Contestants laid low on the ocean wave

Niall Murray

The first of the 10 contestants on RTÉ’s latest TV reality show is set to take the plunge and bid farewell to their shipmates tonight.

And judging by how the first few days have gone, it might just come as a welcome relief.

Despite the early pleasantries, the ten contestants were greeted on the first day at sea by a force eight gale, which laid everybody low.

Despite redeeming themselves on a few challenges later in the week, one of them will be overboard after viewers voted for their favourite contestants last night.

The loser will be revealed live on television tonight and forced to walk the plank in Bangor, County Down.

Over the next eight weeks, the crew will be set increasingly difficult tasks to complete, with rewards for those who do best.

In between they will be docking in Sligo, Galway, Limerick, Caherciveen, Cobh and Dublin.

The final week at the end of July will see three contestants remaining and the one with most votes from the public scooping the prize of 100,000.

Already, insiders have suggested that 35-year-old Neville Fitzpatrick looks like a serious contender.

The Clare restaurant owner, originally from Howth in Dublin, has impressed early on, but the real surprise was the performance of former Royal Navy man Dean Ward from Dublin who was all at sea for the first few days.

He even had to be taken to a doctor at one stage because of his sea sickness.

The 33-year-old thought he was having an allergic reaction to other medication he was taking for an injury picked up during preparations for the programme.

“There was a moment when we thought he’d have to be sent home, but thankfully he seems to be on top form again and we are keeping our fingers crossed that there will be no more casualties,” said one insider last night

There was plenty girl-boy competition during the opening week, with the five ladies on board easily beating the men on a picture challenge around Carlingford on their first full day.

But the boys had the last laugh when their victory in physical and mental challenges back on board earned them a night out in the pub with decent grub.

The dietary restrictions on board Cabin Fever I are quite hellish, with a staple of boring but nutritious tofu, rice, pasta, liver and other such niceties.

However, if the nine people who remain after tonight think they’ve had it rough, programme producers have promised the next leg of their voyage as far as Sligo will be even tougher.

The first contestant to go overboard will be named and shamed live on RTÉ One after the 9pm news on RTÉ One tonight.