Former reality contestants for daylight deprivation show

Spoon-bender Uri Geller and the Wife Swap mother notorious for claiming thousands of pounds in benefit will join Jade Goody and Nasty Nick in a new reality TV show, it was announced today.

In a surprise twist, Five’s Back To Reality will also invite a member of the public to join the 12 celebrity contestants from past reality shows.

Today the channel unveiled the last six contestants – mother-of-eight Lizzy Bardsley from Wife Swap, BBC Merseybeat’s Josie D’Arby from The Game, Uri Geller, model Catalina from I’m A Celebrity, Big Brother’s first winner, Craig Phillips and Maureen Rees from docusoap Driving School.

They will join Jade and Nasty Nick from Big Brother, Ricardo from The Salon, Pop Idol loser Rik Waller, “love rat” James Hewitt from The Game and Playboy centrefold Sarah Kozer from Joe Millionaire who will enter the studio mansion dubbed Beckingham Palace.

The 12 contestants will battle it out in the house – where they will be deprived of real daylight for the prize of £75,000 (€95,100) to give to charity.

The mansion guests will have a week before public voting begins and the most popular contestant will then decide which of the two least favourites gets the boot.

Producers today said they would be able to control the time of day and arrange for the sun to set or rise at the push of a button in Truman Show style and admitted that lack of real sunlight could “take its toll”.

Producers will relay messages to the contestants via a phone box and post box outside the mansion, which has three bedrooms.

One of the bedrooms has only one bed in it, a feature which could spark conflict or romance.

Producers would not reveal how long the member of the public who enters the show – someone who has taken part in the vote for their favourite contestant - will stay for, saying it could be just the morning or the whole stint.

Series editor Justin Gorman said: “By voting, you can join the reality stars and be having breakfast with Jade and Nick.

“This is the ultimate reality experience with the ultimate reality TV stars.

“Being deprived of the natural elements could take its told, with the celebrities becoming depressed or trying to escape.”

The celebrities will talk to the show’s producers via a potting shed in the garden, which is surrounded by a backdrop of painted blue skies. There will be no clocks so that time can be manipulated and, although there is a TV, what guests can watch will also be controlled.

The mansion is rigged with 50 widescreen cameras and 30 discreet cameras.

Today, Tess Daly and Richard Bacon, who will present the show, predicted fireworks.

Tess said: “These are big, interesting personalities. There’s going to be a lot of dynamics and fireworks. Anything could happen in there.

“I can’t imagine anything worse than being watched by 30 cameras 24 hours a day.

Richard said: “This is the best of reality TV, like the greatest hits.”