Hunted (2015 TV series)
Hunted is a British reality series that began airing on Channel 4 on 10 September 2015. The series features contestants who are instructed to go on the run for a period of 25 days in mainland Great Britain, whilst avoiding a team of Hunters composed of former and serving police, intelligence personnel, and on-foot teams. During their time, the Hunters have access to contestants' personal information and use "powers of the state" such as ANPR, CCTV and call tracing to locate contestants. At times, the Hunters will use social media and monetary rewards to members of the public for information leading to a successful capture. On the final day, any remaining contestants must reach a designated "extraction" point before being captured, winning a share of £100,000.
A celebrity adaptation, Celebrity Hunted, is also produced in aid of Stand Up To Cancer, where contestants compete for a shorter time period of 14 days.
Format and rules
In both the civilian and celebrity series, the contestants, now regarded as Fugitives, voluntarily go on the run in mainland Great Britain and must avoid detection from the Hunters, a group of current and former police and intelligence officials for 25 days. From series 2, the contestants are escorted to a public area and given a head start before the Hunters begin their search and are given the names of their targets. Fugitives are given a debit card with a small amount of money provided by the production team, and a rucksack containing essential and personal items During their time on the run the Fugitives can use any existing connections, or ask members of the general public, to assist them in avoiding capture.Whilst the Fugitives attempt to avoid using technology and thus detection, the Hunters use a vast array of different "powers of the state", such as closed surveillance, phone records and number plate recognition to pinpoint their chosen target. If one Fugitives have become difficult to locate, the Hunters use social media to encourage members of the public to reveal any information, and post content specifically for a Fugitive to reveal their location without realizing. Hunters may also be directly contacted by the public with any leads by telephone. Any member of the public with information leading to capture is compensated for their effort. Hunters additionally operate throughout the country through use of two-person ground teams that can deploy immediately under order of the Chief, the ground teams also perform reconnaissance at Fugitives' homes and attempt to goad family members and/or loved ones for information and may be observed to determine any irregularities in their daily routines.
When a Fugitive is caught, they're told their time on the run is over and are escorted to a vehicle for debrief back at the Hunters headquarters.
In the final few days of the game, any Fugitives still on the run are given instructions of their 'extraction point' and a finite amount of time to get there. The Hunters are told of the last-known locations of the Fugitives and extend their efforts to figure out where the extraction is taking place. When a Fugitive successfully reaches the extraction point within the time-frame, they can no longer be caught by the Hunters are deemed as the Winner. Due to the nature of the show, there are two possible outcomes to the hunt. One or more Fugitives can reach the extraction point and win whilst the opposite can occur where every Fugitive is caught and the hunt prematurely ends.
Regular series
Series 1 (2015)
Fourteen contestants were chosen and began in their respective hometowns. Fairoaks Airport in Surrey served as the extraction point.| Name | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Status |
| Lauren English | Decorator | rowspan=4 | ||
| Emily Dredge | Entrepreneur | - | ||
| Stephen Hardiker | Plumber | - | ||
| Martin Cole | IT Specialist | - | ||
| Adam Channell | rowspan=2 | |||
| Emma Channell | 30 | - | ||
| Ricky Allen | General Practitioner | South London | ||
| Adam Young | NHS Support Worker | |||
| Davinder "Dovski" Singh | Leicester | rowspan=2 | ||
