The contestants were coerced into staying awake for multiple days, mirroring the unsettling premise of the Russian Sleep Experiment creepypasta.
In 2004, Channel 4’s show featured a group of 10 contestants, ranging in age from 19 to 33, who were given the task of staying awake for seven days in order to compete for a grand prize of £100,000.
Nevertheless, there was a caveat.
For their protection, they were only permitted to rest for one hour each day. However, they were not granted permission to use medications, alcohol, drugs, electronic devices, cell phones, or musical instruments.
The British show on sleep deprivation, which shared similarities with the Russian Sleep Experiment, had a seven-episode run and was filmed in a “laboratory”set up in an abandoned shopping center. Dermot O’Leary served as the host.
The participants resided in a setting similar to that of Big Brother, where they were under constant surveillance and had to successfully complete daily performance evaluations and various tasks.
Every day, a participant was selected for the challenge known as ‘You Snooze You Lose.’ Its objective was to induce contestants to sleep by having them cuddle with soft toys, sit in a heated room, and even watch paint dry while reclining in a chair.
The ultimate test consisted of a grueling sleep competition, in which the individual who remained awake the longest would claim the cash prize. Clare Southern, a 19-year-old, emerged victorious after staying alert for a total of 178 hours and was awarded £97,000.
Some contestants experienced unusual health effects, with one reporting severe hallucinations and believing they were the Prime Minister of Australia. Another contestant consulted with the show’s psychologists and ultimately decided to leave the show.
Ofcom, the regulatory and competition authority for the UK communications industries, received 34 complaints from concerned members of the public regarding the broadcast of Shattered.
Upon further examination of “the intention behind the programme”and “expert medical opinions,”it was concluded that Channel 4 did not violate its programming guidelines.
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