The new series will see outspoken Brits attempt migrant routes to the UK (Image: Channel 4/PA Wire)
A controversial new Channel 4 series set to challenge perceptions on immigration and asylum seekers premieres tonight (February 3).
The four-part series, called Go Back to Where You Came From, will immerse six Britons with strong views on immigration into the lives of refugees and migrants.
The group, including a TikToker and GB News commentator, will start their journey in Mogadishu in Somalia and Raqqa in Syria, before traversing perilous migrant routes through Africa, the Middle East and Europe to the UK.
The series synopsis reads: “The show will immerse an opinionated group of six Brits, with views across the immigration argument, in the reality of the perilous journeys refugees and migrants make to the UK.
“Starting on our UK borders, our contributors will first travel to the homelands that refugees are so desperate to leave.”
(L-R) Chloe, Bushra, Nathan, Mathilda, Jess and Dave are taking part in the Channel 4 documentary (Image: PA)
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Despite Amnesty International claiming the series is insensitive, Channel 4 has defended the ‘bold’ show, noting that its Australian counterpart is now part of the national curriculum there. As we await the reaction of UK audiences, let’s meet the cast.
Dave Marshall, 35 – TikToker and chef
Dave Marshall is one of the six people involved (Image: Channel 4/PA)
The chef turned sensation, originally from Nottingham, attributes his anti-illegal immigration stance to his mother’s work at the Citizens Advice Bureau. Dave confessed that he didn’t own a passport until he was 30, making his appearance on the Channel 4 show one of his rare overseas trips, reports .
Initially sceptical about the Channel 4 series, he saw it as an opportunity to “chance for me to see the other side of things, to see where these people come from and how they live, so for me it was to learn.”
Chloe Dobbs, 24 – GB News regular
Chloe is an Oxford graduate (Image: Channel 4/PA)
Chloe Dobbs ia a 24-year-old regular on GB News and she also runs a paddleboarding business. An Oxford University graduate with a degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics, she expressed shock at the level of poverty in Syria.
“We were in the Kurdish part, north of Syria, in that area it seemed like it was relatively safe for civilians, but people were still fleeing because the poverty was off the scale,” she said.
Nathan Rimmington, 32 – Haulage business owner
The experience left dad Nathan reflective (Image: Channel 4/PA)
Nathan Rimmington, a 32-year-old haulage business owner and father of one, said his experience on the show left him ‘outraged’.
Reflecting on his own life after witnessing the living conditions of children in Mogadishu, he said: “My son’s biggest worry is whether he’s got enough coins to buy stuff in his games.”
Jess, 33 – Sports coach
Jess is a sports coach who lives in Carmarthenshire, Wales. She was recently involved in a protest against a hotel at Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli which had been set to be turned into housing for asylum seekers.
Mathila Mallinson, 29 – Podcaster
Turning to London, Mathilda Mallinson, 29, not only carves out a space in the podcasting world but also devotes her time to volunteering at refugee camps, pivoting her life between journalism and humanitarian aid.
Bushra Shaikh, 42 – Business owner and former The Apprentice candidate
Bushra appeared on The Apprentice in 2017 (Image: BBC)
Bushra Shaikh, aged 42, isn’t new to the limelight having appeared on ‘s The Apprentice back in 2017 with her modest clothing brand. She is also a socio-political commentator, and her parents are first generation immigrants from Pakistan.
She reflected: “I learned that there’s a lot of ignorance in the world, most of which stems from lack of education and resources… We need to learn from each other. Before I began the journey, I assumed most people would know about Islam but they don’t. It showed me that we all need to take a step back and try to understand where others are coming from.”
Channel 4’s senior commissioning editors, Anna Miralis and Madonna Benjamin, expressed their expectations for the new series, stating: “This is an extremely bold commission that continues to reinforce the Channel’s commitment to tackle difficult and highly relevant subject matter. It is hoped that this will offer up an opportunity for the British public to help understand some of the terrifying perils asylum seekers face when they attempt to travel to the UK.”
“The adaptation of this multi- award -winning Australian format will be thoughtful and impactful and is likely to create an intense debate about an issue that Britain has grappled with for decades.”
Go Back to Where You Came From begins tonight (February 3) at 9pm on Channel 4