Antoni Porowski on Fame, Anxiety & How Travel Changed His Life

Antoni Porowski is one of the world’s most recognisable TV personalities — best known as the food and wine expert on Netflix’s global phenomenon Queer Eye.

But before the fame, Antoni was hustling in New York restaurants, auditioning for acting jobs and saving up for the trips that would completely shape his outlook on life.

In this episode of The Travel Diaries, Antoni takes Holly through the journeys that defined him — from childhood road trips to Cape Hatteras and the food experiences that sparked his obsession with cooking, to falling in love with Rome and Florence as a young waiter in New York.

He opens up about the moment Queer Eye changed everything, the loss of anonymity that followed, and why travel continues to “rightsize” his problems.

Plus, Antoni shares stories from filming his new National Geographic series Best of the World, including emotional moments in Mexico City, hidden gems in Borneo, and the destinations still at the top of his bucket list.

Destination Recap
📍 Pennsylvania, USA
📍 New York City, USA
📍 Montreal, Canada
📍 Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, USA
📍 Florence, Italy
📍 Rome, Italy
📍 Mexico City, Mexico
📍 Kuching, Borneo, Malaysia
📍 Fire Island, New York, USA
📍 Iceland
📍 Istanbul, Turkey
📍 Morocco
📍 Patagonia

Listen to The Travel Diaries:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/22P5lyR8nYtQiOUj6WFxJn
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-travel-diaries/id1471130008

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction: Balancing City Life & The Pennsylvania Sticks   
02:21 - Chapter 1: Childhood Road Trips to Cape Hatteras   
05:07 - Culinary Awakenings & Food Obsession In Montreal   
08:00 - Moving to West Virginia & Cultivating an Outdoor Lifestyle   
09:25 - The Perfect Day in Montreal: Hockey Sticks & Local Gelato   
14:52 - Chapter 2: Transatlantic Budgets & Falling in Love with Rome   
16:45 - The Hustle Before the Storm: Auditioning in New York City   
18:50 - Overcoming Terror & The Pathological Desire to Win   
19:35 - Jumbotrons & Global Rollouts: The Life-Changing Impact of Queer Eye   
25:44 - Graduation Fatigue: Saying Goodbye to the Cast & Finding Control   
29:21 - Chapter 4: Lost Paradise Vegetation & Secret Spots in Mexico City   
35:10 - Chapter 5: Exploring Ancestral History and Indigenous Traditions in Borneo   
38:22 - Shaved Garlic and Camembert Cheese: Tasting Durian for the First Time   
40:22 - Chapter 6: Early Twenties Insecurities & Regrets on Fire Island   
44:53 - Chapter 7: The Bucket List—Chasing Glaciers & Gaucho Traditions

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