Split Screen: Thrill Seekers from the CBC

Summary

Snap Judgment: "Split Screen: Thrill Seekers" – A Detailed Summary

Podcast Information:

• Title: Snap Judgment
• Host/Author: Snap Judgment and PRX
• Description: Snap Judgment blends real stories with compelling beats to create cinematic radio narratives. Their raw, musical storytelling urges listeners to experience the world from diverse perspectives—storytelling... with a BEAT.
• Episode: Split Screen: Thrill Seekers from the CBC
• Release Date: November 21, 2024

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Introduction

In the gripping episode titled "Split Screen: Thrill Seekers," Snap Judgment delves into the harrowing experiences of individuals who auditioned for what they believed would be the adventure of a lifetime. Instead, they found themselves entangled in a sinister reality TV show with life-threatening consequences. This six-part podcast, a collaboration between CBC, Love and Radio, and Vespucci, exposes the dark underbelly of the reality TV industry.

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The Allure of Thrill Seekers

Glenn Washington opens the narrative by recounting a missed opportunity:

"[00:25] Glenn Washington: I get her on the line and now she's a junior assistant casting director, right? Fancy. Says she has a role. She thinks I'd be great for a role act in Hollywood."

Glenn dismisses the vague casting call, only to later realize that the show in question was "Survivor," a monumental reality series that transformed television. This reflection sets the stage for the episode's exploration of lost opportunities and unforeseen risks.

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Auditioning for the Unknown

Participants describe their initial encounters with the "Thrill Seekers" casting process, marked by secrecy and intense scrutiny.

Louise Decker shares the ambiguity of the casting call:

"[05:39] Ryan McBride (Louise Decker's Voice): ...it was absolutely super duper vague. ... I was still looking for outlet of other things to try and do. ... I'd like to do that."

Charlie Skelton emphasizes the lack of clarity and the producers' evasiveness:

"[07:12] Charlie Skelton: ... if you want to be on the show, stop asking that question and get on with the auditions."

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Intense Audition Processes

The audition phase was rigorous, involving psychological tests designed to evaluate participants' suitability for extreme challenges.

Steve Hester recounts the psychological assessments:

"[12:27] Steve Hester: The first Series of tests were a monument... white framed window, framed office block."

Participants underwent various tests, including interpreting abstract images and estimating quantities under pressure. These exercises aimed to assesses their mental resilience and problem-solving abilities.

Steve Hester describes an improvisational challenge:

"[09:00] Steve Hester: ... I played that for them. It was a terrible song. It was absolutely awful. ... I then did this whole improvisational routine about landing on the surface."

Despite his lackluster performance, Steve's attempt to stand out underscores the high stakes and competitive nature of the auditions.

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Building Tension: The Journey to the Maldives

Selected participants were whisked away to luxurious locations under the guise of further evaluation, heightening their anticipation and uncertainty.

Ryan McBride narrates the initial trip:

"[19:33] Ryan McBride: ... a really cold, foggy, misty morning. ... to the Maldives. I went, oh, so you're not excited?"

The opulent retreat in the Maldives juxtaposes the grim reality of the show's true intent, leaving participants both awestruck and increasingly suspicious.

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The Unveiling: A Deadly Reality

The revelation that "Thrill Seekers" was a facade for perilous space tourism culminates in tragedy reminiscent of the Challenger disaster.

Louise Decker delivers the shocking announcement:

"[31:17] Charlie Skelton: ... the very first televised British space tours."

This moment echoes the chaos and fear experienced during the Challenger explosion, as participants realize the life-threatening nature of their commitment.

Charlie Skelton reflects on the catastrophe:

"[34:05] Ryan McBride: ... NASA has never lost a space crew during a landing or a ride back into orbit. ... Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff."

The tragic parallel underscores the fatal risks inherent in unsanctioned space endeavors, leaving both participants and listeners grappling with the consequences of blind ambition.

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Participant Reflections

As the episode draws to a close, participants introspect on their motivations and the harrowing journey they've endured.

Ryan McBride candidly admits:

"[36:05] Ryan McBride: ... Because I'm stupidly competitive. It's so annoying, the competition."

His confession highlights the human flaws that drive individuals to seek out dangerous opportunities, often overlooking the inherent risks.

Steve Hester shares his regretful enthusiasm:

"[36:29] Steve Hester: ... I just remember standing at the top of the stairs, turning around and kind of just shouting with my hands in the air, we're going into space. We're going to space, baby."

This moment encapsulates the blend of excitement and naivety that propelled participants into the deadly reality of the show.

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Conclusion

"Split Screen: Thrill Seekers" serves as a cautionary tale about the allure of reality TV and the extents to which producers may go to fabricate compelling narratives. Through personal testimonies and poignant reflections, the episode invites listeners to question the ethics of entertainment and the value placed on genuine human experiences versus manufactured drama.

