BBC Lifestyle Series Tackles Live-Vote Production Model; Creators Navigate Real-Time Filmi

Producers Trevor Kaplan and Nico Nel built Hidden Gems: South Africa around a logistical problem most travel shows avoid entirely: letting the audience decide the outcome while filming is still underway.

The series, produced by PD Production for BBC Lifestyle, runs on a multi-platform delivery model. Local travel influencers document curated destinations in real time, covering design, dining, activities, and atmosphere as they go. Viewers vote weekly to determine which location earns the title of supreme hidden gem, with weekly rewards and a grand prize structure sustaining engagement across the run. That interactive layer required substantial planning. The production team had to build a format that could absorb unpredictable audience preferences without losing narrative coherence. “While we have our favourites, and a few hidden gems in mind that we think could win, travel is such a subjective subject,” Nel explained. “What will the audience consider? Is it location? Opulence? Luxury? Dining? Or the surrounding activities?”

Vetting the ten featured destinations followed a structured process. The team collected recommendations from the influencers themselves, then sorted those suggestions into thematic categories: Water, Mountain, Urban, Eco, and others. The categorization ensured variety across filming locations and accommodation types. What the team did not fully anticipate was how consistently the destinations exceeded expectations on the ground. “All of them surprised us in one way or another,” Nel said. “While you see images on social media, the actual travel experience, the hunt and the final discovery is highly unique.”

Influencer selection applied similar operational logic. Kaplan and Nel prioritized individuals with solid but not massive follower bases, people they could spend extended filming days with and whose content carried genuine authenticity. “It was important for us to select influencers that we connected with personally, individuals with good personalities that we could spend days filming with,” Kaplan noted. Choosing growing voices over established mega-influencers also reduced the scheduling complications that come with coordinating celebrity availability.

The series takes a firm position on paid endorsements: there are none. Nel described this as a core production principle. “This is curated content that provides an honest opinion. It reinforces that these gems are within reach, instilling that travel bug so that people can head out on a whim on a weekend for a quick getaway.” In a content landscape saturated with sponsored posts, that editorial stance functions as a practical differentiator.

By contrast, the definition of what qualifies as a hidden gem extends well beyond the accommodation itself. Kaplan framed it this way: “It’s a holistic experience that includes unique dining, often featuring local cuisine and various activities. It isn’t just about the bed; it is about the story you tell on a Monday morning after your trip.” That definition shaped how the team vetted each location, requiring every destination to deliver across multiple service categories, not just a standout property.

Balancing exclusivity with accessibility required careful calibration. South Africa’s geographic range allowed the production to showcase luxury across varied price points. “Even when you are traveling four hours to a gem in the Klein Karoo, you still expect luxury amenities, quality dining, and distinct local stories,” Nel said. That meant assessing not only flagship properties but also smaller regional operations and whether they could maintain consistent service standards under the scrutiny of filming.

The voting mechanism itself serves a delivery function beyond audience engagement. Nel described the format as a platform integration requirement for 2026: “A successful modern campaign needs to engage across multiple platforms: linear TV, out-of-home, and curated social media. This format ensures a 360-degree conversation where the audience is fully integrated into the experience.” Passive viewing becomes active participation, generating ongoing engagement data and keeping the narrative moving between episodes.

Kaplan positioned the series as serving a practical purpose for local tourism operators. “In the post-COVID landscape, it is important to support local tourism. We hope this series encourages South Africans to travel locally and give back to these smaller, local businesses.” Whether the audience vote, when it lands at the season finale, will translate into measurable visitor traffic for the winning destination is the question the format was ultimately designed to answer.