Councillor swaps Wolverhampton for apocalyptic ghost town in new reality TV series

An outspoken councillor will be swapping Wolverhampton for an apocalyptic ghost town in the US when she stars in a new reality television show which starts this weekend.

Councillor Celia Hibbert, who is leader of the council’s opposition Reform group, will star in the series Apocalypse which launches on Channel 4 on Sunday night (September 13).

The series, filmed in Indiana, will see two teams of seven people dropped off in an abandoned town, unaware of each other's presence.

With no power, running water or food, they will be challenged to live on their wits for 28 days, scavenging, recycling or reinventing anything they find just to get by.

The teams are made up of a combination of British and Australian contestants, with Birmingham mechanic Louise Baker also representing the West Midland contingent in the series.

Surrounded by the remnants of modern life, the contestants must discover whether reverting to primitive instincts is what it takes to make it through the Apocalypse, or whether cooperation is the key to survival.

The survivors are split into two rival camps - Eastside and Westside - with no knowledge of who else is out there.

Early in the series, Councillor Hibbert’s Westside group quickly clashes with the rival team after finding they have already broken into the town’s only supermarket to loot it of its contents.

Explaining her decision to take part in the series, Councillor Hibbert, 43, said she grew up in rural Nigeria without consistent electricity or running water.

She added: “Firstly, I heard it was going to be challenging, and secondly, I heard it was going to be something extraordinary that I haven't done before. I like adventure, but I also like challenge, and I like being outside my comfort zone. This ticked all the boxes.”

Louise, also 43, is a single mother and DIY expert, who describes herself as “basically Wonder Woman”.

“I wanted to take myself out of my comfort zone,” she said.

“I've built a nice little life for myself, and I think we take a lot of things for granted day to day, so I wanted to see what would happen if I was stripped right back to nothing to see whether I'd survive, how I'd cope.”

Councillor Hibbert, known as ‘Cee Cee’, has sat on Wolverhampton Council for eight years, during which time she has emerged as one of its most high-profile figures after becoming embroiled in a number of controversies.

Originally elected Labour councillor for Penn in 2018, she left the party in 2023 after it was revealed she had unsuccessfully applied to join the Liberal Democrats, and sat as an independent until this year when she was elected leader of the council’s Reform group. She became leader of the principal opposition following Reform’s strong showing in the May elections.

Producers are now seeking contestants for a proposed next series.

Programme maker The Garden is looking for a cross-section of ordinary British people who must survive and thrive for 28 days without any of the comforts of the 21st century. No previous survival experience is necessary – just ingenuity, resilience and courage.

Anyone interested can apply on the website eu.castitreach.com/ag/itvgarden7/apocalypse/welcome.html