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Synopsis: Can a burger flipper make it as a world-class haute cuisine chef? Could a sheep shearer really cut it as a top London hairdresser? And, what of the cellist who turned tables, literally, to try it as a club DJ or the ballet dancer who ventured into the world of wrestling – did he pull it off and more importantly, did he survive? Welcome to the world of International Emmy and British Academy award-winning Faking It, where first appearances aren’t always what they seem. Faking It, the UK original, premieres Sunday nights from June 1st, 2003 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT. Described by the UK’s Daily Mail as, "one of the most riveting, hair-raising and ultimately tear-jerking programs I have seen on television." Faking It is a transformational battle against the odds as eight brave individuals take up the challenge to completely change their identities. With the help of three experts, they have just four short weeks to acquire the skills necessary to convince a panel of eagle-eyed judges they are the genuine article with a wealth of background knowledge and not just a fake with four weeks experience. Faking It charts the incredible highs and gut-wrenching lows on the way to achieving what many think impossible. Between the intensive training and personal video diaries, the tension is palpable as test day approaches. With huge amounts of sheer guts, determination, and in some cases blood, Faking It guarantees to keep you glued to your TV set. Can a shy, classically trained musician, who hates dance music and has never been to a club in her life, convince the cream of the dance scene she’s for real - or will they know she’s just Faking It? Can Shelley, a south London club dancer, who’s terrified of horses, convince an eminent panel of judges she’s an experienced show-jumper after four weeks? Or will Alex, a lightweight country boy show his true colors as he tries to convince some of the toughest guys in London he is indeed a hard-nosed inner-city nightclub bouncer? Will he survive, can he pull it off, or will he just prove to be a total fake? Production Credits: The Episodes: Kasper has been dancing ballet since he was ten years old. "The only job I've had, which hasn't been teaching ballet or performing, was working in a Pizza Hut for two weeks. I ended up in an armed robbery and I left," he admits. But an armed robbery may soon seem like light relief for Kasper, as he spends the next month living and working with the Hammerlock Wrestling team in Kent. Under the guidance of Dave "The Tank" Stewart and Andre "The Sledgehammer" Baker, he will have to forego pas-des-deux and arabesques in favor of pile drivers and flying cross-bodies. "He's in for a shock believe me," says Andre. "I'm quite looking forward to it." With such a short timeframe, it's straight down to business for Kasper, he is literally thrown in, at the deep end. Lesson number one for a wrestler is learning how to fall without hurting himself, and it takes some mastering. At the end of day one, a bruised ballet dancer reports: "My back hurts, my knees hurt, and it's not my new calling in life." The wrestling training continues apace. Kasper is roughed up and generally thrown about on a daily basis, as he tries to come to terms with moves such as "the clothesline" and, appropriately enough for his profession, "the nutcracker". But there is another side to his tutelage as well. Voice and movement coach Barbara Houseman is brought in to equip Kasper with the requisite attitude, posture and deportment to carry off his role as one of the sport's villains, or "Heels," as they are known in the trade. The sport is as much about showbiz and entertainment as about fighting, so there's an awful lot to think about. As Andre points out: "All the time he's in there, trying to remember his persona, trying to entertain, he's also trying to stop someone pulling his head off at the same time." Two weeks into his training, and Kasper - stage name "The Highwayman" - has a practice bout lined up against John Richie, a wrestler with 20 years experience. Unbeknown to him, Andre has asked John to go easy on him. But moments into the bout, it's clear that John is doing anything but. The big day arrives. In a specially organized bout, Gary Steele will take on, one-by-one, The Highwayman, complete with new mullet hair-do, and three other up-and-coming wrestlers with between 18 months and three years' experience. His mentors watch nervously as their charge takes to the ring. Can he convince the three watching judges he's the genuine article, will he come out alive, or will they figure he's just Faking It? BURGER FLIPPER TO CHEF Learning the trade in the kitchens of some of Britain's finest and most demanding chefs, including Mezzo's David Laris and the notorious Gordon Ramsay, he'll not only need to master the necessary culinary skills, but also the swagger and bluster of a temperamental top chef. Ed will be living with hard taskmaster David and as soon as he arrives, David leads Ed straight into the kitchen and asks him to cook dinner to check out his skills. Ed, whose favorite dish is beans on toast with melted cheese, is totally out of his depth. After committing a series of culinary faux pas, Ed finally serves up an inedible meal to David and his family. David is not impressed. Dressed