Vale son and mum face up to 'in tents' TV competition

Ian Closier Hawkins and Sylvia Hawkins are one of the couples starring in ITV show, Hello Campers - a light-hearted competition heading out to a different European campsite each week.

In its six-week run the show travels to Spain, France, Italy and Portugal with a new group of ‘happy campers’ arriving each week.

Couples have to set up camp, pitch their tents and meet fellow holiday makers before carrying out camp duties and joining in for group activities such as ice cream making, parasailing, cheerleading and yoga.

Each camp can win points during allocated activities, with the losing couple having to clean camp that night.

Nominated cooks have to rustle up tasty grub on the campfire and another couple will be in charge of organising the camp entertainment, which will be judged and scored by their fellow campers.

Remaining couples take part in traditional, cultural activities like paella-making, flamenco dancing, sculpture or street dance and will be judged by local experts. At the end of the week, the couple with the most points wins the cash prize.

Rhoose-based Ian and 60-year-old Sylvia found themselves on the Cabo Pino campsite in Marbella, Spain, after spotting a Facebook advert.

Freelance stage manager and theatre production company owner, Ian, 35, said: “It’s a cross between Come Dine With Me and Coach Trip.

“We never thought we would hear anymore. Two days later we got offered an audition which we had to go to Bristol for. The following week we were told we were on the show and we were going in just over a week’s time.

“We were both dead excited. We were not allowed to tell anyone too much about it. We were looking forward to having a week away with each other which was part of the main reasons of doing the show.

“We did the filming in the first week of May this year. The dates were unfortunate for me as it meant I was away for my first wedding anniversary but it didn't stop us from going.

“We had a new tent - bought it in a sale last year. It's massive. No poles, it's an air tent. You pump up beams inside the tent with air. It should go up in like ten minutes but took us an hour and a half as we couldn't get the pump to work. We had a slight issue with the valve not working properly. It was embarrassing. Everyone's tents were much smaller than ours and up in no time at all and with our fancy tent took ages. It did come down and pack away in under ten minutes though on the last day.”

Couples all had to wake by 7.30am with filming finishing around 1am.

Ian said: “Mum enjoyed the parasailing and pottery making. We got to use a potter’s wheel which was something mum has always wanted to try. We did cheerleading, survival techniques with the scouts, beach activities, but my favourite thing of the week was going inside a bull ring and spending the morning with a matador learning cape work for bull fighting. Towards the end of this session we were convinced they were going to bring a bull out into the arena where we were in and we were all a bit nervous as the gates opened.

“By the end of the week we were all willing to do whatever was required of us without feeling conscious of people watching.

"Being the camp cooks was a difficult task. You had to cook for ten people on a two-ring stove. Trying to please everyone is an impossible task but we did our best. We got delayed as the gas ran out at one point and I cut my finger and needed to see the medic.

“For our entertainment we did an American-themed night.

“Mum and I just had the best time. We loved every minute. It was weird when the week was over as you got used to being filmed all day almost constantly. Talking, eating, playing, cooking, entertaining, activities, interviews, the day it was over it got as though we had lost a limb as the cameras almost became part of us.

"We would definitely do this again if we had the opportunity and would consider doing another show.”

Hello Campers is on ITV at 4pm on Monday, July 27.