Touring sun-soaked Portugal, the new group of famous faces setting off on an action-packed European adventure will travel in pairs with the hopes of keeping their place on the coach and being crowned winners at the end of the tour.

The celebrity pairs will enjoy a mix of cultural outings and excursions across the series. At the end of each day, the duos will cast their vote on who they think is least enjoyable to travel with. The pair who receives the most votes will get a yellow card. Two yellow cards will see them receive a red card and be sent packing on the next flight home, only to be replaced by a new celebrity pair to fill up the coach.

The first batch of celebrity pairs heading off to Portugal are: presenter and stand-up Matt Richardson and actor and presenter Will Best; Birds of a Feather actors Linda Robson and Lesley Joseph; Geordie Shore stars Sophie Kasaei and James Tindale, members of girl band, The Honeyz, Celena Cherry and Mariama Goodman; and Olympian Ashley McKenzie and actor Paul Danan (Good Girls Club).

Sophie Kasaei commented: “I have always been the biggest fan of Coach Trip from when I can remember. Forget all the other reality tv shows my dream was to do coach trip! I have been such a massive fan of Brendan, watching him with my family on weekday afternoons! The experience of travelling around Portugal with a bunch of celebs? Yes please! It was everything I could have imagined and more.”

Will Best added: “The chance to go on holiday with a mate, meet the icon that is Brendan, AND clear my rent arrears, all in one fell swoop? Yes please! Although if no one from Bananarama is on board I’m kicking off.”

The new series of Celebrity Coach Trip returns to E4 on January 3 2022 at 8pm.