Glenn Washington wraps up with a poignant reminder:

"[38:19] Glenn Washington: ... but this is PRX."

This final note underscores the collaborative effort behind the podcast, emphasizing its role in shedding light on untold stories and fostering a deeper understanding of the human condition.

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Notable Quotes:

• Glenn Washington [00:25]: "She thinks I'd be great for a role act in Hollywood."
• Steve Hester [09:00]: "It was a terrible song. It was absolutely awful."
• Ryan McBride [36:05]: "Because I'm stupidly competitive. It's so annoying, the competition."
• Charlie Skelton [34:05]: "NASA has never lost a space crew during a landing or a ride back into orbit."
• Steve Hester [36:29]: "We're going into space. We're going to space, baby."

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About "Split Screen: Thrill Seekers": "Split Screen: Thrill Seekers" is a co-production of Love and Radio and Vespucci for CBC. Key contributors include:

• Host: Nick Vander Kolk
• Series Producer: Meera Kumar
• Story Editors: Thomas Curry and Stephen Jackson
• Sound Design: Stephen Jackson
• Music: Revenge Record Label
• Executive Producers: Chris Oak, Cecil Fernandez (CBC); Matt Willis, Daniel Turkin, Johnny Galvin (Vespucci and Love and Radio)

Listeners can access the series wherever podcasts are available, offering a deep dive into the hidden truths behind reality television's glamorous facade.

Transcript

[Glenn Washington]

Snap Studios. Okay, so back in the day, I have a friend. Really a friend of a friend. She's super cute. She shoots me down a couple times. But one day out of the blue, she leaves a message talking about she has a big opportunity for me.

[Steve Hester]

Okay?

[Glenn Washington]

I get her on the line and now she's a junior assistant casting director, right? Fancy. Says she has a role. She thinks I'd be great for a role act in Hollywood. For real? No doubt. I can act like crazy. Call me dinero. Denzel. She's like, well, not exactly acting. It's kind of a game show. A game show, but not in the studio. And how good are you at camping?

[Nick Vander Kolk]

What?

[Glenn Washington]

How far can you swim? Swim? Let me just send you the material. Okay, whatever. I get the packet and it's asking about allergies and how many push ups I can do and would I eat a horse, would I eat a dog? All this stuff. And it finishes with an arbitration agreement for me to sign in case of my severe injury or death. Nah, nah, son. I know some nonsense when I see it. So I throw that noise in the trash. Then a few months later, a new show comes out. It's called Survivor. And it changes the face of television. The granddaddy of reality shows, everything from Big Brother to Amazing Race, the Bachelor Housewives, even the Office and Modern Family all come from this show. An opportunity I threw in the garbage. And even now, all these many years later, I'm not entirely sure if maybe I missed my big chance or maybe I dodged a bullet. Speaking of Snap Judgment, gonna meet some folk who aren't sure either. Snap proudly presents Split Screen Thrill Seekers. My name is Glenn Washington. In case there are any casting directors out there, I can ask. At least when you're listening to Snap Judgment, spark something uncommon this holiday with just the right gift from Uncommon Goods. Yes, the holiday season is here, and Uncommon Goods makes it less stressful. With incredible handpicked gifts for everyone on your list. All in one spot. Gifts that spark, joy, wonder, delight. And that it's exactly what I wanted feeling. Let me tell you what I did. I got on the Uncommon Goods site, typed in robots. You can type in whatever it is you dig, but I typed in robots. And now this crazy kid on my list is going to be the proud owner of the Creatures Creative Building kit. Something cool I wouldn't have found anywhere else. I should have got two. One for him, one for me. To get 15% off your next gift, go to UncommonGoods.com snap. That's UncommonGoods.com snap for 15% off. Don't miss out on this limited time offer. Uncommon goods were all out of the ordinary. Snap Judgment is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy to see if you could save when you bundle your home and auto policies. Try [e-mail] Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states. Welcome back to Snap of Judgment. My name is Glenn Washington. Okay, so it's the early 2000s and TV producers release an ad promising to take 12 ordinary people on the adventure of a lifetime. Nothing more, nothing less. Hopeful participants agree, but in reality TV fashion, there is a catch. Cameras keep rolling and the audience knows a secret truth, but the contestants are kept in the dark. Split Screen Thrill Seekers is a six part podcast from the cbc. Hosted by former Snapper Love and radio's Nick Vander Kolk, the show dives into the twisted reality behind the multimillion dollar TV reality show industry. SNAP proudly presents episode one of Split Screen Thrill Seekers entitled Are you a thrill seeker? Snap Judgment.

