Reality TV is about to get an overdue shake-up. Hoax reality show The Underdog: Josh Must Win flips the entire genre on its head by putting an average bloke into a houseful of the usual tanned, tattooed, gym-buffed types. They all think they’re in an E4 popularity contest called The Favourite but, in fact, the underdog in their midst – a nice, nerdy 23-year-old called Josh who lives with his parents and four chocolate labradors in Bournemouth – is being backed by a panel of four celebrities, covertly controlling events from the house next door and trying to make Josh win.
“I love how subversive this series is,” says its host, Nick Grimshaw. “Reality TV has become too unreal. Samey people with the same agenda. Our show’s message is more positive. It teaches us that the underdog can triumph and never to judge a book by its cover. It explores the bones of reality TV, its whole structure.” He pauses for breath. “It’s also a lot of laughs.”
The celebrities watching from a control room a mere 10 metres away – and manipulating the action – are reality super-fan Grimshaw, Love Island winner Amber Rose Gill, Towie veteran Pete Wicks and Geordie Shore alumna Vicky Pattison. Their behind-the-scenes string-pulling is meant to ensure that the “Most Popular” vote at the end of the series goes to unwitting protagonist Josh – who seems decent, genuine and likable.
To help keep the celeb judges’ presence secret, it’s designed to look and feel like a traditional reality show: set in a blinged-up seaside mansion in Southend with shared bedrooms and dozens of cameras. The housemates, including Josh, think they’re battling it out for a £10,000 cash prize. What none of them know is that if Josh wins, everyone wins – the prize pot rockets to £100,000 and will be shared between them all. The flipside? If the panel get rumbled by the players, the game is over. “I’m not a naturally secretive person, so I was sweating behind the knees quite a lot,” admits Pattison.
Grimshaw has a dual role. As well as head panellist, he’s the decoy presenter of The Favourite. “That was extra stressful because I have to go into the house,” he explains. “I was terrified I was going to blow our cover. What if I blurt out the wrong thing? What if I give away a clue? But it was really fun, too. Talking through the Tannoy and collecting them when they got evicted felt very Davina-y. ”
After each player is eliminated, they find out the truth behind The Favourite. “Some take it better than others,” laughs Grimshaw. “The longer they were in there, the more it became their reality. So when they got kicked out, people were shocked, crying, gutted or angry. And then we drop the full truth on them, which is a massive headfuck.”
In the opening episode, Josh is the first to arrive in the pimped-out pad. We watch him nervously greet the rest as they arrive one by one. They’re classic stereotypes: influencers and beauty queens, playboys and poseurs. The sort of ruthless fame-seekers who proudly refer to themselves as “alpha” and boast about being prepared to throw rivals under the bus. Like Pattison says: “Been there, done that, got the STI.” She compares one of the strapping males to “every fella I shagged during my 20s”.
Grimshaw was agog at their big, brash personalities. “They were so instantly confident, I became paranoid they were played by actors and E4 was tricking us,” he smiles. “I didn’t think people genuinely said those things out loud – ‘I’m 10 out of 10 on looks’, ‘I’m the hottest person in my home town’ – so I suspected they were fake. But I discussed it with Vicky and realised it’s just the next generation of reality stars. They’ve grown up watching these shows. They’ve been creating content on their phones for half their lives, so they’re super-comfortable on camera.”
“They’ve evolved,” says Pattison. “Like sharks learning to swim backwards. I was shocked when I first saw Josh in comparison to the rest. The others wouldn’t look out of place on Love Island or Married at First Sight. They’ve got the tats, the tits, the teeth, everything. It felt like we had a monumental task in front of us. Then again, I’ve considered myself an underdog at times and I’ve done all right.”
While everyone shrieks, high-fives and air-kisses, Josh struggles to make his mark. As Pete Wicks poetically puts it: “Not to be negative but we are fucked.” Bit by bit, though, the outsider quietly comes into his own. In one episode, Josh finds himself nominated for least popular. When housemates offer hugs and sympathy, he simply shrugs: “I’m not dying.” No wonder the panel hail him as the “least likely reality star ever”.
