Driven out of Eden – by the midges!
‘Survivors’ quit C4 show early... and locals blame the insects
FOUR of the cast of the reality survival show Eden have quit just three months into the year-long project – and the infamous Scottish midges are b being blamed.
The Channel 4 series threw together 23 strangers in a 600-acre wilderness and challenged them to create a new society from scratch.
But The Mail on Sunday can reveal t that it has been too much for some of the volunteers who have already hotfooted it back to civilisation.
One local said yesterday: ‘It’s true, four of the 23 have quit Eden.
‘Viewers won’t know yet because what is being screened at the moment is the early stages of the cast’s struggle to survive the weather, food restrictions and personal disagreements back when it started in spring.
‘I think it is maybe a combination of personal conflicts and the arrival of the midges in early summer that caused them to quit.
‘The midges are bad enough for those of us who are used to them. But it must be ten times worse for the mostly English cast who probably have never been bitten by them before.’
Programme insiders confirmed last night that four volunteers had quit the series on the windswept Ardnamurchan peninsula in western Scotland, but refused to name them.
Locals said the survivors had marked their departure by erecting four wooden crosses – and have begged passers-by for chocolate. The cast members – aged 24 to 54 – were recruited for their unique skills, although yoga instructor Jasmine and chef Steve were seen in the first episode sharing a hammock.
A leading figure has been rowing coach Anton, but he has cut himself off after his wish to build a winter shelter in the woods was voted down.
One local said he found out about the deserters when he spoke to members of the cast over the 7ft wooden security fence on the site perimeter.
He said: ‘Two young women shouted to me over the fence, begging for any chocolate I might have on me.
‘They told me four people had left but would not reveal why or who. They insisted Anton, who seems to be rubbing everyone up the wrong way, was not one of them, which surprised me.’
The show has been a ratings success, with 2.3million watching the first episode. Asked to confirm that four of the cast had quit, a Channel 4 spokesman said: ‘We know people are interested in hearing about the community but we would not want to spoil the series for viewers.’