Beauty and the Geek (UK TV series)

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Beauty and the Geek is a reality television show, first aired in the United Kingdom on E4 on February 7, 2006, following the success of the format in the USA, and was advertised similarly as the "the Ultimate Social Experiment". The first series ended on 14 March, and was repeated on Channel 4 beginning on 31 March. There is no host per se, although voiceovers are provided by David Mitchell of Peep Show fame and the physical actions normally requiring a host are performed by a silent "butler" known as "Gates" (actor Alex Purves).

1 Overview
2 Series 1
- 2.1 Cast
- 2.2 Challenges
3 See also
4 External links
- 4.1 Contestant websites

[edit] Overview

Like its US counterpart, the show matches physically attractive, but intellectually challenged women with geeky-looking, socially inept, "genius" men, and have them try to learn from each other. The women try to learn about academia such as rocket science or anatomy from the men, while the men try to learn social skills from the women. Each pair must share a room (for some this meant sleeping in the same bed) in a large Scottish castle (Blairquhan Castle in Ayrshire) that provides the setting of the show.

The show begins with seven "beauties" and seven "geeks". The men and women take turns choosing partners by introducing themselves in gender-divided rooms. Once paired off, the teams work together to become proficient in unfamiliar areas of study. Their skills are tested in a series of competitions, usually one for the men and one for the women. The winners of each competition get to choose one team each to go to an elimination round, or both if each partner wins their respective round. In the elimination room, the women then the men answer three questions each about their area of study. The team with the most points (or the winner of the tiebreaker in the event of a tie) remains in the castle. The other team leaves immediately.

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

The last team remaining wins £40,000, split evenly. The winners of the first £40,000 prize were Teri and John.

[edit] Series 1

[edit] Cast

The Beauties	The Geeks
Alex "Boxing Ring Beauty"	Will "Young Conservative"
Elissa "Model/Aspiring Actress"	Ben "Wildlife Fundraiser"
Carrie "Booty Dancer"	Philip "Computer Scientist"
Hayley "Podium Dancer"	David "Evolutionary Biologist"
Natalie "High Street Honey"	Jamie "Mathmo"
Sam "Essex Girl"	Edmund "Former Child Prodigy"
Teri "Page Three Girl"	John "Theologian/Philosopher"

[edit] Challenges

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

Week	Beauty (Winner)	Geek (Winner)	Sent Home
1	Spelling Bee (Natalie)	Dancing Competition (Ben)	Carrie and Philip
2	Human Body (Natalie)	Massage (Will)	Hayley and David
3	Rocket Science (Elissa)	Women's Fashion (John)	Natalie & Jamie
4	Beauties get drinks bought/Geeks get phone numbers (Alex & Will)		Elissa & Ben
5	Outdoor Challenge (Sam & Edmund)		Alex & Will
6	(How much do you know about your Partner)		Sam & Edmund
Winners	Teri & John