| Harinder "Harry" Singh | Leicester | - | ||
| Freddie Young | Teaching Assistant | rowspan=2 | ||
| Jacqui Omer | - | |||
| Elizabeth D'Arcy | Tutor | rowspan=2 | ||
| Sandra Cooley | Occupational Therapist | - |
Series 2 (2016)
Ten contestants were chosen and began in Milk Street in Birmingham. The Isle of Sheppey in Kent served as the extraction point.| Name | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Status |
| Nick Cummings | 50 | Househusband | Taunton | rowspan=2 |
| Ayo Adesina | 33 | Software Developer | Hackney | - |
| Anna May | 25 | Court Clerk | Keighley | rowspan=2 |
| Elizabeth Garnett | 20 | Stockbroker Temp | Leeds | - |
| Madu Alikor | 33 | Software Developer/Consultant | Hackney | |
| Lolly Jones | 34 | Comedian/Actress | London | |
| Hamish Thorburn | 49 | Property Investor | Wirral | rowspan=2 |
| Mikaela Skinner | 46 | Building Shop Owner | Wirral | - |
| Kirk Bowett | 37 | Facility Manager | London | rowspan=2 |
| Jeremy "Jez" Scarratt | 57 | Army Medic Simulator | Cambridge | - |
Series 3 (2018)
Nine contestants were chosen and began in Manchester city centre. The River Dart in Devon served as the extraction point. From this series onwards, the number of days to avoid capture was reduced to 25.| Name | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Status |
| Daniel Murphy | 34 | Singer Milkman | Preston | rowspan=4 |
| Joseph Appleton | 20 | Singer Milkman | Preston | - |
| Bob Ayling | 60 | Electrician | Dover | - |
| Alex Ayling | 26 | Postman | Dover | - |
| Magid Mah | 28 | Deputy Mayor of Sheffield | Sheffield | |
| Jamie Clark | 37 | Ex-Policeman | Dorset | |
| Mella Mwamba | 28 | Housewife | Bromley | rowspan=2 |
| Sandra Canrom | 30 | Advertising Executive | Middlesex | - |
| Carlene Crowe | 67 | Retired College Tutor | Suffolk | rowspan=2 |
Series 4 (2019)
Ten contestants were chosen and began at the Port of Liverpool. The Bullring Shopping Centre in Birmingham served as the extraction point. This was the first time in any series that the Hunters won.| Name | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Status |
| Harry Savage | 20 | Student | Sussex | rowspan=2 |
| Frank Savage | 23 | Campsite Owner | East Sussex | - |
| Nathanael Watt | 26 | Architecture Student | Nottingham | |
| Ismail Haruna | 27 | Architectural technologist | Nottingham | |
| Loren Hannon | 26 | Personal Banker | Essex | |
| Matthew "Matt" Mason | 29 | Royal Marines Commando | Devon | |
| Emma Davidson | 23 | Neo-Natal Intensive Care Nurse | Devon | rowspan=2 |
| Jessica "Jess" Kirkham | 27 | Neo-Natal Intensive Care Nurse | Devon | - |
| Paul James | 48 | Construction Manager | Hertfordshire | rowspan=2 |
| Nick Batchelor | 51 | Lead Youth Worker | Kent | - |
Series 5 (2020)
Ten contestants were chosen and began at A Bond Warehouse on Spike Island, Bristol. For this series, the fugitives started with no supplies or prior knowledge of their starting point. Amlwch Port in Anglesey served as the extraction point.| Name | Age | Occupation | Hometown | Status |
| Daniel "Dan" Ryder | 33 | Gym Owner | Wigan | rowspan=4 |
| Hayley Morrison | 27 | Human Resources | Wigan | - |
| Rob Ellington | 24 | Social Media Content Creator | Wokingham | - |
| Ben Arrowsmith | 24 | Pensions Firm | Reading | - |
| Ella Tomkins | 22 | Charity Researcher | Newbury | rowspan=2 |
| Jessica “Jess” Warr | 23 | Independent Financial Advisor | Swindon | - |
| Daniel Edwards | 32 | Landscape Gardener | Birmingham | |
| Francesca "Frankie" Greenidge | 35 | Foster Carer | Birmingham | |
| Antonia "Toni" Pugh-Thomas | 48 | Haute-Couturier | Fulham | |
| Mervyn "Titch" Little | 78 | Retired British Army Major | Portsmouth |
Series 6
It was confirmed on the official Shine TV website that they were looking for applicants for a sixth series.Hunters