[Louise Decker]

Hello and welcome. Welcome to how do you do it? First, you place a pretty vague ad in the press.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

So Louise, just to start things off, can you introduce yourself for me and tell me about when you first saw the ad for the TV show?

[Ryan McBride]

I'm Louise Decker and I'm from Kent in the southeast of England. So I think I must have been living back at home after university. I definitely remember being at the computer in my mum and dad's house and Thrill seekers wanted. Are you missing out on life's great experiences? Is the British public missing out on you? I think it was an email or maybe a Star now type thing. You need the personality to win over a nation, the determination to succeed, and more balls than you can ever imagine. It said, do you want to go on an adventure and do something that's really exciting that hasn't been done before? We're launching a new TV show and we're looking for contestants to go on the adventure of a lifetime. Yeah, it was absolutely super duper vague. It's time to stand out from the crowd. My brain went off to doing some sort of exploration, canoeing up the Nile or climbing Mount Everest. If you're up for a challenge, then get in touch. I was a PE teacher at the time. I never wanted to be a PE teacher, so I kind of fell into the PE teacher role, which is something my dad did. So I think I was still looking for outlet of other things to try and do. At the time, that seemed quite appealing. And I clearly recall sitting there and looking at that email and thinking, I'd like to do that.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

I mean, I've never been to Kent, but it sounds like whatever this ad is promising is going to be pretty different from your life there. Is that right?

[Ryan McBride]

Yes, 100%.

[Charlie Skelton]

So the concept was, are you a thrill seeker and what will you do in pursuit of the thrill? And we were asking, so what is the thrill? Can you. Can you give us more detail? And they said, no, that's it. So if you want to be on the show, stop asking that question and get on with the auditions.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

And, Ryan, remind me, this is like the mid-2000s and you were, I think, around 28 at the time, still working on the railways.

[Charlie Skelton]

Yeah.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

Did you get an email just like Luis did?

[Charlie Skelton]

I was lucky. It was just fortune. I did a few TV ads, done one for Burger King, done a few other ones, and then the Channel four in the mall contacted me and said, do you want to go on this game show? And, yeah, I was like, yes, yes, let's do it. What do I need to do?

[Ryan McBride]

I just remember being called to an audition in the centre of London by a really famous tall statue, a really tall, skinny one. Like Nelson's Column, perhaps. I can't remember what the statue was, but I loved it. I've always been super, super competitive. Competitive in everything and anything I do, which is very annoying. And it's such a bad character flaw that I have. And it was at that point I started to wonder how some people had got that far, because Steve, for example, I didn't understand why they would pick someone like Steve to go on an adventure.

[Steve Hester]

Yeah.

[Ryan McBride]

Oh, it's horrible. I'm going to sound such a horrible person.

[Steve Hester]

I am Steve Hester. I have no artistic integrity whatsoever and will do anything for money.

[Ryan McBride]

He couldn't cope with anything. He moaned about everything.

[Steve Hester]

I was about 25 when I got that first call and I was very immature for being in my mid-20s.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

So did you have any, like, special tricks up your sleeve to stand out?

[Steve Hester]

They said they wanted to see some kind of improvisational thing. So I go down there and I had my guitar and then sat in the waiting room and no idea what was going on in the auditorium. And then they made me go through the usual rigmarole that you do at an audition. Oh, tell us who you are, where you from? Okay, you've got a guitar. What have you got a guitar for? 1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4. And I'd come up with this stupid song about a lemming, I'm a lemon, that was pretending to be gay in order to get out of paying child support for his billions of lemming children. And so I played that for them. It was a terrible song. It was absolutely awful. And then they said, okay, that's brilliant. Fantastic. Okay, so what I want you to do is pick a card off this board. It's a big notice board. And I picked one off, and it was the first landing on Mars. So I then did this whole improvisational routine about landing on the surface. I do this kind of, like, noise of a ship landing, which is like. And then they say, okay, yeah, thank you.

[Unknown]

My name is Charlie Skelton. I'm a comedy writer and occasional journalist. It's a strange time for tv, I think, because we just missed all of the drugs. The massive coke explosion in British TV had just finished. No, I don't think I ever saw a single line of cocaine in my time in British tv, which is dates. It, I think, interestingly, I probably started on 8 out of 10 cats as a writer, which is a Jimmy Carr panel show.

[Ryan McBride]

Rob started brushing his teeth nine years ago, and great news, he's nearly finished.

[Unknown]

Stuff like that. But, you know, I was good friends with these people. So they called me into some cryptic meeting at one point, a very peculiar meeting. For a start, I didn't really have meetings with these people. I would go out for a drink with them. So it was slightly weirdly formal, and they were really shifty, and they'd occasionally sort of disappear to the back of the room and have a whispered conversation. What is going on, what you do? And they wouldn't tell me anything about what the thing was. So they actually said to me, it was a most bizarre situation. They said, we want you to sign up to this thing, but we can't tell you what it is. And I said, well, obviously, I can't do that. I might be, I don't know, selling you my kidney. I don't know what it is. So they headed off to the back of the room again for another huddle and muttered a few things. And they said, okay, we can tell you some things about it.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

When did you first meet the other contestants? What was that like?

