The Games

I didn't fancy watching Matt Damon impersonating Jude Law last night (good film but I wasn't really in the mood) so instead I turned onto Channel 4 for The Games. At first glance this looks like just another reality TV show for celebrities whose careers need a boost (e.g. Gail Porter, Lee Latchford Evans) but it actually has more to it than most other 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me On The TV' formats. Firstly, they are there to raise money for charity, which can never be a bad thing in my book. More importantly, though is how seriously they are taking it. The show is only on for a week but they have been in training for it for two months, which is a pretty long time to be devoted to something like this.

In case you haven't seen anything about it the idea is something like this: Five male and five female celebrities compete in six different sporting events. Points are awarded for how well you do and at the end of the week there will be a winning man and a winning woman. The men compete in diving, weightlifting, curling, vaulting, long jump and 100m while the women have to get through 50m freestyle, hurdles, speed skating, judo, hammer and 100m.

Last night the pool events took place. Given that Gail Porter and Josie D'Arby couldn't swim before they started the training, so it was pretty impressive to see them both manage to swim a 50m race, even if they came 4th and 5th. Similarly with the men, three of them are petrified of heights and yet they all dived from at least the 5m board. James Hewitt (yes, that James Hewitt) performed very well but it was Bobby Davro who stole the show when he hit the water practically horizontal. Ooh that must have stung.

If you're interested, it's the weightlifting and hurdles tonight. 9p.m. Channel 4.