In his brand new series for ITV1, Piers will be getting under the skin of Dubai, Monte Carlo and Hollywood, taking you with him on a journey that offers a rare insight into the hotspots, people, and extremes of three of the most desirable places on the planet.

In the first programme, Piers jets out to Dubai to explore the city of jaw-dropping sky-scrapers, luxury hotels and astounding affluence created in the middle of the desert in just 20 years,

Piers takes in some of the extraordinary developments in the city, meets people of wealth and influence and looks at the party life-style of the ex-pats co-existing alongside Muslim culture. He also examines the effect the worldwide credit crunch might have on Dubai - with 120,000 Brits living the dream there, will the economic problems turn it into a nightmare?

The programme follows Piers as he gets a taste of the city’s luxury lifestyle - travelling by helicopter, sports car and yacht and sampling a £12,000-per-night suite in the only seven-star hotel in the world. Piers also travels up the world’s tallest building, which is still under construction but already has more than 160 floors and is 611m tall.

He sips champagne on the beach with one of the residents of Palm Jumeirah - the lavish housing development on an island shaped like a palm tree which can be seen from space. David Beckham, Ashley Cole and Michael Owen own properties there and houses are now worth six times more than when the development was first built six years ago.

Piers meets some Dubai residents, including two men from London who moved to the city four years ago and have just spent $50m buying a sand island. Their purchase is one of 300 man-made islands which have been created four miles off the coast of the city and have been positioned to represent the countries of the world when viewed from above.

Piers also meets Dr Sulaiman Al Fahim, one of the men behind the recent takeover of Manchester City Football Club, as he takes him for a ride in his private jet and explains his personal take on the importance of money and living a lavish lifestyle. He takes Piers for a spin in his car - the world’s only Versace Lamborghini Murcielago, which cost him $600,000 more than a standard model just for the Versace interior trimmings. He also reveals how he splashed out $2m on a number plate.

Piers examines what the future could hold for Dubai during the credit crunch - the city doesn’t manufacture anything of any value and oil forms only six per cent of its income. Property accounts for a third of its income and some projects have already been shelved or scaled back.

Piers says: “I came to Dubai to find out if it really is all it’s cracked up to be, and the answer, if you like sun and fun, glitz and glamour is a resounding ‘yes’. As for the credit crunch, everyone I have met here says the same thing, Dubai won’t just survive, it will thrive and that’s because it’s bursting with ambition and drive all lead by one man’s extraordinary vision and utter determination to turn this place into the biggest and most successful city in the world.”

Catch Piers On Dubai on ITV1 at 9pm on 29th January