His presence, let alone his starring role, makes a statement against the homogenisation of reality TV. “You see the same faces and same storylines every year,” says Pattison. “I have my own quite complicated history with these shows [she had a turbulent time on Geordie Shore but later won I’m a Celebrity], so it’s refreshing to make something feelgood. It’s like we’re giving reality TV a much-needed update. Once you see how lovely and kind Josh is, you realise we need more people like that on TV. Not just on reality shows but TV in general.”
“I love reality TV but I do get fatigue,” agrees Grimshaw. “You see the same caricatures and can guess what will happen. This is fresher and much less predictable. Just seeing someone on TV without an eight-pack and perfect white teeth is refreshing. It’s what actual humans look like! That’s why I loved the casting on old Big Brother or, more recently, First Dates and The Traitors. You get a whole array of people. That mix is the same reason why weddings are always the best parties. Someone’s weird plus-one chatting to your gran – that’s what we need on reality TV.”
Grimshaw was transfixed by the social dynamics at play: “It investigates the human condition. Everyone feels like the outsider sometimes – at school, in work or in big groups. We all saw bits of ourselves in Josh. I was definitely like that at school and even uni at first. Hovering at the edge of those noisy circles on nights out, second-guessing myself and feeling insecure. It’s fascinating to see them form alliances, switch teams, get tactical. I’m nosy, sure, but everyone enjoys people-watching.”
As the eight-part series unfolds, the famous foursome do everything they can to influence events. They use all they’ve learned about reality TV to help Josh shine and, they hope, prevail. “Some of the games and tasks are reminiscent of early Big Brother, I’m a Celeb, even The Traitors,” says Grimshaw.
Pattison felt fiercely protective of Josh. “I’m 36 and childless,” she jokes. “It doesn’t take much to get me maternal, let alone someone as cute as a bunny in a bow tie. Josh is the same age I was when I started doing reality TV. I didn’t have strong enough conviction in who I wanted to be or how I wanted to be portrayed, so I totally lost myself in the early days. I acted up, played the role that producers wanted and forgot the real Vicky. It was a real identity crisis. But Josh came in knowing who he was and he remained steadfast. That strength of character is rare. I didn’t want him to lose that or change himself to please people. We all became his biggest champions. Even Pete Wicks, who’s got a heart of stone!”
Grimshaw was surprised by how it got under his skin. “We were watching them for 12 hours per day and got totally obsessed,” he says. “I’m quite embarrassed seeing how emotionally involved we got. We cry and scream, which might look mad but it’s partly why the show is so good. You can tell how much we care. Hopefully viewers will feel the same.”
Both panellists believe the experience could be transformative for its leading man. “I know reality TV can change lives,” says Pattison. “I’m proof of that. Josh put himself in an environment that wasn’t his natural habitat and did really well. I hope it’ll do his confidence a world of good.” “He definitely goes on a journey,” adds Grimshaw. “In fact, so does everyone.”
And she believes the show teaches a valuable lesson. “The problem with both reality TV and social media is that it’s made perfection seem achievable,” she says. “Nobody’s interested in being normal nowadays but normal is great. Josh proves that. I’d love to think this was the start of a real gear shift. The world is a difficult place. Wouldn’t it be nice if, rather than turning on the telly and feeling scared or sad, you saw a lovely lad changing the public’s perception of what it means to be successful? Demonstrating that being nice and kind is more than enough?”
The prospect of the professional show-offs being beaten by the everyman is deeply appealing. You’ll find yourself fully invested. As Grimshaw concludes: “I knew this would be fun but I didn’t imagine it would have so much heart. Josh becomes a beacon of hope.” Let the games begin.
The Underdog: Josh Must Win starts 25 March at 9pm on E4.
