Life

TV review: We all want to lose the wrinkles, but can eight celebrities shed 100 years from their bodies?

Suzanne McGonagle

Suzanne McGonagle

Suzanne has worked at the Irish News since 2004. Her particular areas of specialism are news and education.

Soap legend June Brown is one of eight celebrities to take on the challenge in 100 Years Younger in 21 Days. Picture by ITV
Soap legend June Brown is one of eight celebrities to take on the challenge in 100 Years Younger in 21 Days. Picture by ITV Soap legend June Brown is one of eight celebrities to take on the challenge in 100 Years Younger in 21 Days. Picture by ITV

100 Years Younger in 21 Days, Tuesday, ITV, 9pm

THERE'S nothing wrong with looking your age or growing old gracefully for that matter.

We're told to embrace our changing faces and bodies as the years take their toll, but in truth we'd all relish the idea of knocking a few years off the wrinkles.

Given the world's obsession with beauty and youth, yet another celebrity experiment is under way to see if we can change how we look and feel.

Welcome a group of ageing celebrities who have swapped their luxury lifestyles for the challenge of losing a collective 100 years from their face, body and brain - all done over 21 days.

Among the eight stars to embark on the experiment to turn back nature's clock are EastEnders stalwart June Brown, former Catchphrase presenter Roy Walker, Benidorm star Sherrie Hewson and Happy Mondays musician Shaun Ryder.

The challenge - to establish if it's possible to reverse the ageing process without actually going under the knife - is seeing if they will undergo a series of strange physical and mental treatments to achieve that aim.

The opening episode of the four-part series follows the celebrities as they travel to a rejuvenation clinic in Sardinia in a bid to look younger.

Subjected to scientific testing to discover how well, or badly, they are ageing - both inside and out - then comes the more bizarre elements of the process.

They undergo a number of interesting 'therapies' including a coffee enema, splashing urine on their faces and a snail facial, a non-surgical skin treatment which is supposed to reduce wrinkles and skin damage.

There's also the strict diet and exercise programme, which doesn't go down well with some, as well as a few strange extra treatments, including using cow urine shampoo.

But from the strangeness of the first episode emerges the comedy, with chain smoker June Brown bringing an unexpected humour to the proceedings on the Mediterranean island.

She may have reached the ripe old age of 91, but in reality she acts like a woman half, if not more, her age.

With intelligence tests at the start proving June is one of the sharpest there - with a brain age of a 59-year-old - she's doesn't hold back in showing the other folks how she stays so fit and active.

Demonstrating her Tibetan yoga skills, the actress isn't shy about showing off her moves, and a bit more too.

Lying on the floor, the EastEnders star who has played Bible-quoting Dot Cotton since the soap began in 1985, shows her yoga skills off, but ends up flashing her underwear to the group.

There's no escaping her sharp tongue too.

When a doctor suggests she might like to give up her over-use of cigarettes, he got a telling-off like no other.

"I smoked through five pregnancies," she exclaims.

The other celebs weren't quite such an inspiration with Happy Mondays singer Ryder complaining about his lack of energy since giving up drugs, while astrologer Russell Grant's physique is clearly in need of an overhaul when he reveals he can't even touch his toes.

The slightly dubious concept of the series is that healthy living can make our bodies more youthful and melt wrinkles from our faces.

Making the celebs embark on a regime of detox and exercise, the nutritionists and medics promise to shave a total of 100 years off their ages, but will they?

It's not really scientific, and a tad bonkers to be honest, but it's funny watching famous people undergoing the most bizarre of treatments.

But while I might want to look a bit younger, the strange extremes these celebs are being put through won't be on my to-do list any time soon.