Cover Stars 2026: How VIP Madeira trip immediately sparked a booking

Q. How was the flight from Manchester with Jet2.com?
A. It was really smooth. The staff are always nice and we were able to spend time in the lounge, which I’d recommend to anybody. The food was great. We breezed through security in 10 minutes and then we were treated really well by Jet2.com on the flight.

Q. Had you been to Madeira before?
A. No, I hadn’t – it had never been somewhere I’d wanted to travel to and didn’t seem like it would interest me. I could not have been more wrong. I definitely want to go back – it’s an amazing place. Funchal is beautiful and the whole island is so green and lush.

Q. What did you think of the Savoy Palace?

A. It was absolutely breathtaking. The staff were phenomenal and the food and drink were outstanding. It was just stunning. When I arrived in my room, the attention to detail was amazing – it was like in Beauty and the Beast, with roses and chocolates. We also had the chance to enjoy the facilities at the hotel’s award-winning spa. The Savoy Palace is perfect for anyone wanting a luxury stay.

Q. Can you pick out your highlights of the trip?
A. It’s difficult because I’ve got too many! A few of us did some wild water swimming; I was in hysterics because obviously you don’t know what’s beneath you and there were crabs and fish, so I kept screaming. The sunset cruise was a wonderful, reflective experience. We visited the city of Funchal and its fascinating food market, where I bought a pink dragon fruit to try. From there, we took the cable car up to the Monte Palace Tropical Garden. We also went on a 4x4 tour, which was fun – we stopped at a waterfall and got a video of us all singing Hold My Hand by Jess Glynne.

Q. How was the vineyard visit?
A. I’m normally an IPA drinker, but since Madeira I’ve been drinking sauvignon blanc. The vineyard was in a lovely, secluded setting on a beautiful clifftop overlooking the sea, where they treated us to a delicious lunch.

Q. Have you made any Madeira bookings with Jet2holidays since the trip?
A. A customer came in to get some euros and mentioned they were looking at Madeira as a possible holiday. I said I’d just returned, so I got my phone out and showed them all around the island. They came back that afternoon and booked a seven-night trip for four people. I managed it because I was so enthusiastic and blown away by Madeira. 

Q. You must be looking forward to meeting up with your fellow Cover Stars at the Travel Weekly Globe Travel Awards?
A. Yes, absolutely. It will be nice to meet up and pick up where we left off. We’ve got the WhatsApp group still going and we ask how people are; we’re all excited to be meeting up. 

How has your career in travel progressed?

I started out as a welcome host for MyTravel in 2002 when the business opened a branch in Huddersfield. I then decided to embark on a career with Thomas Cook and worked in the Huddersfield, Leeds White Rose and Keighley stores until I was made redundant. I worked for Co-op Travel for about a year, before getting a job at Althams Travel as a part-time sales consultant in 2015.

I became the Halifax branch manager in 2017. We’re a one-stop shop for everything and always search for the holiday that suits the customer best. Because we’re independent, we don’t have any commitments to certain companies. However, our main supplier is Jet2holidays – it’s always our go-to tour operator.

The Cover Stars trip was brilliant because it helps to sell a product once you’ve experienced it first-hand. That’s the whole point of being in travel – you want to experience what the customers are going to experience and pass on your in‑depth knowledge, while showing your enthusiasm.

Cover Stars 2026 partners