The Baron
Contents |
Host
Not known
Co-hosts
Michael Watt
Participants: Mike Reid, Malcolm McLaren, Suzanne Shaw
Broadcast
TwoFour for ITV1, 25 April - 8 May 2008 (3 episodes)
Synopsis
Three celebs descend upon the Aberdeenshire fishing village of Gardenstown to compete for the courtesy title "Baron of Troup" (which the production company purchased from the previous holder). The show was left on the shelf for some months, following the death of contestant Mike Reid shortly after filming, and shown as a tribute to him.
Key moments
Malcolm McLaren's tirade against the villagers ("The cod have all left this town and I don't blame them...") made the Scottish press.
Trivia
Scottish baronies are the only British honours that can be legally traded, but one of the first acts of the new Scottish Parliament was to abolish what remained of the old Scottish feudal system, with the upshot that the title doesn't actually confer any land or special rights. So "Baron of Troup" would be purely a figurehead role without any actual power. In fact, Troup Head itself is owned by the RSPB and is an important seabird colony, with the second largest population of gannets in the British isles. The area is also a popular destination for fans of the film Local Hero, which was mostly filmed just down the road in Pennan.
Champion
Mike Reid, whose family have since been involved in raising money to build a new community centre for the village.
