Television series Daniel and Majella's B&B Road Trip, UTV Ireland's biggest home-produced hit, is to switch to RTÉ One later this year.

UTV Ireland had hoped to do a second series of the show, in which singer Daniel O'Donnell and his wife Majella O'Donnell experience the "unique hospitality" of a series of Irish bed and breakfasts.

However, as the channel was going a transition phase in the wake of its acquisition by ITV, it was unable to commit to making the series in time to suit the couple’s availability to film this June.

Vision Independent Productions, the maker of the show, has now taken it to RTÉ and is on the hunt for B&B owners who fancy a visit from the couple. The closing date for applications is May 18th and the series will air on RTÉ One later this year.

‘Very special show’

"It was a very special show for us last year and we are looking forward to more of the unique hospitality you only get in an Irish B&B," said Vision Independent Productions' Philip Kampff.

RTÉ commissioning editor Ray McCarthy said he was “delighted” to have the programme on RTÉ One. “We’re huge fans of both of them.”

Vision Independent Productions is the company behind RTÉ One's Operation Transformation and TV3's The Restaurant, which originally aired on RTÉ and is one of the few other examples of Irish television programmes to switch channels.

The first series was originally commissioned by UTV Ireland's former head of channel Mary Curtis.

It was part-funded by Skoda, which provided the car for the road trip, and was scheduled on Mondays in between two episodes of Coronation Street, helping UTV Ireland to its best nights for viewer ratings last autumn.