Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing cast - Meet the contestants

Channel 4 are introducing viewers to a brand new social experiment, in which 18 Brits are challenged to be handcuffed to a total stranger.

Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing will showcase nine pairs who will have to cope with being chained to one another 24/7, doing everything together. While they can uncuff at anytime, if they do they'll be out of the competition and will lose out on a chance to win £100,000.

In a divided Britain, host Jonathan Ross hopes that living in such close proximity will force these opposites to talk, listen and perhaps learn from each other as the pairs set off for each other's houses to walk a mile in their partner's shoes...

So, who are these brave Brits taking part? Read on as we dive into the cast of Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing.

Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing - Meet the contestants

• Jo and Reuben
• Sir Benjamin Slade and George
• Tilly and Anthony
• Nina and Sara
• Charlie and Rob
• Claire and Bambi
• Lin and Frank
• Bob and Chris
• Morag and Angie

Scroll on to learn more about the contestants daring to take part in this new social experiment.

Jo

Age: 39

Location: Manchester

Job: Plus size fashion brand owner

Jo entered the Handcuffed experiment with the aim of dispelling myths that "getting a diagnosis of something like autism, doesn't mean you can't achieve and live a fulfilling life".

The 39-year-old describes herself as "loud, mindful and crazy" and is paired with Reuben in the experiment, describing him as "serious, health-conscious, groomed".

During her handcuffed journey, Jo was most surprised at how much she and her partner laughed at times.

"I didn't think I would ever be able to have a laugh and a joke with someone like that, but it was quite refreshing," she said.

Reuben

Age: 29

Location: Portsmouth

Job: Property developer

Reuben was keen to push himself into a "super uncomfortable situation", thinking that the experiment would be "one of the hardest mental exercises you could possibly go through", and while he did have a wobble on the first day being handcuffed, his worries soon disappeared after a night's sleep.

Reflecting on his time on the show, Reuben said: "The hardest thing about the experience was definitely the speed of walking and the chafe of the cuff after several hours, having my partner slow and drag me down was tedious."

Sir Benjamin Slade

Age: 79

Location: Somerset

Job: 7th Baronet of Maunsel

Sir Benjamin Slade was paired with George during his Handcuffed experience, and was surprised by having challenging and honest conversations about class.

George

Age: 60

Location: London

Job: Former prison officer

Describing himself as "pragmatic, empathetic [and] lively", George wasn't nervous for the experiment at all, having been handcuffed to some of the most dangerous criminals in Britain due to his profession as a prison officer.

He went on the show for the spirit of adventure, "which has seen [him] do things from topless waitering to jumping out of a plane from 15,000ft and also being the first officer in Belmarsh to volunteer for the high secure unit".

Tilly

Age: 37

Location: North London

Job: Barmaid

Tilly was "very pleasantly surprised" when she first met her handcuffed partner Anthony, though she found it difficult trying to fall asleep next to him while he snored.

Heading into the experiment, Tilly was nervous at potentially having rows with her partner. Noting that arguing is something she's good at, but she doesn't enjoy it.

"I'm also a bit nervous about not getting along," she said. "I think he’s a bit of a diva, isn’t he? Also sleeping! I’m worried if I fidget or he snores or things like that."

Anthony

Age: 60

Location: Suffolk

Job: Business owner

After his 60th birthday, Anthony decided he wanted to try and prove he "still had the strength and qualities to achieve the task ahead".

Unlike Tilly, Anthony's hardest thing about the experience was opening up about "deep and repressed parts" of himself and his life to a stranger and TV audiences.

Nina

Age: 42

Location: London

Job: Hairdresser

Nina wanted to try something different and so, signed up for Handcuffed! "The idea of doing something totally out-of-the-box appealed to me," she said. "Honestly, I thought it might even be fun."

Nina is paired with Sara who, on first impressions, was "chatty, animated and slightly annoying".

