The Games

Host

Co-hosts

Jayne Middlemiss (interviewer), David Goldstrom (commentator), Steve Bunce (pundit)

Kirsty Gallacher (interviewer, 2006)

Live At Trackside coverage: Dougie Anderson (2003), Jamie Atiko and Darren Malcolm (2004), Justin Lee Collins and Caroline Flack (2005)

Broadcast

Endemol for C4, 7 September 2003 to 25 March 2006 (4 series)

Synopsis

Quite good celebrity reality format where ten celebs spend six weeks training in six different sporting disciplines which are then put to the test live every night for a week.

The men and women compete in a different sport every night and the live nightly show is when the final of an event is held (the qualifying heats, if any, are usually shown live in the afternoons on E4). Contestants score five points for winning an event, three for second, two for third, one for fourth and zero for coming last with a bonus point if they beat their personal best on the night. Later series awarded five, four, three, two and zero respectively, plus that oh-so-crucial potential bonus point, to shift the emphasis from winning to not losing.

The money raised from ticket sales, viewer polls and telephone competitions goes into a big pot and the celebrities take a cut for their charities in proportion to the amount of points scored during the week.

A wide variety of events is on offer from swimming, judo, the floor and speed skating for the women to diving, weightlifting, the horse and curling for the men. The final day features the track and field events from the Don Valley stadium in Sheffield and the crowning of the champions.

The athletes spend the week living in the "athlete's village" at the Don Valley Stadium, and this being a reality show, a reasonable amount of time is given over to gossip from the night previous.

Participants

Series 1

Boys: Harvey (winner), James Hewitt, Bobby Davro, Lee Latchford-Evans, Jean-Christophe Novelli
Girls: Azra Akin (Miss World) and Teri Dwyer (joint winners), Mel C, Gail Porter, Josie d'Arby.

Series 2

Girls: Lady Isabella Hervey (winner), Jodie Marsh, Charlie Dimmock, Katy Hill, Linda Lusardi
Boys: Shane Lynch and Jarrod Batchelor (Mr Gay UK) (joint winners), Pat Sharp, Romeo, Charles Ingram.

Series 3

Girls: Kirsty Gallacher (winner), Lisa Maffia, Mel Giedroyc, Her Royal Highness Princess Tamara Czartoryski-Borbon, Anna Walker.
Boys: Philip Olivier (winner), Craig Charles, Chesney Hawkes, Jonathon Morris (replaced by Danny Foster), Kevin Simm.

Series 4

Girls: Bernie Nolan, Javine (winner), Michelle Gayle, Amanda Lamb, Julia Goldsworthy MP.
Boys: Peter Duncan, Jade Jones (winner), Jason King, MC Plat'num, Adam Rickitt (replacing Goldie).