FOCUS ON EXTRAORDINARY PEOPLE exploit or explain?

Married with three children and a step-daughter, Rachael has neurofibromatosis type 1, a rare genetic disorder that causes benign tumours to grow all over her body, inside and out.

Her condition became noticeable in her teens but got worse with each pregnancy.

Rachael has had a lot of plastic surgery and laser treatment to remove her lumps but they continue to grow back. She is also hard of hearing and relies on lip reading.

She says: “I’ve got thousands of lumps all over my body.

“I’m very self-conscious and I’m scared of public places and the way people react.”

Lucas was born with a facial deformity called oculo-auriculo-frontonasal syndrome and has undergone multiple plastic surgeries to make his appearance more “normal”.

The condition gave him a wider nose and tags on the left side of his face – he describes it as being similar to that of a cleft palate but with his nose.

He experienced a lot of bullying as a child and is now a vocal anti-bullying campaigner for Changing Faces.

His work with the charity led to him being one of the Olympic torchbearers in 2012, aged 15.

He says: “I was born with a facial deformity where my face over-developed. I’ve had a lot of surgery. I’ve been through a lot so I just want people to know that personality is a lot bigger than the way you look.”

Kristin is one of the oldest people in the world with primordial dwarfism, the eldest being just 40 years old. She is 3ft 5.5in tall and has to shop for clothes to fit toddlers.Her brother, also a primordial dwarf, died aged 24 from a brain aneurysm, a common complication of the condition, and she has had brain surgery to remove her own aneurysm.Her height has proved an advantage on screen – Kristin has had an acting role in Oz The Great And Powerful. She says: “I’m 3ft 5.5in. People do point at me but I try not to notice what’s going on around me.” HOUSE GUESTS The nine people going into the cottage. Inset, Rachael’s condition At 6ft 9in, Aly is in the 99.9 percentile for height in the world. She documents her “humongous life” through her social media and artwork, letting people know up front that she’s an “actual giant”.Aly is also passionate about health and mindfulness, and is keen to promote diversity. She says that she doesn’t want other women who feel like they don’t fit the traditional beauty mould to feel less worthy. She says: “I’m 6ft 9in and I own it. “People do look at me all the time – and sometimes I wear sunglasses and headphones just to block it out.” Ted has undergone various body modifications to look more like his beloved parrots, of which he owns seven.He changed his name by deed poll to Ted Parrotman and has numerous multi-coloured tattoos and piercings.He is one of only two people in the world to have had his ears cut off for cosmetic purposes. He also has transdermal implants in his head and tattooed eyes. Ted would like to have his septum removed so his nose can be shaped more like a beak and to have multi-coloured teeth.He used to work in a shoe factory but has struggled to find a job since his body modifications. He says: “I want to look like a parrot because I love their colours and their characters.“Society judges people by their appearance. People think I’m a freak.” Rowdy was born with the genetic condition sacral agenesis, which meant that he had both of his legs amputated when he was a toddler so that they would not become a dead weight as he grew older.He is known for walking on his hands and using a motorised skateboard to get around.Rowdy, who has recently moved in with his girlfriend, uses his Youtube channel to discuss living with no legs.He says: “I had my legs amputated when I was three because they were going to grow funny and be in the way. I’d like to change the constant assumption that I can’t do things.”