An Aberdeen man will be starring in a new Channel 4 show called Strangers on a Plane.
The concept is similar to the hit show Come Dine with Me, but instead of dinner parties, the contestants will each take charge of a day on holiday.
Each holidaymaker takes their turn to plan their perfect day, including what accommodation everyone stays in, where they all eat, what activities the group does and what the evening’s entertainment is.
Participants will then be scored on how well everyone enjoyed the day and a winner is awarded at the end of the week.
Aberdonian Stuart Ingham, 36, will be joined on the show by four other contestants from Wales, London, Swindon and Plymouth.
Show involved meeting people from ‘all walks of life’
The married father-of-one told The Press and Journal he had never done anything like this before but decided to “have a go at something outside my comfort zone”.
He signed up after seeing an advert on Facebook in March 2022 and flew to Barcelona in September for filming.
During the show he said he had some “amazing experiences” that he had “never done before”.
A budget was set for each contestant and the expenses were all covered.
Mr Ingham said the show involved grueling early mornings and late nights, but he would still recommend the experience to anyone.
It involved meeting very different people from all walks of life, which he felt helped create some great conversations.
Come Dine with Me has visited the north-east before, but Strangers on a Plane involves a cast from all over the UK.
However, Mr Ingham, a trainee primary school teacher, was unable to reveal too much about the show before it airs in the week beginning April 3.
The production crew told him it turned out fantastic, and he said some of his castmates are planning to meet up and watch it together when it comes out.
‘I am looking forward to seeing my daughter enjoy it’
Mr Ingham, who has a 13-year-old daughter, said: “I am looking forward to seeing how my daughter Megan enjoys it.
“I am sure she will be laughing a lot and sending me lots of pictures when it airs.”
But the wait for its release has proved nerve-wracking due to not knowing what will be included or how it will be edited.
However, he still feels it was worth giving things a shot in life and said he thinks people often think too much about work.
The full series will involve four weeks of shows, with a week of episodes set in Barcelona, Porto, Sardinia and Benidorm. It will start on the week beginning March 20 on Channel 4 from 5.30-6pm.
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