Distraction

New to Challenge, comedian and presenter Jimmy Carr hosts a gameshow which combines the gross-outs and drama of Fear Factor with the side-splitting hilarity of one of his sold-out standup shows.

Each show starts with the four contestants being introduced by having their most embarrassing moments and their most unusual peccadilloes exposed for the audience's amusement. Difficulties arise almost immediately for the hapless contestants - as the title of the show suggests, they are put off from answering by various methods of distraction. In the first rounds, simply pressing the buzzer might involve an electric shock, a rotten egg to the face, the drinking of hot sauce or urine, or the smashing of glass bottles over the contestants' heads!

Once the contestant has managed to press the buzzer, which might be surrounded by cacti or attached to another contestant's bottom, they must try to remember what the question was, and to answer it correctly. These preliminary rounds are only the tip of the iceberg, however: during the timed rounds, the contestants must correctly answer as many questions as they can while being harangued. The continuing distractions may involve being manhandled by professional wrestlers, kickboxers or attack dogs, being made to dress a group of naked people, or being defecated upon by a cage full of pigeons.

And the torment doesn’t stop there - even when a contestant has won a major prize, such as a car or a large sum of money, they still risk seeing that prize destroyed by their fellow contestants if they fail to answer more questions correctly. The dry-witted Jimmy Carr makes the ideal ringmaster to these outrageous stunts, which he oversees with undisguised glee. Now internationally syndicated, Distraction is a cringe-inducing and riotously funny show.