Where to watch Michael Palin in the Philippines tonight

Michael Palin is heading to the Philippines tonight for a remarkable journey across one of the world’s most beautiful and complex countries.

The latest adventure from the much-loved broadcaster and former Monty Python star sees Palin travel 2,500 miles across the Philippines, exploring its spectacular landscapes while also investigating some of the darker chapters of the country’s recent history.

Michael Palin in the Philippines airs tonight at 9pm on Channel 5.

Palin begins his journey in Manila, where he joins a political protest marking 40 years since Ferdinand and Imelda Marcos were forced from power following more than two decades of authoritarian rule and financial excess.

Singer and activist Leah Navarro talks to Palin about the Marcos family’s political legacy and its attempts to rebuild its public image in the years since.

The presenter then travels to Tondo, one of Manila’s poorest neighbourhoods, where he encounters the harsh realities facing some of the country’s population.

Among the most shocking discoveries is pag-pag – food recovered from fast-food rubbish bins, re-cooked and sold to people living in poverty.

Palin also meets Emily Soriano, whose 15-year-old son Angelito was killed during the controversial anti-drug campaign associated with the death squads under former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Michael Palin meets President Marcos

The journey takes an unexpected turn when Palin is invited to the Presidential Palace to meet President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr, the son of the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos.

The meeting provides Palin with an opportunity to hear directly from the current president about his childhood growing up inside the palace during his parents’ rule.

There is also an unusual connection between the pair, with Marcos revealing that he is a lifelong fan of Monty Python.

While the Philippines has a troubled political history, Palin’s travels also take him to some of the country’s extraordinary natural landscapes.

He heads to Palawan, where he visits the famous beaches of El Nido and takes to the water aboard a traditional Bangka boat with Eddie Agamos.

The pair travel through the stunning scenery before spending the night at a remote beach camp.

Palin ventures into disputed waters

The adventure becomes considerably more tense when Palin is given permission to board a military flight to Pagasa, an isolated island in the South China Sea.

Home to around 400 people, the island sits in a strategically important and heavily disputed part of the region, with China claiming sovereignty over the surrounding area.

On arrival, Palin spots a large group of Chinese vessels on the horizon.

His journey then takes an even more dramatic turn when he joins a covert coastguard patrol and encounters a Chinese vessel that attempts to prevent the Philippine boat from continuing.

Despite the country’s political challenges, poverty and security concerns, Palin also discovers another side of the Philippines – a country he describes through his experiences as exceptionally welcoming, joyful and beautiful.

The programme promises to combine Palin’s trademark curiosity and humour with a closer examination of the political and social issues shaping the modern Philippines.