up in his chef's attire, a newly clean shaved Ed heads off with David for his first day in the Mezzo kitchen. But before he can start on the difficult stuff, Ed has to learn some rather more basic skills--like chopping. "Oh Ed!" David groans as he clumsily hacks away at a raw vegetable. "The more I see the more I get worried," murmurs David. One of Ed's biggest problems is exerting authority, so acting coach Donna Berlin is hastily brought in and assigned the difficult task of turning Ed into a fierce, arrogant chef. She's certainly got her work cut out for her. "I don't like telling people what to do," says Ed, "I'd rather curl up and die." After two weeks at Mezzo, Ed is sent off to the kitchens of the infamous Gordon Ramsay for some serious toughening up. "I am nervous," says Ed laughing, "with everyone saying he's a complete psychopath!" "First impressions - he looks like a sack of shit. All this 'mate' and 'cheers' crap should stay in the pub." Gordon pulls no punches and gives it to Ed straight. After just a few hours Ed is in shock. During the second week in the Ramsay kitchen, Ed works closely with Gordon perfecting his skills and finalizing his three-course test day menu. His technique is improving, but Gordon is worried that Ed is still too nice. "They will smell a rat," he warns. Ed has got to toughen up if he is to succeed. Judgement day finally arrives. Ed and his team are competing against three groups of professional chefs from some of London's finest kitchens. His mentors have done all they can and gather in a backroom to watch his progress. Tensions are running high especially after a disastrous run through the day before. Ed has been through a lot in the past four weeks and is desperate to succeed, but can this softly spoken nice guy with only one month's experience really convince the judges he’s a pro – or will they know he’s just Faking It? ALEX THE ANIMAL A tall order for anyone, but for a small, skinny Oxford student from the country, the odds of success are firmly stacked against him. Learning the accent, the stance, the football statistics and the attitude is going to be tough enough. Yet at the end of it, in competition with four other seasoned bouncers, Alex knows that the club's head doorman and team will be picking out the one who they thought was Faking It. Unschooled in the sharp end of London living, Alex leaves the calm of the country for his new home on the 15th floor of a high-rise project. Which, for a man dressed in a tweed suit and tie, is a bit of a culture shock. Here he will train daily with the kick-boxing twice world champion, Tony Agastini; leading-light at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), William Konneker and Charlie Beer, a former undercover policeman who runs one of London's biggest security firms. From the outset Alex knows it’s not going to be easy. "It’s going to be a big, big change, going to London," he admits. "I don't really know the inner city at all." On first sight Charlie looks worried. "At the moment, he's got victim written all over him. Working the doors is a unique experience," he adds. "You get to deal with people at their absolute worst." Physical toughness is a must and Tony arranges for a kick-boxing bout, but with Alex being short and skinny, he can't find a challenger small enough. In steps Tony's girlfriend Bernice who promptly gives Alex a good beating. Not the best start, but Alex is determined. Looking the part is all-important and for Alex that means a haircut, "down to the skin," the appropriate clothes and a new name--"Alex the Animal". Yet even though he now looks the part, his first night on the doors is not a success. By week two, Alex looks like he is finally achieving some control, although he still has a lot to learn. The toughening-up continues and Alex’s next kick-boxing bout, once again, leaves him close to tears. As the end of the month approaches, Charlie arranges a traditional boy's night out for Alex complete with beers, karaoke and strippers. A night of many firsts for Alex, as his mentors are to discover, is gay. The moment of truth has arrived and Alex is determined to "dig deep" and not let himself or the others down. Up against four other bouncers with years of experience between them, he has to convince the Hippodrome staff he's not the ringer. Will he make it and convince the expert panel he's been doing this for years or will his country boy ways let him down? VICAR TURNS SECONDHAND CAR SALESMAN In just one month's time Nigel must take his place, along with four experienced used car salesman, at a genuine car dealership to see if he can convince three hard-nosed veterans he is truly one of them. But how will he cope with the moral dilemmas of the secondhand car business and can he really transform himself from a gentle man of the cloth to a hard talking car dealer in just four weeks? The London Road in Essex is the used car capital of the south. Competition is fierce and only the fittest survive. Dominic (Dom) has owned his London Road dealership for 12 years. He and his battle-hardened colleague Chris know nothing about their new trainee but they know exactly what they want in a salesman and will show no mercy. "He needs to be tough, ruthless, confident... and have the killer instinct. If he makes mistakes he'll be costing me money, so he won't get an easy time," says Dom. So