Touch the Truck

Touch the Truck
GenreGame show
Created byGlenn Barden
Dave Hills
Directed bySue McMahon
Presented byDale Winton
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
No. of series1
No. of episodes5
Production
Executive producerSharon Ali
Production locationLakeside Shopping Centre
Production companyVascha Productions
Original release
NetworkChannel 5
Release11 March (2001-03-11) –
15 March 2001 (2001-03-15)

Touch the Truck was a British Channel 5 endurance game show which aired in March 2001. Hosted by Dale Winton,[1] it involved a group of 20 contestants holding onto a stationary Toyota Land Cruiser Amazon truck for as long as they could. The last person left touching the truck won it.[2]

The show was filmed at the Lakeside Shopping Centre in West Thurrock, Essex.

Jerry Middleton, 39, from Winchester, was the winner; he 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.[3] Middleton stood in the southwestern London seat of Kingston and Surbiton in 2001 and came in last place, with 0.1% of votes cast.[4]

Rules

According to the rules of the competition, disqualification would occur when:

  • a contestant took a longer break than allotted (ten minutes every two hours, and fifteen minutes every six hours).
  • a contestant removed both hands from the truck while not on a break, or
  • a contestant fell asleep.[1]

The format

The format was devised by Glenn Barden and Dave Hills and is owned by Vashca. It has been subsequently licensed to the Philippines, Indonesia, Portugal, and Turkey.[5]

The show played a significant part in the second episode of Diane Morgan's 2020 BBC sitcom Mandy.

See also

References

  1. ^ a b "UK TV Listings | UK TV Guide | What's on TV with Digiguide.tv". digiguide.tv. Archived from the original on 28 August 2020. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  2. ^ "And the truck touched him | guardian.co.uk". www.theguardian.com. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2020.
  3. ^ "ENTERTAINMENT | Channel 5's Truck won". BBC News. 15 March 2001. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  4. ^ "VOTE 2001 | RESULTS & CONSTITUENCIES | Kingston & Surbiton". BBC News. Archived from the original on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 16 September 2012.
  5. ^ "Bespoke Television Productions". Vashca. Archived from the original on 1 March 2009. Retrieved 16 September 2012.