Dan Gowar on a Friday...

THE latest episode of a television programme that pops up from time to time has just ended.

It is called ‘I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!’ Contestants are transported to a jungle-like location somewhere in the world. They are forced to endure being covered in all manner of gunge and eat items – which may have belonged to a deceased animal — it would be inappropriate to describe in a family newspaper.

At some stage, viewers are invited to vote for the contestant they no longer want to see on their screens. As I understand matters, the programme reaches a point when only three contestants are left and there is a final vote.

American showman P T Barnum (1810-1891) is associated with the phrase ‘There is no such thing as bad publicity’. That cannot always be true but the fellow, who also had a business and political career, was largely correct.

Those taking part in the ‘Celebrity’ show must get some benefit even if the first person voted out.

The programme has been described as a reality show. This puzzles me as what contestants go through does not reflect the daily experiences of the average person. Perhaps the word reality no longer means what it used to.

I did not watch the most recent programme other than seeing snatches of it while flicking through the TV channels. Some of the faces were known to me. Others I had not seen before and did not recognise their names.

Wondering if I was losing touch with what’s going on in the world, I asked a couple of younger people if they had knowledge of all the contestants. It was a considerable relief to learn I was not alone in my ignorance.

Celebrities used to be household names. Times have changed.

It strikes me anyone can become a celebrity today if able to engage the services of a good agent. There must be decent money to be had.

The General Manager laughed when learning what I was writing about today.

She took some convincing I was not considering a new career.