Castaway family to leave island

The Carey family are going back to Birmingham

A family of four are to leave the BBC's Castaway 2000 programme, after rumours of lifestyle differences.

Gordon and Cassie Carey, both 51, are returning to Birmingham from the remote Scottish island of Taransay with their two children, Yoneh, five, and Aaron, three.

They were one of only five families who took their children to the island for the project, which involves cameras following a group of volunteers for the whole of 2000.

The remote Scottish island of Taransay, where the Castaways live

The family are Seventh Day Adventists and do not drink or smoke, which is thought to have led to tension.

Their departure leaves 30 volunteers on the island.

A BBC spokesman said: "Tthe Carey family will be leaving the Castaway 2000 project with our support and agreement.

"Gorden, Cassie, Yoneh and Aaron have found many aspects of Castaway 2000, such as their involvement with the animals, the crops, the building programme and the school activities, very rewarding.

"However, they found it difficult to reconcile some elements of their way of life with other members of the community."

Castaway 2000's producer, Chris Kelly, said: "We are extremely sad to see the Carey family leave after they have made such a valuable contribution to the project.

"Ultimately, Gordon has been unhappy for some time and while Cassie and the kids have been having a ball, he has stuck it out for the family."

He suspects the decision could have been triggered by an emotional reunion between Gordon and his 83-year-old mother.

Mother

At the end of last month the volunteers were allowed to receive visitors. Gordon decided not to accept any, but the team secretly arranged for his mother - who lives on the Caribbean island of St Kitts - to visit him.

The pensioner, who is partially sighted and diabetic is staying in England until next month.

Kelly, who admitted the "emotional reunion" may have sparked Gordon into action, but dismissed suggestions the tension arose purely as a result of religious differences.

"It is not about that and that is oversimplifying it," he insisted.

Kelly added that the Carey's decision to go would affect the other children on the island the most.

Ray Bowyer left the island after a number of 'incidents'

"Their departure will really hit the kids hard, as a quarter of them are leaving."

In March, builder Ray Bowyer left the island following a number of incidents with other members of the group.

Last month, fellow volunteer Ron Copsey also quit, blaming personality clashes and "inflated egos".

Yet these clashes had been seen by viewers as a highlight of the show.

The group members were selected from 4,000 applicants, and after being whittled down to a final 200, they were interviewed, given psychometric tests and a series of physical challenges to test their suitability.