Coach Trip (series 8)

Coach Trip 8 aired from 30 January to 9 March 2012 after the third celebrity series finished and is the eighth and final series of Coach Trip in the United Kingdom before the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics. It was filmed from Monday 29 August until Saturday 1 October 2011 (after the England riots ended). The length of this series was the same as the previous non-celebrity series but with only 1 day of a weekend included at the end of the tour. The Mediterranean tour centring towards Western Asia began in the UK, before moving to the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia (for the first time) and finishing in Turkey. Tour guide Brendan Sheerin, coach driver Paul Donald, narrator Dave Vitty and the coach with registration number MT09 MTT all returned for this series, which was aired on Channel 4 with the airing time moved to 5:30pm again, a similar start to series 3 and a similar end to series 4.

Broadcasts

Series 8 began airing on weekdays from Monday 30 January, moving to the timeslot of 5:30pm again.

Contestants

Contestants	Relationship and Hometown	Trip Duration	Yellow-carded	Red-carded	Status
Jean & Lewis (original 7)	Grandmother and Grandson from Tiverton	Days 1–3	Day 1	Day 3	Eliminated 1st
Anne & Dave (original 7)	Husband and Wife from Kidderminster	Days 1–6	Day 4	Day 6	Eliminated 2nd
Rosie & Rachel (replaced Jean & Lewis)	Girl and ex-boyfriend's mother from Kent	Days 4–7	Day 5	Day 7	Eliminated 3rd
Henry & Felicity (Original 7)	Partners from East London	Days 1–11	Day 9	N/A	Withdrew 1st
Gary & Caroline (replaced Rosie & Rachel)	Husband and Wife from Portsmouth	Days 8–11	Day 10	Day 11	Eliminated 4th
Gill & Pat (Original 7)	Friends from Newport	Days 1–12	Day 2	N/A	Withdrew 2nd
Jolyon & Edward (Original 7)	Best friends from Surrey	Days 1–16	Day 14	Day 16	Eliminated 5th
Sarah & Nigel (replaced Henry & Felicity)	Father and Daughter from Portsmouth	Days 12–18	Day 13	Day 18	Eliminated 6th
Ladi & Tory (Original 7)	Friends from Central London	Days 1–18	N/A	N/A	Withdrew 3rd
Chris & Jenny (replaced Jolyon & Edward)	Husband and Wife from Stafford	Days 18–20	Day 19	Day 20	Eliminated 7th
Sophie & Mo (replaced Ladi & Tory)	Partners from South London	Days 20–22	Day 21	Day 22	Eliminated 8th
Vic & Mick (replaced Chris & Jenny)	Friends from Dover	Days 22–24	Day 23	Day 24	Eliminated 9th
Mary & Katie (replaced Vic & Mick)	Mother and Daughter from Essex	Days 25–27	Day 26	Day 27	Eliminated 10th
Liam & Chris (replaced Sophie & Mo)	Best friends from Bristol	Days 24–28	Day 25	Day 28	Eliminated 11th
Megan & Elspeth (replaced Mary & Katie)	Friends from Cambridge	Days 28–30	N/A	N/A	Fourth Place
Chloe & Charlie (replaced Sarah & Nigel)	Sisters from Leicester	Days 19–30	N/A	N/A	Fourth Place
Donna & Claire (replaced Gill & Pat)	Work colleagues and friends from Northamptonshire	Days 14–30	Day 17	N/A	Third Place
Lou & Chez (replaced Anne & Dave)	Friends from Ashford	Days 8–30	Day 12	N/A	Third Place
Ollie & Leah (Original 7)	Newlyweds from Leicester (Leah is originally from Garner, NC, U.S.A.)	Days 1–30	Day 8	N/A	Runners-up
Craig & Stuart (replaced Gary & Caroline)	Partners from Bradford	Days 14–30	N/A	N/A	Winners

Voting History

     Indicates that the couple received a yellow card

     Indicates that the couple was red carded off the trip

     Indicates that the couple left the coach due to other reasons than being voted off or being removed from the coach

     Indicates that the couple was immune from any votes cast against them due to it either being their first vote or winning immunity from the vote

     Indicates that the most popular couple received a prize with the most votes.

     Indicates that the couple were voted as the most popular couple and won series

     Indicates that the couple were voted as the second most popular couple

     Indicates that the couple were voted as the third most popular couple

     Indicates that the couple were voted as the fourth most popular couple

Notes

No post-vote arrivals, timekeepers or removals in series

The Trip Day by Day

Arrival Day and Day 1 of the trip - Chelmsford/Harwich Port

A new set of tourists meet in Blackheath, London, and quickly get to know each other over an Essex-style makeover including fake tan, vajazzling and fish pedicures.

Day 2 - Amsterdam

The coach heads to Amsterdam, and the group try a spot of flower arranging. But the pace picks up in the afternoon when they hit the slopes.

Day 3 - Utrecht

The coach heads to Utrecht and, after a lesson in the art of flirting, the group try out their best chat-up lines on the locals.

