The Real Marigold Hotel

The group are now settled into life in Udaipur and are ready to explore further afield. Country lovers Bob, Susan and Selina want to see more of rural Rajasthan and head into the hills to go horse riding and camping, but it is not quite the glamping trip they imagined. Over the campfire they open up about the difficult times in their lives, Bob's battle with cancer and Susan's loss of her husband. Meanwhile, in Udaipur, Syd and Ian continue their Indian cookery lessons, Stanley the adventurer relives his youth on the back of a motorcycle, and Stephanie explores her inner self through meditation. The group end the week with a trip to the neighbouring state of Gujarat for one of India's biggest annual festivals, Navratri, but to get there involves a 12-hour journey on a sleeper train. After attempting to learn a Gujarati folk dance, they get kitted out in traditional costumes and join thousands of worshippers for a night of celebrations for the powerful Hindu warrior goddess Durga. Susan, Selina and Stephanie get caught up in the intoxicating atmosphere, dancing with abandon into the early hours.

Selina Scott, Susan George, Stephanie Beacham, Ian and Janette Tough (aka the Krankies), Syd Little, Peter Dean, Bob Champion and Stanley Johnson arrive at their new home in Udaipur. First-time curry eater Bob struggles to adjust to the Indian diet, and the Krankies find dealing with the realities of living in India unsettling - the animals in the street, the more basic way of life and the piles of rubbish that can distract from the beauty. Veteran of India Stanley embraces his first few days, swimming alongside the locals and throwing himself into the challenge with good humour, alongside Syd, who enjoys immersing himself into the local way of life, including his first ever yoga class. While enjoying her first trip to India, Selina is used to living on her own so finds the group-living arrangements quite a test. With the group not yet united in their opinion on the place, they head off to see another part of Rajasthan. Some of them head to Jodphur, where Bob gets back in the saddle as he visits one of India's oldest polo clubs, and they also visit the world-famous Mehrangarh Fort, which astounds Selina and Stanley with its history, beauty and grandeur. Meanwhile, Stephanie, Syd and Peter embrace India's spiritual side as they visit one of the oldest ashrams in the region. Sceptical at first, Syd is soon won round by the calm aura of the place and the sense of peace he's finding in India. Stephanie, Peter and Syd immerse themselves in the ashram community and find the magic of India is having an effect on all of them, which culminates when they witness the ancient ritual of firewalking.

Amanda and Rustie visit a local hair salon and meet a bride-to-be getting styled for her big day. The bride invites them to her wedding, so the whole group go to buy traditional clothes, with hilarious consequences. The group attend the Hindu ceremony in their Indian finery despite some wardrobe malfunctions on the way. They are blown away by the spectacle and the importance of family in an Indian marriage union and are touched by how welcome they are made to feel. After the emotion of the wedding, Sheila reflects on her own love life, revealing that since the sudden death of her partner she has been single for eight years. She announces that she is ready to start dating again and realises the only thing that would definitely convince her to make a big move to living in India would be a man. Miriam and Lionel, who are both Jewish, discover Old Kochi has a surprising connection to their heritage in an area called Jew Town. A visit to the synagogue makes Miriam reflect on the huge impact her own marriage had on her family when she chose to marry outside of the Jewish faith. As a result, her father declared she was dead to him and refused to speak to her for many years. Their tour guide invites them to his home, where Miriam discovers his own painful story of love has striking similarities to hers. Bill takes half the group along to one of the biggest festivals in Kerala, Puli Kali, which celebrates the tiger. He ends up volunteering to take part, which means stripping off and having his belly shaved and painted as a tiger, before dancing down the streets amongst a throng of thousands. It is an experience that cements his love for India. An invitation to one of the premier members-only clubs in Kerala, the Yacht Club, gives the group a chance to meet up with successful locals and ends in the offer of a dinner date for Sheila.

Entertainer Lionel Blair, wildlife presenter Bill Oddie, actress Amanda Barrie, snooker champion Dennis Taylor, TV personality Rustie Lee, TV doctor Miriam Stoppard, Three Degrees singer Sheila Ferguson and Just Good Friends actor Paul Nicholas arrive at their new home, a 16th-century mansion in Old Kochi. Sheila is keen to make sure she gets what she wants out of the experience, but Lionel finds dealing with the realities of living in India unsettling - the animals in the street, the more basic way of life and the piles of rubbish that can distract from the beauty. Paul, Bill and Dennis rise to the challenge with humour and classic one-liners, and Rustie and Miriam seem charmed by their first days here. The group then head off to visit the world-famous backwaters, hundreds of miles of waterways that criss-cross through the villages and jungles, on traditional houseboats.

The group start to settle into normal life in India, with Wayne and Bobby taking a trip to the barbers for a cut-throat shave, and Miriam and Patti making a visit to the local laundry woman to see how things are done Indian-style. Jan, who has a keen interest in astrology, attends a psychic guru and is astounded at his profound observations on her life. The group really take to yoga, learn some Hindi and take advantage of the cheap and impressive medical care. After undergoing some tests, both Miriam and Rosemary hear some news they didn't want to hear but needed to know. Their first big night out is to the swanky Paladio, popular with local ex-pats, where Wayne finds out about attitudes to gay people in India and Jan discovers how easy it would be for her as a single woman to move out here. To round their second week off, the group test out long-distance travel by taking a 150-mile trip to the jewel in India's crown, the Taj Mahal. Miriam, Rosemary and Wayne make the most of travelling by train, an unforgettable experience, while Roy, Patti and Jan take the chauffeur-driven car option. The Taj Mahal, the world's most impressive monument to love, makes the group reflective and its sheer beauty brings Miriam to tears.