Last month, Mark posted about a UK reality show called Space Cadets where three participants were allegedly tricked into thinking they were launched into space. The three have now been informed that they were scammed and were given £25,000 in cash prizes. (It wouldn't surprise me if the participants were in on the hoax too and that the real marks were the people who tuned in to the show.) From the BBC News:
"When I thought we were coming back to Earth I was planning my speech. I was going to say it had been my childhood dream. Now I'm a little bit heartbroken," (contestant Keri Hasset) said.
Ms Hasset, plasterer Paul French, 26 from Bristol, and footballer/recruitment consultant Billy Jackson, 25, from Kent, had suspicions they were being tricked when they had to hold a ceremony for a celebrity Russian dog called Mr Bimby on the spaceship.
"This is a spacecraft but it feels like a caravan," Paul told his fellow astronauts.
"And if we were going to space and they were weighing us for our health, they wouldn't use scales like you get at home, would they…"
"Aw man," said Paul. "We're not astronauts. We're just asses."
Reader comment: TheGilmanator says: "Because of the murmurs about the show I read on Boingboing I decided to search around for torrents of Space Cadets (I live in the US). Found the whole series two days ago (and the show ended 4 days ago). It's a bit lame, but it's a good watch, especially if you're interested in the psychology behind the whole thing."