[Unknown]

Well, I suppose I met some of them during the initial psychological sort of psychometric shakedown thing.

[Louise Decker]

From the 100 interviewed, we invited 50, but for a day of psychological tests. The most advanced psychological tests and empirical scientific profiling techniques were used to weed out the wrong stuff from the right stuff.

[Steve Hester]

The first Series of tests were a monument. I remember the building being a white framed window, framed office block. The floor that we were on, I think it must have been like the third floor or something.

[Unknown]

So they crammed us all in and lift.

[Ryan McBride]

And I think it was before we'd even send in. I'm nervous.

[Glenn Washington]

They told you I'm.

[Ryan McBride]

And there's three or four of us in there.

[Steve Hester]

Not exactly cramped, but it was fairly full. And then just dropped us down a few floors. And then did you feel that everything just stopped?

[Glenn Washington]

Yeah. Let me put it on the right floor.

[Ryan McBride]

In those kind of situations when anyone or someone's panicking, I kind of do the opposite. So if everyone had been calm, I might have been a bit more like, oh, gosh, are we going to be okay?

[Unknown]

I just remember saying you should all bend your legs so that if the lift does suddenly hurtle to the ground, your legs don't shoot up through your torso and kill you.

[Ryan McBride]

It's fine. They'll come and get us.

[Glenn Washington]

They'll come and get us.

[Ryan McBride]

I remember thinking it was quite funny. I said, it'll be fine. There's nothing going to happen to us. For goodness sake. You know, there's a number down there, there's a bell. Let's ring that. Because I think. Well, I used to think I was quite clever and knew everything, which of course I didn't. So. Okay, we need to.

[Glenn Washington]

Ah, it's really hot.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

I'm just gonna press it. So after they rescue you from the elevator, I think they took you to another abandoned floor with all these empty conference rooms. Yeah, along with the other contestants. So what happened after that?

[Steve Hester]

So there were two tests that they took us on individually. First, they held up these cards and on these cards they had these random patterns and swirls.

[Charlie Skelton]

They showed me a picture of nothing. I think it was paint or like a messy paint picture. And they're like, what do you see? And I was thinking to myself, I don't see anything, but I need to say something. I just made up some nonsense about. I said, oh, it reminds me of a photo that my mum keeps of her dad on the mantelpiece. And they're like, yeah, yeah. And it was just complete nonsense.

[Steve Hester]

And that was very similar with the other test, which was a jar full of these balls, eyeballs, all of different sizes. So you had big ones that were the size of a tennis ball, and there were other ones that were about the size of a ping pong ball. And they're all mixed in this jar together.

[Ryan McBride]

We had to say how many Balls are in there. And again, they were crushing us. Do you really think it's that many or so? And so said this? What do you think?

[Nick Vander Kolk]

Do you remember the producers asking you to do any other weird tests?

[Steve Hester]

Just dance around with headphones on, noise cancelling headphones and like a set of blacked out goggles so you couldn't see, you couldn't hear. And we just got told, dance, Just think of some music in your head and then just dance to it.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

No. No music at all.

[Steve Hester]

Yes.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

How did you find that?

[Unknown]

At that point, really wildly outside my comfort zone, I just crushed all of my normal feelings down into a deep corner and got on with it.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

What was the purpose of these tests? Did they, did they tell you anything?

[Steve Hester]

I didn't know what the tests were for. I had no idea what the show was at this point. I had no idea about anything.

[Ryan McBride]

So we knew it was for a TV show, that we'd be taking on an adventure and that I would need a certain amount of time off work. I can't even remember if they told us how much time we would need off work. I know they said that it would be paid, like if we were on jury service. My head teacher was like, she thought it would be brilliant. And I think she thought she could use me as a means to advertise the school for something positive I was doing. Because if you'd had a teacher climb up Mount Everest, that would be quite cool, wouldn't it? But, yeah, I still didn't know what we were doing.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

If you don't know anything, how do you know what kind of person they want for the show? Like, what's going through your head?