A team of 30 specialists includes former and serving police and intelligence personnel, an ex CIA agent and cyber intelligence experts, who use the fugitives' online footprints to research and hunt them. The team has access to replicated powers of the state, including CCTV and ANPR. Before starting, all the fugitives gave permission to be tracked in the same way as the state might track a fugitive – their cash cards and phones are monitored, their houses searched and their friends and family questioned. The hunters also use media campaigns to recruit the general public into helping them, offering financial incentives. The team is split into two parts: a team of operatives in the field who are in vehicles across the UK, on standby to follow orders from Hunted HQ to head to a particular location to follow up leads on fugitives' whereabouts or to question their friends and family; and a team in the Hunted HQ to gather Intelligence, which they then distribute to field teams.List of Chiefs
| Name | Active | Position | Notes | Win/Loss Record |
| Brett Lovegrove | 2015 | Chief | The former Head of Counter Terrorism Command for the City of London Police. Lovegrove departed after the first civilian season. | 0-1 |
| Peter "Bleks" Bleksley | 2015–2019 | Deputy Chief | A former undercover detective at Scotland Yard. Bleksley served as the Deputy Chief to Lovegrove before assuming command in the second civilian season. After his first clean sweep, Bleksley departed the show after fourth civilian season. | 1-4 |
| Peter "Bleks" Bleksley | 2015–2019 | Chief | A former undercover detective at Scotland Yard. Bleksley served as the Deputy Chief to Lovegrove before assuming command in the second civilian season. After his first clean sweep, Bleksley departed the show after fourth civilian season. | 1-4 |
| Ben "Sherlock" Owen | 2015–2020 | Deputy Chief | An ex-military sniper and member of British Military Intelligence. Owen loaned his services as a Senior Anaylst on the American adaptation of the show in 2017, and as the Deputy Chief to Lovegrove and Bleksley before taking command in the third celebrity season and departing in the fifth civilian season. | 0-2 |
| Ben "Sherlock" Owen | 2015–2020 | Chief | An ex-military sniper and member of British Military Intelligence. Owen loaned his services as a Senior Anaylst on the American adaptation of the show in 2017, and as the Deputy Chief to Lovegrove and Bleksley before taking command in the third celebrity season and departing in the fifth civilian season. | 0-2 |
| TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
''Celebrity Hunted''
A celebrity series was confirmed by Channel 4 in 2017 with their appearance fees donated to Stand up To Cancer. The rules for the celebrity edition remained the same as the Hunted series, but the celebrities are given fourteen days to evade capture.Series 1 (2017)
Seven celebrities were chosen and began at Somerset House in London. Orford Ness served as the extraction point.| Name | Known for | Hometown | Status |
| Jay McGuiness | Member of The Wanted | Nottinghamshire | rowspan=2 |
| Siva Kaneswaran | Member of The Wanted | Dublin | - |
| Jamie Laing | Made in Chelsea star | Oxford | rowspan=2 |
| Spencer Matthews | Made in Chelsea star | London | - |
| Anneka Rice | TV Presenter | Glamorganshire | |
| Dominic Parker | Gogglebox star | Kent | rowspan=2 |
| Stephanie Parker | Gogglebox star | Kent | - |
Series 2 (2018)
Eight celebrities were chosen and began at the Tower of London. Fawley Power Station served as the extraction point.| Name | Known for | Hometown | Status |
| John "Johnny" Mercer | Politician | Kent | rowspan=2 |
| Alex Joseph "AJ" Pritchard | Strictly Come Dancing professional | Stoke-on-Trent | - |
| Kemal "Kem" Cetinay | Love Island contestant | Essex | rowspan=2 |
| Chris Hughes | Love Island contestant | Cheltenham | - |
| Kay Burley | Sky News Journalist | Wigan | |
| Louis Smith | Olympian | Peterborough | |
| Vicky Pattison | Geordie Shore | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | |
| Dominic "Dom" Joly | Comedian | London |
Series 3 (2019)
Eight celebrities were chosen and began at Ham Polo Club in Richmond. In this series, the celebrities started with tracking devices attached to their ankles. Herstmonceux Castle served as the extraction point.| Name | Known for | Hometown | Status |
| Aldo Zilli | Chef | Abruzzo | rowspan=3 |
| Jean-Christophe Novelli | Chef | Arras | - |
