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A group of celebrities see if they can have a better retirement in India than in the UK.

A group of celebrities travel to India to see whether retirement would be more rewarding there than in the UK.

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Miriam Margolyes

Sylvester McCoy

Wayne Sleep

Roy Walker

Rosemary Shrager

Bobby George

Patti Boulaye

Jan Leeming

David Vallance

Tom Currie

David Clews

Andrew Mackenzie-Betty

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The Real Marigold Hotel: Series 1: Episode 1

real-marigold-hotel_ep1_260116_sg.jpg

Episode 1

Series 1

BBC One - The Real Marigold Hotel, Series 1, Episode 1

A group of celebrities visit India to explore the idea of retiring there. The party arrive in Jaipur and are initially unsettled by the heat and seething streets.

A group of celebrities travel to India to see whether they can have a more rewarding retirement there than in the UK.

The group arrive at their new home in Jaipur and are initially unsettled by the realities of living in India: hectic roads, animals in the street, chickens killed to order and poor toilet facilities. The heat and hard work makes them consider whether they can do this alone or need to take advantage of the cheap staff costs to settle here.

Miriam is constantly full of great one-liners and fun observations that colour everything with humour. Jaipur is full of hundreds of years of history, best seen in its impressive buildings, so the group head out to visit the jewel in Jaipur's crown, the 500-year-old Amer Fort. Their guide also offers to show them his local home, where they begin to understand the gulf between rich and poor and the impact of the caste system. They are also invited to take tea with Jaipur's royal family at the opulent Rambagh Palace, mixing with high society in the finest surroundings.

Wayne makes the most of his wish to explore his spiritual side by attending the daily morning prayers and visiting the beautiful Galti Ji temple, which is home to a troop of monkeys. Rosemary, finding it hard to unwind from her normal hectic life, tries meditation for the first time and is surprised by the results.

To end their first week, they throw a party with performances to meet their new neighbours as they start to feel more at home on the other side of the world.

The Real Marigold Hotel: Series 1

BBC Two

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Miriam Margolyes, Wayne Sleep, Sylvester McCoy, Roy Walker, Rosemary Shrager, Bobby George, Patti Boulaye and Jan Leeming see if they can have a better retirement in India than in the UK.

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