Charley Boorman opens up about new series with Ewan McGregor and reflects on Long Way Round legacy

Star of the Long Way Round television series, Charley Boorman has revealed exclusive details to MCN ahead of the 2025 release of his latest TV bike travel series, with best mate Ewan McGregor. 

Boorman told MCN that the show could be on our screens as early as next spring, with filming having recently finished and editing underway now. 

The 10-parter sees the pair return for a fourth instalment in their Long Way series of global adventures, which this time follows them on a trip from McGregor’s home in Scotland to Boorman’s in England.  

Far from taking the direct route, however, they will be seen navigating the highs and lows of a 10,000-mile loop through Scandinavia and up into the Arctic Circle, before venturing south into Eastern and Central Europe.  

Both opted for old-school machines for the journey, with McGregor tackling the adventure aboard his own 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado ex-police bike, and Boorman on a BMW R75/5. 

“Doing this fourth one now we’ve gone back to old bikes – which makes things interesting,” Boorman told MCN. “I can’t give too much away, and you’ll have to wait and see how it all unfolded, but I think there’s a good balance between this and what we’ve done previously in terms of the riding and the route. 

“Like with Long Way Round, it was just born from the idea of two friends wanting to ride together,” he continued. “Doing the trip with Ewan is the great part for me. We’re old friends and it’s always fun to be together – I really do hope that comes through in the new series.” 

Inspiration for the ride reportedly came about during a particularly arduous sand section of Long Way Up – in which the duo rode electric Harley-Davidson LiveWires from the southernmost point of mainland South America, up to Los Angeles in the US. 

“When you’re on a big trip, one of the ways to finish the journey you’re on is to think about what’s next. Somehow it makes it easier to finish when there is something after. That’s part of how this came about,” says Boorman.

“Last time we were on two electric bikes,” he continues. “They were the pinnacle of technology, but still Long Way Up was very difficult at times. The idea this time around was to do something totally different – a new challenge – hence the old bikes.” 

20 years of Long Way Round

While fans will be eagerly awaiting the new series, many will remember where it all began with Long Way Round, which preceded Long Way Down (2007). 

The iconic show now celebrates its twentieth anniversary following first release in October 2004.  

McGregor and Boorman each rode a BMW R1150GSA around the world, starting in the UK before following the compass east through Europe, Russia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia.

They then returned to Russia to tackle the expanse of Siberia, before shipping their bikes over the Bering Strait, to carry on to New York. 

“That chance meeting with Ewan on a movie changed both of our lives,” Boorman told MCN. “I didn’t have any money at the time, so we looked for other ways to make it happen. I even had to get production to pay Oli [Boorman’s wife] a salary so that she could look after the kids.

“We got lucky and blagged our way to getting the money needed, but I don’t think either of us thought it would be successful. There was this sudden public appetite for adventure travel and BMW had just changed their fleet. It all came at the right time, and we were able to ride that wave.” 

This new series is executive produced by Boorman and McGregor, with David Alexanian and Russ Malkin directing. Go to tv.apple.com for more.

What’s next for Charley and Ewan?

“There are so many things Ewan and I would love to do together. There’s always somewhere to go, something to do, and another country to see,” said Boorman. 

“It’s interesting how the landscape has changed because now you couldn’t do Long Way Round or Long Way Down. 

“If we do another one in few years, we’d have to look at the global political climate again because it could all change. 

“Personally, I’d love to go back and do the Dakar Rally again and finish it, but I think I might be passed that now. 

“There’s a lot of West Africa I haven’t seen too and riding through there would be interesting in the future. Africa is a very special place to me – I think it’s my favourite continent. There’s really nowhere else like it in the world.”