Sara

Age: 55

Location:Northamptonshire

Job: Mum of seven

Sara has always wanted to be on television and it's been her dream since she was a child, and when Handcuffed came along she knew it was "going to be [her] laugh hurrah" and decided to go for it.

"Being involved in something so intense, then the sad feeling afterwards when life returns to normal" was the hardest thing for Sara, so much so it "felt like an out-of-body experience".

Charlie

Age: 44

Location: West Sussex

Job: Practical homemaker

Starting off the year, Charlie had resolutions to be brave and push herself out of her comfort zone and so couldn't pass up the opportunity to take part in Handcuffed.

Charlie was paired with Rob and during their experience, she was surprised to learn about her own levels of resilience. Regarding the experience, she learned: "To always be open minded and not to judge a book by its cover".

Rob

Age: 32

Location: Staffordshire

Job: Adult content creator

Rob wanted to challenge himself mentally and dive into the unknown, and so decided to take part on Handcuffed.

As for what surprised him along the way, Rob said: "That two people, living two completely different lives worlds apart can become great friends. We put our judgements aside and listened to our hearts."

Claire

Age: 48

Location: Hampshire

Job: Horse trainer

Heading into the experiment, Claire wasn't nervous at all, and was most surprised by how much patience she truly has.

"I didn't think I had it in me," she said. "Also, how much of a bubble I live in - I didn't realise how different other people's lives are to mine."

Bambi

Age: 29

Location: London

Job: Model and content creator

Like many of the other contestants, Bambi was interested in being put outside of her comfort zone and prove she can do anything she puts her mind to.

Reflecting on her time in the experiment, Bambi admits the hardest part was often being unable to mentally switch off.

"I found it very difficult not having time in the day where I could sit in silence and switch off from the long days that we were having," she said. "As much as I am loud and full of beans, there’s many parts of my day where I will sit in absolute silence and allow my mind some peace. The constant over stimulation of having to engage socially, especially with someone who somehow had twice as many beans as me at any given moment, really started to grate at the days went on."

Lin

Age: 38

Location: London

Job: Political commentator

Lin joined the experiment as she thought it'd be "a good way to highlight that people from all walks of life with differing opinions should try to find common ground".

She added: "I also think it’s important to dispel myths regarding political leanings about young people and women of colour, where people assume we are left leaning or that we vote Labour or Green."

Frank

Age: 27

Location: Derbyshire

Job: Green party councillor

Frank is paired with Lin who he described as "spoilt, selfish, queen" on their first meeting.

As a politician, Frank spends every day trying to get someone to agree with him, "but what most elected representatives forget is that genuine understanding comes from putting yourself into the shoes of another and taking the opportunity to truly question yourself".

And thus, he felt Handcuffed was the only way for him to grow personally and professionally.

Bob

Age: 70

Location: Yorkshire

Job: Retired solicitor

Bob decided to go on Handcuffed because he enjoys a challenge and it sounded "interesting," and a type of experiment he had never thought of.

During the experiment, Bob found that simple tasks were difficult, but was surprised regarding how he and Chris were able to work together.

Chris

Age: 38

Location: London

Job: Youth worker

Chris was excited by the idea of being handcuffed to someone completely different from him and from a different lifestyle.

"I'm naturally curious about how people think and live, and I wanted to experience life from the other side," he said.

Morag

Age: 64

Location: Somerset

Job: School bus driver

Morag was keen for a change in her life and decided to take part in Handcuffed, and was surprised about just how emotional she was in the early days of the experiment.

Angie

Age: 44

Location: Stourport

Job: Salon owner

Angie wanted to push herself beyond any limit she has known and decided to take part in Handcuffed.

One of the main things she found difficult was "not having control of what [she] was doing, where [she] was going".

"I became very hyper vigilant, and I went through a process of unwrapping all these things that I didn’t know about myself," she explained. "I don’t like being told what to do so this was an adjustment for me to hand over control. Being away from my husband was so hard, it’s the first time we have spent that much time apart with zero contact."

Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing will air on Monday 2 March at 9pm on Channel 4.

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