Survivor contestants revealed

The surnames of the contestants are being kept secret

The contestants facing one of the toughest gameshows on television have been unveiled.

The first UK Survivor series starts on ITV on Monday amid a blaze of publicity.

The 16 contestants have already spent 40 days on the remote island of Pulau Tiga in the South China Sea vying to win £1m.

British producers are hoping emulate the success of the American version and beat Channel 4's Big Brother 2 in the ratings.

Contestants will have to find their own food

The series has already been recorded and the ultimate winner is already known by a select few.

But stringent safeguards and the threat of legal action have so far stopped the players from revealing any secrets.

The winner will be announced in a live final show.

The final 16 contestants, picked from 17,000 applications, are divided into two teams and have the responsibility of voting each other off the island.

ITV controller of entertainment Claudia Rosencrantz said: "We were looking for bright people, people who would not normally take part in a TV gameshow."

Although the contestants have been revealed their surnames are being kept under wraps by producers.

The island inhabitants met just five hours before being dropped off and were forbidden to talk to each other.

They were left to make their own way on to the island three miles off the coast and could only take what they could carry and one luxury item.

The contestants are:

Adrian, 22, - a barrister's clerk from Kent.
Luxury item - bar of soap.

Andy, 41, - airline pilot from Northamptonshire.
Luxury item - toothbrush.

Charlotte, 24, - detective constable from Glamorgan.
Luxury item - game of Twister.

Eve, 30, - project manager from Oxfordshire.
Luxury item - toothbrush

Jackie, 31, - purchaser in airline industry from Surrey.
Luxury item - Nelson Mandela's autobiography.

James, 40, - property developer from south west London.
Luxury item - mirror.

Jayne, 47, massage therapist from Sussex.
Luxury item hairbrush.

JJ (Jennifer), 37, - personal assistant from south Wales.
Luxury item - razor.

Mick, 55, - part-time security officer and former policeman from Kent.
Luxury item - toothbrush.

Nick, 38, - drugs company manager from the Midlands.
Luxury item - razor.

Pete, 30, - model and actor from Cheshire.
Luxury item - Bible.

Richard, 33, - psychiatrist from south Wales.
Luxury item - nail clippers.

Sarah, 33, - model from south west London.
Luxury item - peppermint liquid soap.

Simon, 35, - financial sales manager from Birmingham.
Luxury item - razor.

Uzma, 30, - children's nursery owner from Yorkshire.
Luxury item - tweezers.

Zoe, 29, - bar worker from London.
Luxury item - tweezers.