| Gavin Henson | Rugby union player | Mid Glamorgan | - |
| Martin Offiah | Rugby League and Union player | London | rowspan=1 |
| Georgia "Toff" Toffolo | Made in Chelsea | Torquay | rowspan=2 |
| Stanley Johnson | Author & former politician | Penzance | - |
| Lucy Mecklenburgh | The Only Way is Essex | Havering | rowspan=2 |
| Lydia Bright | The Only Way is Essex | London | - |
Production
Each fugitive was filmed by a dedicated cameraperson, who followed the fugitives wherever they went. While filming, the production team was split so that the team working with the hunters was separate from the team working with the fugitives, to prevent information passing between the groups and to provide a more realistic experience. In preparing for production, over 800 Freedom of Information requests were submitted to find the location of state-owned CCTV cameras positioned throughout the British mainland. When real footage could not be obtained, Channel 4 cameras captured footage that would have been available to the state, which was stored on a central database for the hunters to access if they wished. However, they had to "officially" request the information as if it were a real fugitive hunt. The hunters were overseen by an independent adjudicator, former Head of Covert Operations for the Metropolitan Police, Kevin O’Leary, whose job was to make sure that the information requested and gathered by the hunters reflected the information that would be available to them in real life and within the appropriate time frame. He was the only person who had the power to release information to the hunters and would only do so when he considered that the hunters had done sufficient detective work to justify access to the information.Ratings
Episode ratings are taken from BARB and include Channel 4 +1.''Hunted''
Series 1 (2015)
Series 2 (2016)
Series 3 (2018)
Series 4 (2019)
Series 5 (2020)
''Celebrity Hunted''
Series 1 (2017)
Series 2 (2018)
Series 3 (2019)
Critical reception
The Telegraph review complimented the series, saying the "game show element was very effective, playing with our instinctive tendency to take the side of the pursued, and skilfully edited to keep the tension high." The Daily Mirror's Adam Postan described the series as "the biggest TV joke of the year", pointing out that most of the surveillance powers were replicated by methods that were unexplained.International versions
In the US, the show is produced by Endemol Shine North America under the same title Hunted, which premiered on 22 January 2017 on CBS.In Spain, the show is produced by Movistar+ in collaboration with Shine Iberia under the title :es:La huida |La huida, which premiered on 8 April 2016 on #0.
In Denmark, the show is produced by Metronome Productions A/S under the title Menneskejagt, which premiered on 24 August 2016 on DR3.
In Russia, the show is produced by :ru:ВайТ Медиа|WeiT Media under the title Охота, which premiered on 17 September 2016 on free-to-air network NTV.
In Netherlands, the show is produced by Simpel Media commissioned by AVROTROS under the same title :nl:Hunted |Hunted, which premiered on 17 October 2016 on NPO3.
In France, the show is produced by Endemol Shine Group and commissioned by RMC Découverte under the title Escape, 21 jours pour disparaître,which is set to premier in 2018.
In Italy, Celebrity Hunted will be the first non-fiction Italian product of Amazon Prime Video, which commissioned it to Endemol Shine Group. Production started in 2019.
Legend:
| Country/Region | Title | Network | Winners |
| Denmark | Menneskejagt | DR3 | Season 1, 2016: ? |
| France | Escape, 21 jours pour disparaître | RMC Story RMC Découverte | |
| Italy | :it:Celebrity Hunted: Caccia all'uomo|Celebrity Hunted: Caccia all'uomo | Amazon Prime Video Italy | Season 1, 2020: Claudio Santamaria & Francesca Barra; Fedez & Luis Sal |
| Netherlands | :nl:Hunted |Hunted | NPO 3 | |
| Russia | Охота | NTV | Season 1, 2016: ? |
| Spain | :es:La huida |La huida | #0 | Season 1, 2016: Antonio & Roberto |
| United States | Hunted | CBS | Season 1, 2017: English King & Stephen King; Lee Wilson & Hilmar Skagfield |