Jailbreak was a reality television game show that in 2000 was way ahead of its time.
Two groups of five contestants – or prisoners – were put in a high security prison and awarded £100,000 if they could escape.
Those who owned computers in 2000 could also watch the prisoners 24/7 online via the security cameras.
Hosted by Red Dwarf actor and DJ Craig Charles and co-presented by Charlie Stayt and Ruth England, Channel 5 aired Jailbreak as a one off – perhaps because it cost £2.5million to produce.
The “prison” was at a secret location near Colsdale farm, just outside Cuffley and was completely kitted out with hi-tech security systems.
(Image: pa)
“Inmates” faced a three-week authentic prison regime, complete with 35 prison guards and a 18-foot (5.5 m) high fence topped with razor wire.
A number of flaws in the security system were deliberately placed by the production team.
Escapes were aided by a series of clues, often revealing flaws in the security system through cryptic messages, and by texts from the viewing public with suggestions on escape routes.
The building was granted temporary planning permission by Welwyn Hatfield Council as it was demolished when the show finished.
Three contestants won the show – Roberta Woodhouse, Hannah Davies and Laura Hawkins – and scooped the £100,000 prize.
But where are they now?
Roberta Woodhouse
(Image: Press Association)
Roberta was 29 when she won the show, and now lives in Brighton and is 49.
She works as a nursery teacher at St Paul’s school in Brighton and loves dancing.
Her Twitter bio reads: “Secret Life of the Ballroom Dancer on W Channel … starts 17th Sep… 8pm. Mum and nursery nurse, and general lover of life.”
Roberta Woodhouse from Cumbria was prisoner number JB004 on Jailbreak.
On the show she was described as “a part-time executive who can smoke a cigarette with her foot”.
Her bio also read: “Other skills include an excellent knowledge of Coronation Street. The Channel 5 psychiatrist described married Roberta as “bubble, bubble, bubble, fun, fun, fun.”
In 2017 she starred in Secret Life of the Ballroom dancer alongside her teenage son Harry.
The mother and son dancing duo became a hit on the show.
Interviewed by the Daily Mail on whether Harry, 18, wanted to do the show she said: “Of course he didn’t.
“I didn’t tell him. What teenage boy wants to wear rhinestones to dance with his mum on national TV?”
Incredibly, when Harry found out, after being called to audition for the show, he didn’t hate the idea.
Harry said: “By this point Mum was dead excited. I couldn’t say ‘no way’, even if I did want to. I didn’t tell my mates though. I work in the computer gaming industry. I’m not sure they’d have appreciated me doing a tango with Mum.”
The show followed five sets of dancing partners as they joined the world of competitive dancing and attempted to master six classic routines including the samba, jive and quickstep.
Roberta even used her dancing skills to raise money for Cancer Research UK and held a 12 hour danceathon after her mum was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer.
She wrote: “I need to do something in the name of those I love and for everyone who is affected by cancer… and the only thing I can do is dance!”
Hannah Davies
(Image: Press Association)
Hannah Davies, from London, was 24 when she won as prisoner number JB008.
She was introduced on the show as “a former recruitment consultant, Hannah is creative and practically minded. Single Hannah is described as ‘a real partygoer'”.
She is 43 now and a TV Producer for Channel 4, BBC and many Welsh channels such as S4C and BBC Wales.
She acted in Betrayal in 1983, playing a child called Charlotte.
The film was shown in reverse order and followed an affair between a literary agent and his best friend’s wife.
It also starred mega star actors Ben Kingsley, Jeremy Irons and Patricia Hodge.
After winning Jailbreak in 2000, Hannah acted in Avenging Angel, a short film, in 2001.
According to her IMDB page she is also a freelance journalist.
She now works as a Production Manager on many major TV shows such as Only Connect, Coast, Crimewatch, One Born Every Minute, Wakestock music festival and even Eisteddfod yr Urdd.
Seems she has used the same skills that got her out of jail to communicate on major TV shows too.
Laura Hawkins
(Image: Press Association)
Laura Hawkins, 22, from Hornchurch, Essex, was prisoner number JB002.
When she joined the show she was working as a porn star.
She was the one who screamed: “I can’t believe it – we did it!” as the three hugged each other and drenched themselves in champagne.
She is now 43 and works in journalism.
Her official bio read: “A glamour model and an office manager, Laura, who is single, is described as an excellent communicator, who likes beer, dancing, shopping and sex.”
Her current Twitter bio reads: “Loving life in the Maldives as Dir of PR for Kandima! Formerly a TV Reporter with Forces News/NATO TV based in UK, Germany, Afghanistan & the Philippines.”
Six years ago in 2015 she posted a showreel of her clips presenting in areas such as Camp Bastion, the French Alps, Leicester Square, Mali and the Tower of London.
Seems Laura’s intelligence and quick-thinking that helped her escape ‘jail’ have also served her well in global news.
How did they escape?
(Image: Press Association)
Prisoners were given cryptic clues to help them find ways around the security measures via “jailmails” from the public during their 10 minutes with a computer.
Producers chose five of these to pass on to each prisoner each day.
Their computer time could be taken away by the “Guv” and punishment with extra manual labour and even solitary confinement was possible.
In their pre-planned break out, Woodhouse, Davies and Hawkins used a secret tunnel to get from their dormitory to the shower block
Previous clues had told them that the area would be open at 0500.
They then made their way to a store room, through several number coded locks – which they had already cracked – and waded knee deep in water through a final tunnel to escape.
The three emerged outside the razor-wire ring-fenced compound and threw themselves on the Channel 5 Target which lit up, crowning them the winners of the show.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
