Sleepless TV challengers start seeing things

Contestants on TV’s no-sleep challenge Shattered have begun to experience hallucinations.

Canadian student Chris has already nodded off briefly, costing the team on Channel 4’s Shattered £1,000 (€1,400) of the prize fund.

And now he has told fellow contestants on the week-long challenge - including Cork's 28-year-old Ellen McCarthy - that he has seen objects fly around their home.

Others in the sleep deprivation show – who have now been awake for two days solid – have told of how they have seen flashes and streaks of light.

Chris said today: “I saw a big flash coming from behind us. I thought everyone could see it, but they couldn’t.

He said he saw something fly past his leg and housemate Dean had seen the same thing.

Jimmy has told how he saw “white flashes” and “streaking smudges” throughout this morning.

Chris also said he had seen another housemate’s jeans appear to turn into an album cover as he stared at them.

Yesterday the broadcasting student dozed off for 14 seconds but was woken up by his alert pals.

They were not quick enough to avoid a £1,000 (€1,400) penalty which is deducted from the £100,000 (€142,000) prize whenever anyone falls asleep for more than 10 seconds.

Rather than competing against each other, the entrants are trying to work together. Eliminations take place throughout the week when people fail tasks.

The first person out was Ellen, who struggled with a memory task.

She had to recall how many peas she had counted earlier in the day and was the contestant who was widest of the mark.

“I didn’t think that it would be a big challenge and I didn’t concentrate,” she said afterwards.

And asked what she planned to do as she left, she said: “I want to go out and have sex on the beach.”

A team of sleep experts are on hand to assess the contestants to make sure they are not putting themselves in any sort of danger by trying to stay awake for a full week.

Tonight the contestants are to be surprised with a nude life model entering the house to test their drawing skills.

Highlights from the house are being screened each day on Channel 4 at 10pm while the action is being streamed on digital channel E4.