The Challenge UK is a sporting fight for £100,000

Reality TV stars often get accused of being ‘talentless’ and ‘fame-hungry’, among other things.

One person who laments those labels is former The Only Way Is Essex star Mark Wright, who admits that he loves proving the doubters wrong.

Back in 2021, he told Radio Times: “Starting out on a reality TV show does come with a stigma.

“The minute somebody does one, they apparently have no talents.

“But I beg to differ. It’s not easy to have a camera put in your face and be expected to be entertaining or likeable.’

In fact, Wright has built up quite a CV since first shooting to fame as an original cast member of Towie.

He later became runner on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2011 and made it to the Strictly final in 2012.

Mark has also had his own ITV2 shows, Mark Wright’s Hollywood Night and Party Wright Around The World, before got his big US presenting break in 2017, hosting Extra TV in LA.

Mark, who is married to actress Michelle Keegan, has also presented radio shows on Heart FM, and is a fine footballer, having played on a non-contract basis for Crawley Town in 2020/21.

Now the 36-year-old is embarking on his first big TV presenting job in the UK since he fronted The Bachelor, also on Channel 5.

The Challenge UK, which is being shown over the next five nights, sees stars from sports and entertainment join host Mark in Argentina take on physical tasks and fight for their share of £100,000 and the title of Challenge UK Champion.

The contestants include Towie’s Ella Rae Wise and James Lock; Love Island’s Kaz Crossley, Arabella Chi and Kaz Kamwi; and Curtis Pritchard and his Strictly Come Dancing pro dancer brother AJ Pritchard.

They are joined by A Place In The Sun’s Danni Menzies, Big Brother’s Aisleyne Horgan-Wallace, Below Deck Mediterranean’s Courtney Veale, influencer Zara Zoffany, Ibiza Weekender’s Callum Izzard, Made in Chelsea’s Tristan Phipps and Celebrity Big Brother’s Ashley McKenzie.

Most of these stars have a track record of parties, hook-ups and memorable one-liners, but they are soon are shocked by the gruelling nature of the competition.

Will they be able to adapt and thrive in this treacherous new terrain of brutal athletic battles and political betrayals, or will they fall apart as the pressure builds throughout the season?

Fans of Love Island may also want to tune in – there are plenty of sultry distractions as the reality TV stars hook up.

Tomorrow’s show sees the game get real after the first elimination.

The first alliances are formed heading into the second Challenge, where their endurance and memory are put to the test.

The Challengers quickly realise they are only as strong as their partners, and it will take a lot more than just physical superiority to take home a victory.

By Friday’s final show, the remaining Challengers put it all on the line as they race across the Argentinian countryside for their share of the prize.

The winner will also get the chance to represent the UK in MTV’s The Challenge: War of The Worlds, where they will compete against the winners of the Argentina, Australia and USA versions for a US$1million prize.

Speaking of that global show, Mark will soon be back on screens as a presenter on that.

You could say his talent knows no bounds, something that his fellow reality TV stars will be hoping to demonstrate this week.