[Charlie Skelton]

So I noticed a few people at the auditions running around like, look at how crazy I am. And doing, like really crazy stuff. I sort of picked up on the vibe that they weren't really looking for, that they were just looking for normal people. I just decided to be myself and not splash around like a TV addicted lunatic. I met a guy at the auditions. I was looking over him and I might. He stinks a booze sitting there. He's got his hands on his head and he was a mess. And I'm like, what are you doing here? And he's like, oh, I got an offer to come and do this show. I'm like, have you heard anything about it? What is it? He said, don't know anything about it. He's like, I'm really tired. I was out last night and I'm like, oh, that's interesting. It's like Wednesday. And he said, I've not been to bed. I thought, oh, that's interesting. I quite like the sound of that guy. It turns out he's like royalty. He's related to the queen. He's a very wealthy individual. His family are beyond wealthy. He was like a party boy. He's like a socialite. That's when I sort of realized all these people have got successful lives, but they want more. And I found that fascinating.

[Steve Hester]

And then after that they said, okay, thank you very much. I wasn't expecting then to get another call. I remember I was standing in Stockport town centre and there's this big glass shopping centre in Stockport and then there's a little plaza Y bit in front of one of the doors with a road going through where the buses go through to the station. And I was just walking out of there and I got the phone call and my agent says, are you free to talk? Yeah, I'm free. Okay. Right, right, right. Cause I've got some really big news for you. People from Channel 4 want to book you for this show. But there is this whole veil of secrecy across it. And I'm gonna be sending you over a non disclosure agreement. You need to be signing this non disclosure agreement. You cannot do this without saying that you are not going to tell a single living soul about what is going to go on. Not even your parents, not even your girlfriend. You can't tell anybody. And I thought, what the hell am I getting myself into here?

[Glenn Washington]

More thrills after the break. Stay tuned. Welcome back to Snap Judgment. Listening to the split screen Thrill Seekers episode. And last we left, 12 people were auditioning for a reality TV show to be taken on an unknown adventure. An adventure of a lifetime. Snap Judgment.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

Okay, so you've done these auditions at Monument in London and you get a call back. Tell me about the next set of auditions.

[Ryan McBride]

We did like lots of outdoor ed, kind of adventurous stuff. Survivor or something like that was on the television at the time where they had to exist on the island. So this is what I'm thinking we're going to be doing.

[Steve Hester]

And at this point my heart sank. I'm not an outdoorsy person. I'm what we would describe as a rotund gentleman. The only thing which gets any kind of workout is my thumbs and my mouth. But I was there thinking, oh my God, this could be the kickstart of my career. This was gonna be kind of Big Brother level production. In my head. I can't say no to this. All these thoughts were going through my head a million miles an hour.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

Did anyone stand out to you at the auditions other other than Steve?

[Ryan McBride]

I think I remember seeing Ryan because you can't really miss him with all his hair.

[Charlie Skelton]

We went to the Lake District, which is about 400 miles north of London. Countryside, basically with lakes. It's a really beautiful place that time forgot. The audition was big at that stage. There was maybe 50 odd people, all the media, staff, cameramen. It was huge. We took over this big hotel, Big jank, beautiful hotel. Like a castle, I suppose. Beautiful place. And we camped out. We went on walks. They made us do activities. We did like team bonding.

[Steve Hester]

There was abseiling, abseiling down and 90 foot sheer rock face, which terrified the living stuff out of me. I don't think I've been scared in a very, very long time. The rope was slippy. I couldn't get a grip on the wall. So that was like about, I don't know, maybe 20 seconds of sheer terror.

[Louise Decker]

Ryan's off.

[Charlie Skelton]

I was terrified up top and then once I got going, it was. It was really thrilling. And then I got a bit bold towards the end.

[Louise Decker]

Nice moves, Ryan. But Louise impressed the instructors more.

[Ryan McBride]

Great.

[Charlie Skelton]

Well done, well done. She said she'd never done that before.

[Steve Hester]

But I'm not quite sure.

[Charlie Skelton]

Off she goes.

[Steve Hester]

Well done, Lou.

[Louise Decker]

That's well done. That's the best so far.

[Ryan McBride]

I'm actually really scared of heights. I hadn't told them I was scared of heights, but I did it anyway. And I said something really silly when I got down there. I'm not going to repeat because I'm very embarrassed of it. Pcp, really easy peasy.

[Louise Decker]

Meanwhile, the rest of the group had an even greater test of their fear.

[Charlie Skelton]

Then some daredevil stuff.

[Louise Decker]

A 30 foot bridge jump.

[Charlie Skelton]

We came to a bridge and they stopped us all at the bridge and we were waiting, like to cross the road like children. And they're like, we're not crossing the road. Everyone jump in the river right now.

[Steve Hester]

Many people would quite happily do that during the height of summer. This was not the height of summer, this was the middle of winter in Cumbria.

[Charlie Skelton]

And we're like, whoa. So we're queuing up to jump in the river and everyone's doing it. Some people are more enthusiastic than others.

[Unknown]

I remember running up this jetty thinking, what am I doing? This is absurd. It was like just being hit, punched as hard as you can imagine in the chest. It was absolutely terrifying.

