Touch the Truck
Touch the Truck was a channel 5 endurance gameshow which aired in 2001.
It was hosted by Dale Winton[1] involved a group of 20 contestants holding onto a truck with the last person left touching the truck winning it.
The show was filmed at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock Essex.
Jerry Middleton, 39, from Winchester, Hampshire was the eventual winner who managed to stay awake touching the vehicle for 81 hours 43 minutes and 31 seconds. He stated that he was going to sell the vehicle to fund a political party.[2]
The competition caused some contestants to hallucinate through sleep deprivation with one contestant believing that the vehicle had turned into an ocean liner.
Rules
According to the rules [3] of the competition contestants could be disqualified if:
- They overrun their breaks which were 10 minutes every two hours and 15 minutes every 6 hours
- They removed their hand from the truck
- They fell asleep
Contestants could also be drug tested to ensure fairness.