TV firm's unusual offer

Stand-ups who volunteer for the task will have to live exactly like the animal, including curling up to the sow and rubbing themselves in pig scent.

Naomi Harvey from the production company Love West has posted on the Chortle forums in a bid to find volunteers.

She wrote: ‘Our human guinea pigs must imitate the animals’ behaviour and try to be accepted as one of them.

“As close as is humanly possible he’s going to share their living space, taste their food, communicate with them and experience everything they experience.

‘At the end of the experiment we hope our talent will have immersed themselves in the world of these animals and have an unbeatable insight into their psychology and lives.’

The programme claims to be educational, highlighting the way in which livestock is treated in Britain. As well as pigs, other comics will be recruited to live with other farmyard animals, such as cows.

Each week, one comedian will experience the luxury of an upmarket free range farm while the other goes to a basic working farm.

Four hour-long programmes under the title My Life As A … have been commissioned by BBC Three boss Danny Cohen. The first will see the comedians living like pigs.

Published: 22 Apr 2008