when Nigel, dressed in cleric's clothes, turns up on their doorstep the two men are suddenly lost for words. "In this business we're not nasty, deceitful people," says a shocked Dominic, eventually. "But you do tell the odd porkie-pie (lie). It just depends how strong Nigel's morals are," he says grinning. Nigel admits his knowledge of cars is, at best, "sketchy". So first stop is a visit with Dom to a used car auction for a crash course in trade speak and spotting "dodgy" (unreliable) motors. Now that they've checked out the "winners" and "lemons" on offer, it's time for a radical overhaul of his image. If Nigel is to be at all convincing, he's got to look sharp. Dressed in his new look, Nigel faces the biggest selling day of the week --his first Saturday in the showroom, but all does not go well. Nigel doesn't have a clue what he's talking about - and it shows. The shoppers aren't impressed and neither is Dominic. By the end of a long and tiring day, Nigel has failed to secure any sales and Dominic is not amused. "He only wants to sell it if it's suitable for them," he snaps " We want to sell it to pay the mortgage... this is our money he's playing with." Nigel's confidence with customers slowly begins to improve but his accent needs serious work. Two weeks on, Dominic decides to test Nigel. He hands him $1,500 and asks him to go to the auction alone and come back with a "winner." Nigel, determined not to mess up, struggles as all the cars he likes are out of his price range. Then he spots it - a small white car which is, he hopes, "everything an Essex girl might want." Nervously he returns to the garage with his first ever purchase hopeful Dom will be pleased. Finally the day of the test arrives. Nigel has been working hard--his accent is still not great--but his confidence and grasp of the language has improved dramatically. The judges take their place while Nigel and the four genuine sellers one by one take their place on the forecourt to do their best. Has Nigel found a new calling or doesn't he have a prayer? PAINTER TURNS CONCEPTUAL ARTIST Paul, 34, has been a painter and decorator for 18 years and runs his own business in Liverpool. For four weeks he will leave his wife and family to see if he can infiltrate London’s art scene in readiness for his final challenge. In just one month Paul's work will be exhibited, along with four other experienced artists, in a trendy east London gallery. To convince the expert judges he is a bona fide conceptual artist, he will have to learn not only to create masterpieces, but to talk the talk and take criticism on the chin. "I don't ever do anything to fail," says a confident Paul, despite his only qualification being a high school grade in art. His new arty life begins with a trip to Studio Voltaire, his new South London base, where he meets his three mentors: Laura Godfrey-Isaacs a fine art teacher, Lou Sexty, an artist who will share his space with Paul and Ivan Tennant owner of the E1 Gallery, London. Paul admits to neither liking nor understanding modern art, so first step is a whirlwind tour of several of London's most important galleries. In order for Paul to talk about modern art it is vital he understands it. Laura does her best to convey the essence, but Paul is having trouble. Confronted with all manner of modern design, Paul is left none the wiser. "I'm totally open to my mind being changed," he says "but I think I speak for the masses when I say... what is that about?" Back to the studio and after only a few hours of self-portraits and experimenting with different techniques, Paul is hooked. He turns out to be a quick learner and like a man possessed, doesn't leave the studio for two whole days. "I'm loving it. Suddenly I realize that I've always wanted to do this. I feel like a kid in a candy store." After three days of frantic production Paul takes his work to Laura for his first assessment--but all does not run smoothly. Paul feels Laura is looking for too much "meaning" in his work. "What a load of bollocks (crap)," he retorts. "Don't think I don't get it, I definitely get it, I just don't agree with it!" With a new mullet-free hair cut, after two weeks Paul has created a huge body of work. But for all his confidence, three days before Paul's test, top art critic David Lee comes along to the studio to give a candid opinion of his work. Renowned for his razor-sharp tongue, David shows Paul no mercy. "You might as well take that one down and put it down to experience and set it on fire really," he says. "It looks like someone trying to do a pastiche of Matisse, who draws like a cack-handed chimpanzee," are two of his bluntest responses. Paul, unsurprisingly, is distraught. The day of the test arrives and a very emotional Paul makes his way to the gallery to meet the other four professional artists involved in the exhibition. Will he convince the judges that his work has true merit or is it back to the drawing board for Paul? SHEEP SHEARER TO HAIRDRESSER In just four weeks time, Gavin will have to convince four eminent figures from the hairdressing industry he is truly one of them. Not only will he have to cut a highly technical perfect bob on a live human head in a four nations hairdressing competition, but also talk the talk of a street-wise London player. If Gavin can't tell his Hoxton Fin from his Fanny cut the judges will see through