Or perhaps we’re all just a little sun-starved – surely that’s the only excuse for so many of us planning our winter holidays based on where The X Factor’s judges take their budding starlets.
On last week’s episodes, Louis Walsh took the groups to his ‘Judge’s House’ in Las Vegas to practice their singing and to ‘find out who they really are’ and all that jazz.
Brits were so moved by the spectacle that they rushed online to book their own trips to the party city – no sooner had the TV show aired, than flight searches to Las Vegas soared by 236 per cent. Apparently everyone wants a holiday à la Louis Walsh.
Personally, if I thought there was even the slightest chance I’d catch a glimpse of the pasty-skinned Irishman parading around in his swimming trunks on my holidays, I’d book a flight as far as possible in the opposite direction. Outer Mongolia? Reserve me that ticket!
But it gets worse, much worse. After Gary Barlow’s over-25 gang were filmed in Boughton House, Kettering, hotels.com saw a frankly ridiculous 318 per cent increase in searches for Northamptonshire.
I really feel I have to step in at this point.
Now, I grew up very near Kettering, and can assure everyone that outside the confines of Gazza’s luxe pad, it’s really pretty grim – all I can remember is industrial estates, graffiti and Asda superstores.
It’s so crap, in fact, that I think I’d actually rather spend a whole fortnight sharing a bunk bed with Louis in Vegas before booking a weekend break to Kettering. Yes, it’s really that bad.
Agree or disagree? Email TNT’s new travel ed Helen Elfer with your views: helen.elfer@tntmagazine.com
Image: Getty
