Eleven ordinary people from all over the UK have turned fugitive as Hunted returned to screens. On Sunday night the games began as the group try and outrun an elite team of hunters for 23 days in a bid to win share of £100,000.
The fugitives who the hunters, which include assistant chief constable of Cleveland Police Lisa Theaker, must catch include an ex-military veteran, serving police officer and mother of two; a couple who are experienced urban explorers; two profoundly deaf young men 'in the prime of their life'; two sisters who have something to prove to their mum; and a mother of four who is hoping to evade detection with her grown-up son.
And in a major twist, for the first time on Hunted the fugitives must make their escape from an island, the Isle of Wight, under the ever-watchful eye of the hunter helicopter which is streaming live video direct to HQ. As the hunters circle the fugitives, they must work out how to get off the island without being caught.
But the change didn't got down well with Channel 4 viewers and they were quick to make their feelings known on social media.
@Katrina_15 said: "I'm already annoyed that they're dropping them on an Island what a joke #hunted." @Michymoo tweeted: "This is very unfair though, the island is only small #Hunted."
@TheDominator93 said: "That's simply isn't fair. The hunters already know where the fugitives are AND on an island. What chance have they got when the hunters actually watched them land?" @ja_lee96 commented: "Isle of Wight is an unfair location to begin with... #Hunted."
And the controversy didn't end there as another moment to attract complaints was one that involved a photo that appeared to be taken from the show's cameraman and given to one of the Hunters as 'CCTV footage'. But viewers were quick to suggest that the cameramen themselves were therefore helping the hunters during filming.
@montel96_ suggested: "I get that the cctv is for our entertainment however that photo of the car was clearly sent in by the camera man #hunted." @MrTDW fumed: "#Hunted is getting worse and worse for how fake and staged it is taking pics of cars of ppl getting into them when you clearly see when the camera is on them that on one is behind the car."
@pro_pupil said: "'We've got surveillance footage of them getting into a white car' You mean a still photograph of the cameramans video footage from earlier? More scripted than a really bad pantomime #hunted." @fastraining wrote: "Was that a photo of the Corsa rather than CCTV? #hunted."
The first episode saw the 11 fugitives transported by two ribs and chased by a hunter helicopter as they arrived on a deserted beach with only a change of clothes and a small amount of cash. It was then over to them to make a desperate attempt to get back to the mainland as quickly as possible as the hunters close in on their position.
The series’ first profoundly deaf fugitives, Nathan and James, tried their luck at a private marina, whilst Welsh couple Meurig and Elinor attempted to smuggle themselves off the island right under the hunters’ noses. But it wasn't all plain sailing when a gale hit the island forcing mother and son, Shoba and Amarinder, to use a more conspicuous means of transport only to find two other sets of fugitives have had the same idea.