him in an instant. Gavin is in safe hands. He will learn the trade under the tutelage of one of the legends of the industry, four times British Hairdresser of the Year Trevor Sorbie and fellow hairdresser Zöe Irwin, one of the country’s best emerging talents. Gavin will spend his days undergoing intensive training at Trevor's London salon and his nights at Zöe’s perfecting his cutting skills, learning the talk and fashions of a confident stylist. Both know they've got their work cut out for them. "To try and do a two to three year course in just one month is pretty ambitious," laughs Zöe nervously. Neither Zöe nor Trevor know anything about their new protégé, all they can do is pray he has at least some previous experience – but does sheep-shearing really count? Despite Gavin's lack of experience both Trevor and Zöe are pleasantly surprised when they finally meet their 'faker' for the first time. "He's intelligent," says a relieved Trevor, "he's got a very quick brain and I think he's a really nice guy." But Gavin is completely overwhelmed. He's never seen a salon the size of Trevor's before. "In Ireland haircuts cost £3.50…£5 tops, ($3.50 – $7.50)" he says. "Mental, crazy, overwhelming, hectic, surreal" are Gavin's thoughts on his first day in the salon. The enormity of the task ahead is also beginning to dawn on Trevor. Gavin is let loose on a dummy head to check out his cutting skills. Trevor isn't impressed. Gavin is "cack-handed" and stiff and is quickly packed off to Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) coach Willie Richard who has the job of turning Gavin's conspicuous farmers gait into the elegant carriage of hairdressing pro. The ensuing weeks are manic and non-stop for Gavin and his mentors. The quest turns into a 24/7 operation as the already intensive training steps up a notch. Trevor takes to training at home, Gavin takes up T'ai Chi lessons to improve his movement while Zöe helps put the finishing touches to the background story he'll need to fool the judges. Visits to hair-shows and shopping for some fashionable clothes, are the only breaks from his intensive training regime. But despite his determination, has Gavin really made enough progress to pull the wool over the judge’s eyes? Finally the moment of truth arrives. Trevor, Zöe and Will sit in the backroom to watch his progress like expectant mothers. Gavin is very nervous and ready to give it all he’s got. Has he got what it takes too fool the judges--or will they expose him as a farm boy faker? LADY LISA Her team: Tim Walker, editor of Nigel Dempster’s social diary; Jean Broke Smith, who teaches deportment and style for ladies; and voice coach to the stars Penny Dyer, who admits that Lisa could be her, "biggest challenge yet." As soon as Lisa arrives at Jean's Kensington house she comes under scrutiny. "I can't wait to get at her posture," announces Jean, before asking the sneaker-clad Lisa, "Do you have any heels?" Tim introduces himself as Lisa's agony uncle and explains that he will identify social pitfalls - such as calling a sofa a couch. "Some people can judge you on something like that," he warns. While Lisa goes to unpack, Jean and Tim decide that the accent has to go. "Everything needs to be just chiseled, she just needs the edges sorted out in quite a big way," explains Jean. On her first night, Tim takes Lisa to the beautiful Halcyon Hotel in West London. Describing dinner as a potential minefield, he begins with the apéritif (Champagne or wine rather than Lisa's favorite drinks - lager or beer). Over dinner he explains that Lisa's warmth and openness are her biggest drawbacks. She must be cold and bland if she wants to pass in high society. Appalled, Lisa receives another shock when she sees the $330 check for dinner. Both Tim and Jean decide that Lisa's best armor is glamour. Lisa, who has spent the past nine years working in a chemist shop, is put in the hands of Harpers and Queen’s style team for a makeover. But at an opening night party for a West End show, the cracks begin to show. As Lisa removes her painful strappy sandals in the street, Tim is shocked; but not as stunned as when Lisa snaps, "I don't give a shit what anybody thinks." Homesick, Lisa is given a weekend off to visit her husband and family. Meanwhile, the team hold a crisis meeting. Penny doubts whether Lisa will ever achieve the necessary pronunciation. Tim and Jean plan to get tough and change tack. They decide that she will be from a farming family outside Castleford and Lisa is taken for a weekend at a country home. Everybody likes her, but as Lisa relaxes she reverts to her old warm self. With 24 hours to go, Penny thinks Lisa may be OK--as long as she doesn't laugh. The 10 guests at the dinner party believe they are here to discuss society. They do not know each other but have all attended private schools and come from affluent, landed society - all except one, that is. As the evening progresses, Jean, Tim and Penny watch everything from a monitor. The crunch comes when the five male guests are told the real reason for the dinner party and have to identify the intruder... SHOW GIRL TO SHOW JUMPER In one of the most ambitious challenges yet, Shelley, the ultimate city-dweller will be learning from top show jumper and trainer Tim Stockdale. But if she is going to fool the judges she must first overcome a fundamental fear she is