With TV production companies pumping in the funds, they were hardly likely to head off into Africa with a camcorder and a couple of mini-dv tapes - and no back-up! The series would never have been completed after they had been hacked to death on some jungle trail.

Also, good old Charley has a lot more personality than some of the "professional" presenters on TV., the ones that somehow managed to get the job and bore the pants of anyone watching.

Promoting Unicef by whatever medium is good enough for me, but I see that even this doesn't get a mention in this article.

E J Murray, Kerry, Ireland

Agree with the comments about Boorman. Most cringe inducing had to be when he was introduced to the Head of a Village, who had very kindly agreed to let them camp inside his village for the evening, and his opening line was 'So...how many wives do you have then?'. to which the bemused reply was 'err...one'.

Calre, london,

I also agree with Susan etc. They are on a long, expensive holiday, not an epic adventure.. You can buy similar "package deals" out of many motorcycle publications. The huge mileages and stupid schedules say it all.

They show their complete ignorance constantly with constant whining and lack of understanding of the reason why they're meant to be there. They needed to ditch the crew, the medics and the SAS team and carry on with just a camcorder.

But did anyone in "the know" expect anything more ??

I'm sure its great TV for the armchair adventurer !

ted, wirral, cheshire

I think Susan in London is spot on with her comments. Charlie and Ewan have got this all wrong. They aren't on an adventure, they are on expensive, money making, paid holiday that has completely lost the point of overlanding by motorcycle. Charlie in particular has become a bore.

People wanting real adventure should read Sam Manicom's Into Africa. This is one of the best travel books I've ever read. You live the joys and perils of the road through Africa in this book. Its absolutely gripping, and totally more real than this 'stuff' from Charlie and Ewan.

I think they should be embarrassed about what they have produced. Sad, Long Way Round was fun, though still a bit manufactured, but it was an interesting read and the film worked. The guys have simply lost the plot now. Shame - fame has got in the way and a brilliant opportunity has been blundered.

Jim Brain, Nottm, UK

maybe your missing the point there are plenty of people who would love to do this trip but will never get the chance and all those people who do get the chance may write a book but never get to film it and include the rest of us in their journey.
personally i think charlie is one of the great things about the show and it would be dull without him. i for one think that one hundred thousand is great afterall they didn't have to involve any charity.
the show is great and i hope the boys do many more trips and remember if you don't like it there is an off button

peter, bosham, england

You don't need film crews, backup SUVs, medics, personal assistants or turquoise leather jumpsuits (but I'm sure they look very nice in the film) to ride a motorcycle down through Africa.

I'm sure for publicity purposes they want people to think this is an 'epic adventure', but Lois Pryce, Sam Manicom and literally hundreds of others have done this trip, including us, without all the excess baggage.

If you want real inspiration, check out www.HorizonsUnlimited.com for stories of real motorcycle travellers who made overland trips long before Ewan and Charlie ever thought of it.

Susan, London,

You are too harsh on Charlie Boorman. He's just a burke, a grade-A loveable burke. There has to be room in society for such folk. He is the Morecombe, To McGregor's Wise.

So he arrives at Gatwick, stressed out with worry about his Wife, (Who TOLD him he should "goooo")..and not wanting to let his friends down. He makes a self conscious joke, and Gatwick's finest decide to make the point, (at his expense), that travelling whilst in posession of any sort of sense of humour these days, is a massive crime. Ya godda smile..

Tim Gray, Antrim, Northern Ireland

Forget these charlatans. Check out real life adventure heroine Lois Pryce. Only 5 foot 4 and rode solo from London to Cape Town last year on a 250 dirt bike. Like the hundreds of real people that do this trip every year she was taking a real chance rather being paid literally hundreds of thousands by celebrity drugged sponsors.

Alfred, Lincoln,

I agree wholeheartedly with these anti-Boorman comments.

Furthermore, even _if_ Boorman was a nice guy (which is debatable), then the 'Long Way' series still has a massive celebrity imbalance:

Ewan McGregor - Star Rating: 10/10
Charlie Boorman - Star Rating: 3/10

Total Star Rating Of the pair: 13/20

So in summary it is the charisma and star power of McGregor that holds the whole thing together and makes it commerically viable.

Chris, London,

Don't hold back about the high profile boors and faux charity collectors, Caitlin! Reading your column is the delight of my week!

Ana, Sydney, Australia

very easy to do with all the back up and money they had....plenty of people riding places like this with no back up and limited funds.......would they have been so keen to set off alone...i think not...

w hunter, preston, lancs