[Steve Hester]

That water was icy cold to the point that I honestly felt like I needed to get hold of a spoon to get my testicles out.

[Unknown]

And I remember coming up and going, well, that's it. I can't. I'm going to die. I can't get back to the shore. There's simply no way I can swim back to the shore.

[Steve Hester]

The moment that your head came up out of the water, you're immediately gasping for breath. Not because you needed to actually breathe, but because it had just knocked all the air out of you.

[Unknown]

I've killed myself for these who aren't paying me enough for this.

[Charlie Skelton]

That was a real show of character as well. I think that was where they started to cross people off.

[Louise Decker]

Come on, Steve O.

[Steve Hester]

Basically, they've all rushed up to the top, but I'm just absolutely shagged out. I'm just not used to this type of exercise at all. It's a bloody big mountain, so I'm just. Just gonna wait here. I wasn't taking part in some of the activities, like the kayaking. I was feeling so cold and so damp and withdrawn. I was hating every single moment of it. Steve struggles manfully on Remember Me for the baftas.

[Ryan McBride]

He moaned about everything, he whinged about everything. We walked for five minutes. He'd be tired and his legs would hurt. He felt ill all the time. He was hot and sweaty. He couldn't breathe. Just everything you could think of. I didn't know how he could manage to live, let alone do anything physical.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

What did you hate the most?

[Steve Hester]

They blindfolded each of us in this wood and we had to hold onto the hand of the person in front and we had no idea where we were going. And we got to a tunnel, and I was aware of the tunnel at first because I could hear people getting down and scrabbling on their knees and someone that was nearby going, okay, you need to lie down here and move yourself forward. And I was. I'm still. I still am. Fairly big chap, but I was big back then. I was. I was terrified that I was going to get stuck being trapped in a really, really tight, enclosed concrete tunnel where you can feel everything squishing your shoulders in with no actual way out of it. By the time I came out, I think I was having another one of those adrenaline hits and it really wasn't pleasant. I'm not an adrenaline junkie. I don't like those kind of things.

[Charlie Skelton]

I wouldn't say it was enjoyable. It was just like, oh, my God, it's really raining heavy. I'm happy for this audition to end. And, like, we didn't know what was ahead of us, but we all wanted to be there. I mean, if they said to me, there's seven auditions instead of three, I would have done all seven just to be around that atmosphere.

[Ryan McBride]

After that second round auditions where we'd went away for the outdoor ed thing, I got an email to say I was going to get picked up by a car at something like 4:00 in the morning. I remember it was a really cold, foggy, misty morning. My mum was horrified that she had to put me in this car with somebody that we didn't know who it was and I didn't know where I was going. I had to have my passport. I'd have two suitcases, a hot suitcase and a cold suitcase. This car was going to pick me up with a chauffeur and take us to the airport and I was going to meet somebody at the airport. And I remember getting to the airport and I met one of the runners and she told me the flight number, let me look on the board. She said, we're going to the Maldives. I went, oh, so you're not excited? I don't know where the Maldives are. And then she explained they flew each.

[Charlie Skelton]

Person with a chaperon all around the world. Some people in Texas, some people in Rio, some people in Thailand, India.

[Ryan McBride]

So still at this point, I didn't know if we were in the TV show yet, but I knew I was going to the Maldives. And she took my phone, my watch and everything off me from that moment. Then we spent a lovely five days, I think, in the Maldives. It was amazing.

[Charlie Skelton]

One minute we're in Heathrow and I thought, is this the show? Has the show begun? And they're like, no, it's not. This is the final edition. Get on that plane, don't ask any questions. So I did. We did. Me and my chaperone, he was really frank with me. He's like, just don't ask me those questions. And I'm like, all right, cool, I won't ask you them. Let's just go on with what do we do? He's like, we've got unlimited money. I was in Mauritius, we're going to have a good time. And we stayed in a five star resort. And I'm like, wow, this is crazy. It was like being Rod Stewart for the day. We just had five star treatment everywhere. It was amazing. And that was before the show, so it really sparked our curiosity, you know, and our imagination, like, what can this show be?

[Ryan McBride]

And then on our return, I remember seeing some other people on the plane on our return, not on our way out and hearing bits and pieces of conversations and realizing there was other people from the show there. So I thought maybe I was in at this point, but then I could hear lots of other people and I wasn't sure.

[Charlie Skelton]

And then we all met up in Charles de Gaulle airport, I think in Paris. We all flew in from wherever we were. And everyone's like, where have you been? He's like, texas, I've been to Mumbai. And everyone had the same experience. They're all chatting about how amazing it was. So.

[Ryan McBride]

Oh, I can't remember. We ended up going to some hotel, being locked in some hotel for two days straight as well, and we still didn't have a phone. We still didn't have a watch or anything.

