Back to Reality

Infobox Television
show_name = Back to Reality


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format = Reality TV
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runtime =
creator =
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starring = Tess Daly
Richard Bacon
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country = United Kingdom
network = Five
first_aired = 16 February 2004
last_aired =
1 March 2004
num_episodes = 8
website = http://www.five.tv/programmes/backtoreality/
imdb_id = 0398416
tv_com_id =

"Back to Reality" was a reality television show featuring reality television stars from previous reality television programmes. The February 2004 show was advertised by Five as being "The biggest reality show of all time" however in terms of ratings, it failed to deliver. The 12 contestants spent 3 weeks in a studio built mansion, with no natural sunlight. In the final two weeks, the public voted for their favourite housemate with the two people with the lowest votes every 3/4 nights being put to the housemate vote, where the other contestants has to vote for who they wanted to leave.

The show's presenters, Richard Bacon and Tess Daly, were criticised and the contestants threatened to walk out after just a few days in the house. The ratings rarely went over 1.6 million despite the show extending its hours (early morning and afternoon live streaming). The lack of ratings was put down to the lack of tabloid interest in the show, despite the sponsoring of the show by popular celebrity magazine 'Heat' and the constant arguments and major events that happened in the house. Events included the threatened walk-out of the contestants after Nick Bateman was referred to as 'Nasty Nick', the planned addition of Jade Goody's then boyfriend Jeff Brazier (from the reality TV show "Shipwrecked") as a thirteenth contestant, Uri Geller walking out, the suspicion of Josie D'Arby being a mole (and the subsequent arguments and divides), the love interest between James Hewitt and Sarah Kozer, the rushing of Jade Goody to hospital and the 'Ricardo Incident' when the flamboyant cross-dresser argued with other housemates and then proceeded to destroy the kitchen. The show ended when the public voted "The Games" star James Hewitt to be the winner with Maureen Rees coming second. Since the show, Five have confessed that "Back to Reality" was an expensive but worthwhile experiment however it is unlikely to return. Goody's aggression towards Rik Waller in the series though attracting little comment at the time has subsequently been cited as evidence that she is a serial bully following her apperance in Celebrity Big Brother.

List of participants (in order of elimination)

*Uri Geller, ("I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!" - series 1) Day 1-7
*Nick Bateman, (Big Brother - series 1) Day 1-8
*Lizzy Bardsley, (Wife Swap) Day 1-9
*Catalina Guirado, ("I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!" - series 2) Day 1-10
*Sarah Kozer, (Joe Millionaire - series 1) Day 1-11
*Ricardo Ribeiro, (The Salon - series 1) Day 1-12
*Rik Waller, (Pop Idol - series 1) Day 1-16
*Josie D'Arby, (The Games - series 1) Day 1-17
*Jade Goody, (Big Brother - series 3) Day 1-18
*Craig Phillips, (Big Brother - series 1) Third Place
*Maureen Rees, (Driving School) Second Place
*James Hewitt, (The Games - series 1) Winner

Elimination

:colorbox|tomato The celebrity was voted off after being in the bottom two.:colorbox|cornflowerblue The other celebrity in the bottom two.:colorbox|grey The celebrity that walked. :colorbox|purple The celebrity who won.

External links

* [http://www.five.tv/backtoreality "Back To Reality"] at five.tv
*imdb title|0398416
* [http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/backtoreality/ "Back To Reality"] at Digital Spy
* [http://www.criagphillips.co.uk "Craig Phillips Official Website"]