Jet2 recently teamed up with the down-to-earth Essex icon for the Nothing Beats a Jet2holiday, with Rylan series, which saw him step into the role of a Jet2 Customer Helper in Tenerife, with one very important passenger in tow – his marvellous mum, Linda! So, we thought we would grab him for a post-trip catch-up and a general chit-chat...

We love listening to you on the radio. What are your holiday bangers?

"Oh my gosh, I’ve got so many. The Shapeshifters' 'Lola’s Theme', and Solu Music ft. Kimberley 'Fade', is an absolute banger, anything really from 2000-2007 means I’m sold."

Do you miss the Ibiza lifestyle?

"Do you know what, I do, but I grew up in it. I lived there when I was in the boyband – I loved every minute of it. But I feel like having that year on the island was what I needed to come back and go, alright, this is what I want to do now. But yeah, I did have fun!"

Do you have any Ibiza top tips?

"Yes! So, do all the holiday places, do San Antonio, Ibiza Town, Playa D’En Bossa – do all of that. But make sure you visit Es Vedra, which is the rock in the middle of the ocean – it's my special place on earth. And when you go there, make your wishes."

What’s your favourite sunshine destination?

"Probably, Marbella... but that’s a very typical Essex boy thing to say! You can have everything in Marbella – you can have Spanish, you can have a bit of English, you can have luxury, you can have budget-friendly. And Puerto Banus is stunning."

What can you not live without on holiday?

"Fake tan! I don’t tan, so I have to always have fake tan on me to look like I’ve got a proper holiday glow. I go back, lighter than I come!"

You recently spent some time filming in Italy with Rob Rinder, do you have any Italian highlights?

"We had so many highlights! It was amazing, we did Venice, Florence and Rome. If you’re in Florence, go up the Duomo (Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) and if you’re in Venice, make sure you visit Piazza San Marco. If you’re in Rome, make sure you visit this tiny, tiny, tiny karaoke bar, down a little side street (La Saletta karaoke) – it's about the size of a wardrobe... but it’s a really funny night out!"

How would a dream holiday day look for you?

"A dream holiday day for me would be to wake up, have a nice breakfast (preferably cooked by someone else), go down to the beach for a few hours, come back, have some lunch then chill out round the pool. Then get ready (proper doll yourself up!), go to a really, really nice restaurant and then go to a good few bars... until the next day!"

Do you have any packing tips?

"Yes, I do. So, I roll everything rather than fold everything – I'm a roller not a folder – it's so much easier! I always travel with a steamer, so the second I get to my destination, I hang everything up and steam it, so it's just done. I'm Mr. Organised when I arrive somewhere. Double-bag your cosmetics, if you’re travelling with tan, keep that in a separate bag that’s zipped up, because it will leak."

How did you find holidaying with your mum, Linda, in Tenerife?

"Do you know what? It was so nice. I try and take my mum away every year and it’s actually the second time we’ve been to Tenerife. She was treated like a queen, she loved it, she had a really fun time... although she did say, “I didn’t realise how hard you worked! haha."

Who’s the most memorable star you’ve ever met?

"Madonna was pretty cool! Mariah was great, Cher was great, Lady Gaga was great... I’ve been really lucky to meet a load of people.

I remember walking into the interview with Madonna, and she was running really late... I sat down and said, “Hi Madonna, nice to meet you!” and she said, “What star sign are you?”. I went, “I’m a Scorpio.” And she replied, “I don’t get on with Scorpios.” And in that moment, I just thought I’ve got two choices. And I thought, I’ll take the Rylan route, and I went, “Well, you’re going to love me!”. And she did! And at the end of it, she was like, “You’re the nicest Scorpio I’ve ever met”. So yeah, she was quite cool!"

Have you ever bumped into another celebrity abroad?

"All the time! It’s so weird. In Marbella, I always bump into people I know, it’s literally like the who’s who of TV just wandering around Puerto Banus!"

If you could pick four people to have a dinner party with, who would it be and why?

"Can I pick five?"

You can pick five!

"All five Spice Girls. Sort it out, come on!"

Quickfire round:

Sunlounger or ski slope?

I’m going to say ski slope because I've never been skiing and I wanna go skiing!

Champers or sangria?

Champers!

Corrie or EastEnders?

EastEnders.

Night on the town or Netflix and chill?

Netflix and chill.

Beach club or night club?

Ooh, I’m getting old... beach club!

Spa day or city exploring?

City exploring.

Tapas bar or Michelin star?

Tapas bar.