A brand new series of Celebrity Hunted is kicking off for a 2023 installment of the most nail-biting shown on the telly. But is Celebrity Hunted fake or not? Reality Titbit had a peek inside.
Watching the Channel 4 series raises plenty of questions. It’s a complicated and intricate series that seems too cool to be real. How do they have access to CCTV across the country?
How are weeks of 24/7 footage crammed into a handful of episodes? Here’s a reality TV expert’s opinion on whether Channel 4 series Hunted is fake or legit.
The Hunters – real
For starters, we know that the Hunters are real. Assistant Chief Constable of Cleveland Police, Lisa Theaker, took over from Ben Owen in season 4. Special Heads of Ops Marc Cananur and Deputy Ray Howard join her for the show.
They have all worked as police investigators, officers, or experts in the communications and surveillance industry. In the office of 20-25 Hunters, all of them serve a purpose, with no actors floating around for entertainment purposes.
We’ve tracked down future reality TV stars just from a few Instagram hacks so there’s no doubt that the Hunters can do a lot of work with a few laptops at their command. Although the hunters are real, is Celebrity Hunted fake?
CCTV footage on Celebrity Hunted
Celebrity Hunted rarely explains the huge network of CCTV footage and surveillance cameras that they supposedly have access to. Hmm… do they really have complete access to one of Britain’s most prized possessions?
It’s more likely that certain cameras in certain areas have been given the green light for Channel 4 to use, such as the CCTV around St Paul’s Cathedral on launch night.
However, the ability to plug into all of the U.K.’s CCTV database seems highly unlikely, which instantly delegitimizes the Hunters’ so-called ability to track down the fugitives without any pre-scripting.
Hunters on foot – fake
Unfortunately, every TV show has moments that are totally fake. It’s just the way reality TV works these days!
It’s often moments that add intense suspense or unbelievable entertainment.
Just like in Top Gear when the head of any challenge would come to a nail-biting finish, the filming in Hunted can’t be 100% true to the time in which events take place. In 2022, fans still branded Celebrity Hunted fake, Daily Mail reports.
Juggling around clips so it looks like the Hunters on foot only narrowly miss the fugitives is pretty easy.
Photographer: Shine TV Limited
Final opinion
Series 3 contestant Magid Magid made some shocking revelations when it came to Hunted, posting a controversial Twitter feed explaining how he actually got caught.
He said that he was always in touch with executive producers throughout the show and was even directed to do certain things. After all, who would want to watch someone sit in their basement for two weeks attempting to ride it all out?
As far as reality TV series go, compared to the likes of TOWIE and MIC, Celebrity Hunted 2023 isn’t that fake. However, nothing makes good entertainment without a little scripting, and that’s what you have to remember.
WATCH HUNTED EVERY TUESDAY AT 9 PM ON CHANNEL 4