[Steve Hester]

Two days of absolute tedium and boredom pacing around just this hotel room. Then eventually we get a call.

[Ryan McBride]

We got called down to this big room. So I think in all, I'm probably in a good place here. I've been away for a whole week, and they must be wanting to keep me on. And when we went down to this big room, I remember seeing loads of people and thinking, oh, God, my heart sank. I mustn't be in. There's so many people here, including Steve. Then from that big room, we then got taken on a coach with all the curtains closed.

[Charlie Skelton]

No one had slept for over a day, maybe two days. Some people. So we were all, like, really exhausted and running on adrenaline. And then they took us to Biggins Hill Airport. They lined us up in two groups, and they said, 12 of you go through that door, and 12 of you will go through that other door. One is the bus home and the other one is the beginning of the show, and that means you're chosen.

[Ryan McBride]

There were such big characters in the other half, and they were talking about how they'd been on, like, the trials for big brother and things. So I thought, oh, my gosh, you know, I'm just plain old Louise. They're not going to pick me. And again, I was stuck in a room with Steve, so I thought, I mustn't be in this group. I can't be. If he's in this, there's no way I'm in because there's no way they would pick him.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

Ryan, what were you thinking at this point?

[Charlie Skelton]

We were all, like, all going a bit crazy at that point. Most of the beautiful girls, they were in the opposite team as well. And I was like, I thought they would choose beautiful girls, but they're all on a different team from me. I thought, oh, maybe I'm not Going to get on. But another real handsome guy. I call him, like, he looks like Superman. Billy. Billy Jackson. He was in my team. I thought, he's definitely getting on. Young, handsome, charismatic TV guy, right?

[Steve Hester]

And then they just came in with a clipboard and everything and went, okay, want the following people to go with us. Ryan, Billy, Kerry, Astrid, Steve, Charlie. And then they took us out one.

[Charlie Skelton]

By one onto the tarmac, and the cameras were rolling. We were like, wow, it's really happening.

[Steve Hester]

And it was at that point standing right next to a private plane. Ramp came down. Johnny Vaughan appeared at the top.

[Louise Decker]

All right, gang, that was a real.

[Charlie Skelton]

Gotcha moment because we. We still didn't know what was going on. And then when you. When you see the cameras and you see the microphones and they're like, we're live. It's like, whoa, it's really happening. It just all comes in.

[Louise Decker]

Back in June, you know, you all applied for a show called Thrill Seekers. Throughout the last five months, you've had no idea what that show was, correct? Absolutely no idea whatsoever. Okay, now, you were promised a challenge and the ultimate thrill. That's what you were promised.

[Charlie Skelton]

Yeah. You're trying to compute it. Oh, yeah. It's like, what's he on about?

[Louise Decker]

And listen very carefully. I'm now going to give you the big picture.

[Ryan McBride]

I remember telling everyone to be quiet because I couldn't hear what you're saying. I'm so bossy, you know, be quiet, be quiet. I need to hear what you're saying.

[Louise Decker]

You are about to become.

[Ryan McBride]

And I don't think I quite processed what he was saying.

[Louise Decker]

The very first televised British space tours.

[Charlie Skelton]

It's like two things going on at the one time. So it was quite hard to put it all into perspective. We were really happy. Oh, we're on the show. What is the show? You're going to space. It's like, whoa, that's too much. So it was just. It was extreme excitement, and everyone was high as a kite.

[Ryan McBride]

Everyone else is jumping around being silly and hugging and. And I look bewildered almost. I don't think I quite understand what's going on.

[Unknown]

God knows what I did in those. In those few moments. But, yeah, just. I was my. I was in my happy place at that point as I tried to whoop and click my heels and punch the air and high five everyone and hug and all of that.

[Louise Decker]

This plane here, it will take you to Russia. Once there, you will undergo three weeks of intensive astronaut training with star, the space tourism agency of Russia. You may have seen when billionaires go up into space. They're the boys they use at the end of your training. A lucky few of you. A lucky few. The best of the best will be sent into orbit, but you don't have to. I'm going to give you one minute. Now, really think very carefully about this.

[Ryan McBride]

I. I'm not really sure I actually want to go to space. I don't love space. They just had that horrible thing happen to one of the space missions not that long before then, I'm pretty sure.

[Charlie Skelton]

My fellow Americans, this day has brought.

[Louise Decker]

Terrible news and great sadness to our country.

[Glenn Washington]

Communications with Columbia were lost at about 8am Central Time. We did not copy your last.

[Steve Hester]

A short time later, debris was seen.

[Charlie Skelton]

Falling from the skies above Texas.

[Ryan McBride]

In 42 years of human spaceflight, NASA has never lost a space crew during a landing or a ride back into orbit. As you remember, of course, in 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded shortly after takeoff.

