60 Days with the Gypsies: what is series about, who is host Ed Stafford, and when is it on TV?

New Channel 4 documentary 60 Days with the Gypsies will give viewers an insight into gypsy and traveller communities.

TV presenter and former army man Ed Stafford will return to screen to present the show.

But who is Ed Stafford, and what will the show be about?

Ed, 46, is known to audiences currently as a presenter and adventurer on the Discovery Channel.

However, what fans may not know if that the adventure-lover is a former British Army captain.

In 2010, he also became the first human to ever walk the length of the Amazon River, gaining himself a place in the Guiness Book of Records with his 860 day trek.

The presenter and former captain is also an established author, having written Walking The Amazon and Naked And Marooned.

Ed previously worked with Channel 4 to create 60 Days on the Streets, a documentary following the the experiences of the homeless population in the UK.

In his newest show, Ed will spent an extended period living within traveller communities.

Following the success of his previous 60 Days show, 60 Days on the Street, Channel 4 commissioned another edition, this time following Romani gypsy and Irish traveller communities.

Ed said: “Like homelessness, Gypsy and Travelling communities are often shrouded in negativity despite very little understanding and I want to learn more.

“I have no qualms about immersing myself in every ritual, tradition and aspect of the culture in order to get to know the individuals and unpick the existing stereotypes.”

He is aiming to examine the relationship between these communities and settled communities, and the impact which government legislation is having on their way of living.

Similar to the previous documentary, Ed will shoot a lot of footage by himself, with a small production team offering support.

The first episode of the series will air on Monday 7 February at 9pm on Channel 4.

There will be two episodes in total, with the second being aired at the same time on 14 February.

Each episode will also be available to watch on All4.

A message from the editor:

Thank you for reading. NationalWorld is a new national news brand, produced by a team of journalists, editors, video producers and designers who live and work across the UK. Find out more about who’s who in the team, and our editorial values. We want to start a community among our readers, so please follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and keep the conversation going. You can also sign up to our email newsletters and get a curated selection of our best reads to your inbox every day.