Ex-lap dancer becomes 'Castaway'

The lap dancer hopes the show will launch her career as an actress

A former lap dancer from Greater Manchester is one of 13 adventurers to star in a new reality television show.

Erica Hurst, 22, is to spend three months on the remote, rugged Great Barrier island, 90km off New Zealand, for the new BBC 1 series of Castaway.

The newly-married model, who comes from Kearsley, Bolton, hopes the show will help launch her career as an actress.

The original social experiment in 2000 was based on the Scottish island of Taransay and made a star of Ben Fogle.

The castaways were chosen from 6,500 applicants.

But getting through the auditions will have been a breeze compared to their experiences once they are on the island, attempting to build a community from scratch.

More than 6,000 people applied to star in the new series of Castaway

Great Barrier is notorious for sudden weather changes with heavy rain and gales appearing without warning and - in their part of the island - there is no electricity or running water.

Ms Hurst said: "It is the type of situation I have always dreamed to be in where I could see what my full potential is."

She will be joined by a dozen other pioneers, including a recovering drug and alcohol addict, a former Royal Marine and a mum-of-three.

A BBC spokesman said: "[Erica] once spent two weeks in South America living in very basic conditions with no electricity.

"She admits that this was one of her toughest challenges yet and is sure that if she could cope with that, then she could definitely cope with island life."

The show will be broadcast on Friday.