[Charlie Skelton]

I remember watching live, the Challenger exploding in the sky.

[Ryan McBride]

We have main engine start.

[Unknown]

4, 3, 2, 1.

[Glenn Washington]

And lift off.

[Charlie Skelton]

Liftoff of the 25th space shuttle mission and it has cleared the tower. I think it was about 5:00 in the afternoon or something like that. It's a beautiful day. We're watching this amazing event. Flight controllers here looking very carefully at the situation and live on tv. You know, just like an explosion, obviously a major malfunction. The whole thing was like shocking awe, you know, it was like a cloak. The camera panned right in on it. It just went.

[Glenn Washington]

The rockets speeding.

[Steve Hester]

The shuttle at 2,000 miles an hour exploded.

[Ryan McBride]

The seven crew members, five men and.

[Steve Hester]

Two women were all killed.

[Ryan McBride]

They included the first ordinary citizen to.

[Steve Hester]

Go into space, a teacher called Christa McAuliffe.

[Charlie Skelton]

It was just a tragedy, you know, like, look at the heroes going up to the space station. The poor teacher, she's the first civilian. That's one of my first memories.

[Ryan McBride]

I remember that being back in my head and being terrified of something like that as well. So I think I was a little less excited than everybody else. Also, I'm not a huggy clappy person like that. Anyway, and I had done my research before the show. I knew the company name and it was Endemol. And Zepatron was the smaller company. So I had researched and googled as much as I could about Zeppelin. And I knew they were a comedy company. So I was then really thinking, well, what's this? Why is this comedy? What I don't understand. Maybe they're going a different route or something. So I remember questioning things A bit more probably because I was terrified about the whole space thing.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

What scared you about it?

[Ryan McBride]

I didn't want something horrible to happen to me. I didn't want to die. That's basically all I was thinking. I didn't want to die.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

So why'd you go ahead with it then?

[Ryan McBride]

Because I'm stupidly competitive. It's so annoying, the competition. Wanting to do well and want to please other people. That's the reason why I went ahead with it.

[Louise Decker]

Okay, you may now board your plane and off your plot.

[Steve Hester]

And then he kind of stepped to one side and invited us all to board the plane.

[Charlie Skelton]

Yes.

[Steve Hester]

Yes. And I was actually the first one to go up the stairs because I was the one closest to the aircraft. I just remember standing at the top of the stairs, turning around and kind of just shouting with my hands in the air, we're going into space. We're going to space, baby. Oh, God, I look like such an idiot.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

That's it for this episode of Thrill Seekers. It featured the voices of Louise Decker.

[Ryan McBride]

I've always been super, super competitive in everything and anything I do, which is very annoying.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

Ryan McBride.

[Charlie Skelton]

It was like being Rod Stewart for the day. We just had five star treatment everywhere.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

Steve Hester.

[Steve Hester]

The only thing which gets any kind of workout is my thumbs and my mouth.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

And Charlie Skelton.

[Unknown]

I've killed myself for these who aren't paying me enough for this.

[Nick Vander Kolk]

Split Screen Thrill Seekers is a co production of Love and Radio and Vespucci for cbc. The series producer is Meera Kumar. The story editors are Thomas Curry and Stephen Jackson. Thomas Curry is the managing producer, audio mix and sound design by Stephen Jackson. We featured music from the catalog of Revenge, the finest independent Bennett record label on this or any other planet. The staff of CBC Podcasts are senior producer Kate Evans, coordinating producer Anna Ashatee, senior manager Tanya Springer and director Arif Narani. The executive producers are Chris Oak and Cecil Fernandez from the cbc, Matt Willis, Daniel Turkin and Johnny Galvin from Vespucci and from Love and Radio, myself, I'm Nick Vanderkolk. Thanks for listening.

[Glenn Washington]

That was episode one of Split Screen Thrill Seekers from the cbc. The show, hosted by Snapper Nick Vanderkolk is available right now. Wherever you get your podcast. Yes. Yes. If you missed even a moment, know the Snap Judgment storytelling podcast awaits your ears each and every week. Snapjudgment.org but this is not just a show, it's a movement, empathy, soul, heart. Walk the shadowlands with our evil twin podcast Spooked about the things that go bump in the night. Or you can hear amazing tales from the African continent from Mind your Own with Lupita Nyong'o, all available wherever you get your podcast. KQED is SNAP judgment San Francisco orbiting Hall of Justice. You are the keeper of SNAP's eternal flame and this is not the news. No way is this the news. In fact, you get on a reality show and in a fit of mad desperation and hunger, you can eat fistful of nasty creepy crawlies from inside a rotten log because the producers missed a shot. They can tell you to do it again and again and again and you would still not be as far away from the news as this is. But this is PRX.