A hairdresser has made his television debut - as a contestant in what is being called the most shocking reality TV show ever.

Nathan Roberts, 24, from Folkestone, was one of eight chosen to compete in a Channel Five programme called Unbreakable - which sees men and women undertake a series of tasks to see if they can be broken, mentally or physically.

These include some of the toughest military selection tasks and learning to survive in the world’s harshest environments.

However, the show has been criticised for going too far with contestants being buried, whipped, trapped in a tent full of CS gas, made to wrestle alligators and told to wade through piranha-infested waters.

They are even exposed to waterboarding – a torture technique the CIA has been accused of using on terror suspects.

This involves being tied down on a board and having water poured over the face to recreate the experience of drowning.

In the first programme of the series, which was screened on Monday evening, Nathan was seen being bitten by huntsman ants as part of an initiation ceremony and running through the jungle in Guyana, during which he passed out and suffered convulsions due to the heat, humidity and dehydration.

His condition was so serious he was then pulled out of the contest by medics.

Nathan, a body builder, said: “We were taken into the middle of the jungle with no chance to acclimatise and had to do a one hour run with heavy packs on our backs. The heat and humidity meant it was like running in a sauna or a steam room.

“After I collapsed I was told it was too dangerous to continue. I was gutted. I would love to have stayed.”

Nathan was asked to audition for the show after being seen by a talent spotter at the BAFTAs where he was an extra who was dressed as a Spartan warrior from the film 300. He hopes to break in to television presenting or acting.

Unbreakable can be seen on Mondays on Channel Five at 9pm.