Channel 5 unveils Big Brother rival

Ulrika Jonsson will present Jailbreak

Ulrika Jonsson is to front a new Channel 5 game show in which 10 contestants battle to escape from jail to claim a £100,000 cash prize.

Jailbreak, which will be screened six days a week and shown round-the-clock on the internet, is already being seen as a rival to Channel 4's Big Brother.

The series, unveiled as part of Channel 5's autumn schedule, will run for three weeks from 5 September.

Jerry Springer has been given his own chat show

The first 'prisoner' to break free from the Big Brother-style compound will win the £100,000 jackpot, taken from an overall prize fund of £250,000.

Channel 5's director of programmes Dawn Airey said: "Jailbreak combines two of Britain's television obsessions: it's where reality TV meets the game show.

Compulsive

"There's never been anything like it on British television before and we're sure it will be a unique and compulsive viewing experience."

Jailbreak is among 39 new programmes announced by Channel 5 as part of its £51m autumn schedule.

Chat show host Jerry Springer and former Casualty actor Patrick Robinson head the list of stars who will feature in the new season.

Springer is to host his own late night chat programme, while Robinson, who recently starred in the BBC comedy A Many Splintered Thing, will take the lead role in police drama Headless.

Channel 5 will also be featuring a series of themed weekends on subjects ranging from Abba to sharks as well as documentaries on Diana, Princess of Wales and the Bill Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal.

The schedule takes in premieres of hit films including Boogie Nights, Con Air and Batman and Robin, as well as the return of old favourites like It's A Knockout, Night Fever, Fort Boyard and House Doctor.