Six celebrities are being locked up for a new TV series examining life behind bars. Channel 4 has commissioned HMP (wt) to show what life is really like for those in Britain's prisons.
Gogglebox star Marcus Luther and Eastenders' star Sid Owen, who plays Ricky in the soap, are among those being put behind bars. They will be locked up for eight days inside the decommissioned prison HMP Shrewsbury.
They will be joined inside by singer HRVY, comedian and actor Tom Rosenthal, Mail on Sunday columnist Peter Hitchens and former MP Neil Parish. They will be incarcerated with a number of real ex-criminals.
Tim Whitwell, the executive producer of the show, said: “For the first time, we have rigged a prison to find out what really happens in the cells after bang up. This series aims to enthral and entertain, whilst kickstarting a national debate about crime and punishment.”
HMP Shrewsbury will be run by a former prison governor with 20 years' experience in some of the UK's toughest prisons as well as a number of former prison officers. The inmates will be expected to live by current prison rules.
The ex-criminals joining the celebs inside have all committed real crimes but are all now reformed and have agreed to re-enter prison for the show. The celebs will be able to interview them about their experiences and past crimes.
Alisa Pomeroy, Channel 4's channel head of documentaries, said: “This is the sort of television that Shine makes so brilliantly for C4, in the vein of precursors The Island and Hunted. Once again, they've constructed an immersive documentary precinct where real stories play out.
"We've always wanted to rig a prison with cameras at C4, and this series comes as close as possible, allowing us to explore some of the big questions about the UK prison system and whether it works.”
