Martin Clunes with Swoffers open market director Shauna Clapham during his visit. (Picture by Andy Biggins, 0643588)

A SERIES of programmes about islands to be presented by TV star Martin Clunes nearly ended up missing out Guernsey completely.

The Doc Martin actor was in the island last week filming the ITV show, Islands of Britain, but did so only because of the intervention of Commerce and Employment.

Deputy minister Robert Sillars said he had been introduced to members of the programme’s production crew a number of weeks ago through personal contacts. At that stage there were no plans to film in Guernsey.

‘The original plan was to film in Jersey, Sark and the Scilly Isles. I was able to persuade them that the Bailiwick of Guernsey was the correct location and with the weight of Commerce and Employment and Chris Elliott [the department’s director of marketing and tourism] and his team this then became a reality.’

Deputy Sillars said he was looking forward to seeing the results of the filming and hoped it would lead to an upsurge in interest in the Bailiwick as a tourist destination.