the country
@highlight
Locations include the Amalfi coast where Polizzi spent her honeymoon
@highlight
Venice is ‘achingly beautiful’ but is full of 'mad, baying packs' of tourists
@highlight
Presenter reveals how to avoid the crowds and get off the beaten track
All four of Polizzi’s grandparents were @placeholder and she considers the show to be a homage to her family and the regions they came from.
It’s a city that Polizzi knows well: her grandmother, who died five years ago, was @placeholder and her mother’s best friend still lives there.