Day 4 - Essen

The coach travels to Essen where the group get creative by making traditional bread. The afternoon is an adrenaline junkie's dream as the group go indoor sky diving.

Day 5 - Koblenz

In Koblenz, a land art instillation tour isn't everyone's idea of a good time and a little misbehaviour causes some upset. In the afternoon the group enjoy a cheerleading lesson.

Day 6 - Mannheim

The heat is on at a sausage restaurant in Mannheim when the tourists battle it out to see who can handle the hottest curry sauce. Come afternoon and it's time for a game of baseball.

Day 7 - Stuttgart

In Stuttgart the group enjoy a spot of beer tasting, before getting on a big bike for a boozy tour of the city. And after lunch there's a wobbly boat race down the river Neckar.

Day 8 - Friedrichshafen

En route to Friedrichshafen the coach picks up a new couple. Later the group is split for a Segway race - Brendan's favourite! In the afternoon they explore a Zeppelin museum.

Day 9 - Innsbruck

Austria, and perhaps a lesson in the ancient art of tai chi will put some positivity back into the group - followed by a terrifying bungee jump.

Day 10 - Val Gardena

It's Day 10 and the coach rolls in to the Italian town Val Gardena, where the tourists have a wood-carving lesson from a flirty Italian before spending the afternoon llama racing.

Day 11 - Lake Garda

It's the 11th day of the trip and there are tears, tantrums and shock exits in the Italian holiday hot spot of Lake Garda.

Day 12 - Padua

The coach stops in Padua, where the group enjoy a morning of biblical history. They later try their hand at painting frescoes, before an afternoon of pure luxury at a top local spa.

Day 13 - Treviso/Venice

In Treviso in northern Italy the tourists make rabbit pasta before hitting the golf course, where some of them are more interested in driving and crashing the golf buggies.

Day 14 - Adriatic Sea

The group spend the day sailing the Adriatic. As it happens, this includes limbo dancing and taking a turn as the ship's cabaret act. But it all ends in disaster...

Day 15 - Preveza

The tourists land on Greek soil and spend an uncomfortable morning olive picking in the blazing sun. Even an afternoon on the beach fails to lighten the mood.

Day 16 - Arta

It's Day 16 and the coach is in the Greek town of Arta. The tourists spend the morning fishing, before getting hot and steamy in a dance class.

Day 17 - Dodoni

The tourists visit the ancient theatre of Dodoni where they perform their own Greek tragedy. Later they head for the hills to compete in a goat-milking competition.

Day 18 - Ioannina

The coach heads for the Greek mainland and Ioannina. The group go on a rafting trip. In the afternoon Brendan introduces a new couple at a jewellery workshop.

Day 19 - Grevena

The coach picks up a new couple on route to the Greek town of Grevena, where the gang go truffle hunting. Following this, the tourists try their hand at a spot of painting in a church yard.

Day 20 - Thessaloniki (Θεσσαλοnίkh)

The coach arrives in Thessaloniki on the shores of the Aegean Sea. A new couple joins the group for a snorkel race, and cocktail making in the afternoon leaves the tourists a little shaken.

Day 21 - Kavadarci

The coach-trippers enjoy a traditional Bulgarian dance lesson in Kavadarci, before things get messy later on when they whip off their shoes for some grape squashing.

Day 22 - Skopje

The coach arrives in Skopje. The tourists spend a spiritual morning at Mother Teresa's birthplace, followed by a disastrous language lesson and kite-flying session.

Day 23 - Kyustendil

The coach heads back to Bulgaria. The group aren't particularly impressed by the local baths, but they get their hands dirty after lunch, making clay sculptures, and things get very messy at the vote.

Day 24 - Sofia

The coach arrives in Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, where the tourists become zoo keepers for the day. Later the group are joined by a new couple for some Zorbing, and emotions run high at the vote.

Day 25 - Plovdiv

It's the 25th day on the road and the coach is in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. Brendan's planned a sporty day of gymnastics and rowing for the group. But all sportsmanship quickly disappears at the vote.

Day 26 - Haskovo

A famous chef serves the tourists a dish they find hard to stomach in the ancient Bulgarian city of Haskovo. Later, the group go go-karting, and one of the new arrivals is targeted at the vote.

Day 27 - Edirne

The group arrive in the Turkish city of Edirne, where they enjoy a lesson in soap moulding, and are left battered and bruised after a visit to the local baths.

Day 28 - Silivri

The coach-trippers make a hopeless attempt to belly dance, before oiling themselves up for Turkish wrestling. In the final yellow card vote, will they remain united for the last day of the trip?

Day 29 - Istanbul

It's the final day of the trip as the coach pulls up in Istanbul. The group visit one of the city's most impressive spice markets, and go swimming with dolphins.

Day 30 - The Last Day

It's the long journey home for the coach trippers and Brendan reminisces about the last six weeks on the road, including his favourite couples - and those he would rather forget.

References