TV

IPSWICH can now boast at having two of it's very own reality-television stars after a couple scooped the top prize in a 24-hour-a-day televised dating game.

Matthew Cunningham, 21, of Colchester Road, Ipswich, and girlfriend Natalie Hendrickson, 23, from Luton, appeared with three other couples in an Undercover Lovers dating game, to be screened on the digital channel, Trouble TV, at 5pm today.

Each couple had to disguise the fact that they were together, with the successful couple winning the £5,000 prize. Matthew and Natalie won after only being rumbled by one fellow contestant.

Matthew, who is an assistant printer in The Evening Star's pressroom, said: "Basically you have got to be a good liar and we were the best at it."

The couples were taken to a secret five-star location in Kent to spend four days together in a Big Brother-style environment. Each contestant wore a microphone for 24 hours a day with hidden cameras following their every move.

The girls and the boys were split into different bedrooms in the house, which had a communal living area, swimming pool and hot tub.

Narinder Kaur, of Big Brother 2 fame, hosted the programme and entered the house each day, accompanied by television cameras, to speak to the contestants.

In an attempt to get the contestants to drop their guard, show bosses paired the girls and boys together to conduct raunchy tasks.

Natalie, who works for a vehicle leasing company in Luton, explained: "One of the tasks was called a human trifle where we had to put cream on each other and lick it off.

"The idea was to make people's partners jealous so we could watch their reactions."

Matthew and Natalie, who have been together for one and a half years, were approached to attend auditions for the show after Natalie had an unsuccessful audition for another programme screened by Touble TV.

They both enjoyed appearing on the programme, which was filmed in June, and would both do it again.

Natalie said: "I loved it. It was an excellent experience and I would do it again, definitely. I want to get into television and I hope this is my big break."

Matthew said: "I really enjoyed it, but I just didn't think about my friends watching it. I would do it again but I wouldn't make such a fool of myself next time!"

The programme will be shown on weekdays at 5pm on Trouble TV, which is channel number 607 on digital television.

WEB LINK

www.trouble.co.uk/trouble_tv/undercover.shtml