E4’s prank show ‘The Work Experience’ puts Kingston student on TV
Felix Spowage
Third-year fashion student, JJ Agboke, believed he was covering a friend’s shift and was told that the camera crew at the fake fashion PR agency were there to make a documentary. He had no idea that apart from the other intern, everyone else was an actor.
JJ, 22, said: “It was weird, I knew everyone was acting, but I thought they were acting to try and spice up the documentary a bit. I was shocked when I found out I was the one being filmed for a TV show.”
Throughout the programme, the two unknowing subjects of the prank show were thrown into an array of awkward and absurd situations, including getting blamed for letting Pippa Middleton’s skid-marked bikini bottoms end up on eBay.
The 22-year-old said: “When the other intern had to bid for Pippa Middleton’s dirty pants on eBay I just thought ‘no way, that’s impossible, that’s got to be for TV.’”
The fashion student thought that some of the actors were unbelievable and it was actually the minor characters, who were less outrageous, that managed to keep the participants of the show fooled.
The E4 show has an unusual format which attempts to merge sitcom and reality TV.
The show is essentially about a fashion PR agency, which features two
interns who are unaware of their participation.
“I thought it was quite funny, but it’s not the sort of thing I watch on TV,” said JJ.
Once filming had stopped and it was revealed that the keen interns were part of a prank show, they were showered with gifts and offered a month-long internship.
The fashion student said: “After the show we got loads of vouchers worth about £800, and £300 per week while we were doing our real internship. They had to give us something for making us look like idiots on TV.”