rapidly discovering - a fear of horses. This is a problem, Tim explains. "Horses have this sense about them. They know a person that is not horsey. We haven't just got to fake it to our judges--in fact, they're going to be easy--what we've got to do is fake it to the horse." Partnering Tim in the quest to get Shelley riding is another experienced rider and instructor, Marianne Trevor-Roper. As the pair introduce Shelly to her first horse, she reluctantly enters the stable, before asking innocently. "Why does it smell in here? It's not piss, is it?" Yet, against the odds, before the day is over, Shelley rides a horse for the first time in her life. The next few days pass in a blur of fear, progress, and hard work, as Shelley varies between yelping with delight or cursing like a sailor. After ten days, her tutors feel she has advanced enough to attempt her first jump--a stage many riders don't reach for years. "That was a buzz, man," she admits when she's safely over. But it soon becomes clear that it's not all successful jumps and adrenaline buzzes, and after one particularly bad attempt, Shelly bursts into uncontrollable tears. As the days pass by, and the final challenge looms ever nearer, relations are becoming fraught between the headstrong pupil and her tutors. "The work you're doing is a tenth of what you should be bloody doing," accuses an exasperated Tim. Performance coach Jill McCullough is called in to resolve the situation and give Shelley some much-needed confidence. The demolished fences on the course aren't the only ones that need rebuilding. With six days to go until the challenge, confidence is boosted by Shelley’'s performance at a local show jumping meet. She enjoys a clear round, although admittedly on a course for small children. Six days from now, she'll be doing the real thing at a proper meeting, and Tim is not optimistic. Even less so when, with 24 hours to go, Shelley can't seem to nail a vital three-jump combination. "I think the odds are stacked against us, I really do." But Tim hasn't reckoned on Shelley's absolute determination. "I do want this--I can't tell you how much," she says. "It's important, 'cos I don't really win a lot of things." But is sheer determination --plus just one month's intensive training --going to prove enough? Will Shelley be any kind of match for the other girls who have been riding their whole lives? And, with the chips firmly down, will Shelley be able to keep the fences up? Or will the judges know she's just Faking It? CELLIST TURNS DJ Considered to be one of the country's most gifted musicians, Sian has been playing the cello since she was eight. But her life is about to be transformed in more ways than she could imagine as she swaps her cello for turntables and moves in with the queen of hard house club scene, DJ Anne Savage, for 28 days intensive training to face her final challenge. After just four weeks, she will take her place with three other female DJs at one of London’s coolest clubs, The Cross, to see if she can convince three experienced DJs she is truly one of them. Sian knows the challenge is not going to be easy. But from the minute the demurely dressed musician turns up on the west London doorstep of DJ Anne Savage and enlisted friend DJ Lottie, they all realize its going to be a bigger battle than they had first thought. They weren't banking on someone as "unclued up" as Sian. They're shocked and it shows. Sian is overawed. But there's no going back. First step, a trip with Anne to her first ever nightclub. Eyes wide, mouth agape and hard house music pulsing, Sian cautiously checks out the clientele, all of which are dressed in outrageous clothing and up for an all night party. The hard work gets underway as Lottie takes up the challenge of teaching Sian the art of mixing records. An intensive but straightforward regime is initiated - "do it for hours until you hate the records." Sian already hates the records and can't believe how difficult mixing really is. "When I first saw people doing it I thought 'it doesn't look that hard'," she says wearily at the end of the day, "but I'm wrong, it is hard." Not only has Sian got to mix like a pro, she's also got to look the part. It's time for a revamp. A trip to the hairdressers and a total change of look, Sian has certainly got the DJ style, but can she talk the talk? Her head spins as she tries to get to grips with the seemingly endless styles of dance music - underground, trance, techno, happy trance, abstract, hard, handbag, U.S. vocal--the list goes on and on. But having had a taste of the lifestyle, she is more determined than ever to succeed. But things don't go smoothly and Sian's first party confirms everyone's worst fears and leaves her in tears. To boost her confidence, Jill McCullough - a voice and movement coach - steps in. It's her job to teach Sian "attitude," while a trip to a choreographer turns her slightly awkward dancing into podium grinding quality. After four short weeks the night of the final challenge arrives and a new, virtually unrecognizable Sian arrives at the club. She's scared but ready to give it everything she's got. With Anne, Lottie and Jill sitting in a hidden backroom, like over-anxious mothers praying she won't fall apart, can Sian really turn the tables and convince the experts she's for real?
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