He frequently appears as a fashion expert on This Morning.

WHAT IS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE HOLIDAY?

My sister Oilen and I went to Italy last year and it was very improvised.

We had one holiday planned in our head and we ended up doing something completely different.

We got to Milan and didn’t like it so we drove to Lake Como and stayed in Bergamo.

We roamed around the city, shopping, eating in fabulous little boutique restaurants, relaxing and watching the sun set.

Bergamo is incredible and very beautiful.

It’s in northern Italy so you’re close to the Alps and you get this real sense of fresh air there, not the heat of the south.

AND YOUR WORST?

When I was eight or nine, we went to a tiny little village called Quorn in Leicestershire, a three-mile drive from the restaurant that my mum and dad owned.

My dad’s a massive workaholic and he’d bought this awful stinking caravan that he put me, my mum, my brother and my sister in for three nights while he went to work.

Every night after finishing work at the restaurant and would bring us a Chinese takeaway.

That was my holiday!

BEST SOUVENIR?

A scarf that I bought in Paris.

I’ve had it for five years and I get compliments every time I wear it.

It’s made from ethical, organic cotton and the designers invest in the community, giving them the tools and teaching them how to make beautiful pieces.

BEST BOOK?

Holding The Man by Timothy Conigrave.

It’s a real-life story about a young man who falls in love with his classmate in 1970s Australia.

It has a really sad ending but it’s a beautiful book that changed my life.

It gives you hope that true love is out there.

HOW DO YOU SPEND YOUR TIME ON HOLIDAY?

I like to fulfil three different quotas on holiday.

Firstly, it’s got to be design-orientated, so it has to have good design museums and wonderful architecture.

Secondly, shopping and I love to shop with the locals, not at the big pretty stores.

And finally, the food has got to be amazing.

WHERE WOULD YOU REVISIT?

Malacca in Malaysia – I was there for three days filming and I fell in love with it.

It’s home to the Peranakan tribe which dates back to when the Chinese used Malaysia as a port, then the two nationalities came together and had children.

It’s a fascinating culture, an Asian hybrid community, and the Peranakan food is phenomenal.

WHERE ARE YOU OFF TO NEXT?

I’m going to Japan in March.

We’re visiting Tokyo and Kyoto.

I’ve never been before and it’ll be cherry blossom season – I’m really looking forward to it.

I’m going with a close friend who’s a photographer, so we plan to take countless photos.

● Gok Wan has teamed up with American Express to uncover hidden gems and local small businesses. More info: amex shopsmall.co.uk