Sir Ben Slade looks daft as he claims he’s a ‘street fighter’ but is the first to quit the reality show after being shackled to a ‘communist’
Jonathan Ross hosts the reality show, in which Sir Ben Slade doesn’t last long(Image: Colin Hutton / Channel 4 / 72 Films)
He’s the right-wing toff who famously advertised for a young wife to bear him an heir in 2018 – now Sir Ben Slade has caused more astonishment in reality show Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing.
Viewers will be left stunned when it emerges the aristocrat’s extensive art collection includes a painting by Adolf Hitler, plus statues of African slaves. It’s the last roll of the dice for the 80-year-old 7th baronet of Maunsel as he desperately needs his half-share of the £100k prize money to prop up his ancestral home, a sprawling 14th century mansion in Somerset.
All he has to do is remain handcuffed to George Shipton for the duration of filming, which shouldn’t be too tall an order for the self-proclaimed “street fighter”.
Ex prison guard George doesn’t like people who look down on him, and Sir Ben doesn’t like the lower classes(Image: 72 Films)
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George, 60, is a left-wing former prison officer who now works as a historical tour guide. He’s not keen on people who see themselves as “intellectually higher” than him, saying: “Don’t let the cockney accent fool you. Don’t go thinking you’re better than me because you’ve got a plum in your gob – cause you ain’t.”
He is staggered when Sir Ben draws his attention to a painting by “a German chappie” soon after they arrive at Maunsel House. Branding it “abhorrent” George informs his host: “I wouldn’t want his painting in my house because of what he did to humanity – his art work needs to go in the toilet.” But Sir Ben laughs: “He was a good painter wasn’t he?” George also calls him out on his “politically incorrect” statues of African slaves, who Sir Ben insists are “princes” who are in a submissive pose simply to support the glass table top.
The baronet tells the cameras he is desperate for the £50k “to keep the wolf from the door” having complained: “Everybody thinks I’m absolutely loaded – but times are tough.” Despite this he flies into a rage when he is denied his phone by producers, and calls for his cuffs to be cut off. Speaking once filming had ended, George told The Mirror he was taken aback by the Hitler painting. “Displaying it was an homage to the king of racists. I was shocked to see it,” he confessed. “On walking into Ben’s mansion, I realised that it was a statement of power to visitors. A message to say ‘you had better know your place’. I thought wow – I didn’t realise he was that far into right wing politics.”
Sir Ben’s ancestral home is packed full of art – not all of it in good taste(Image: SWNS)
Sir Ben admitted he’d enjoyed debating with George, adding: “It could have been a lot worse.” He said the reason he’d quit came down to work pressures rather than a personality clash. “I needed my phone to make calls. I had to [take off the cuffs] because of some really important deals I had to do.” But since his brief appearance on the show was filmed, Maunsel House has been put up for sale and is in now the process of being bought by a hotel group.
In the six-part Channel 4 series the nine pairs were matched for their differing views on life and must eat, sleep, shower and use the toilet while being handcuffed together. Host Jonathan Ross said his biggest fear was that the show would end up being too stressful for viewers. “There is a built-in level of conflict, and I was very concerned that that wouldn’t be too extreme,” he explained. “They are from very, very different worlds.”
But he said there was plenty of co-operation and even friendship along the way and is now hoping for another series, perhaps followed by a celebrity version. Picking the famous faces he’d like to watch in handcuffs, he said: “I’d quite like to see Xander Armstrong, and we all know if you can get Alan Carr to do anything, you’ve got a great show.” Turning his attention to rappers, he added: “Stormzy would be interesting to see chained to someone and big Dave would probably do it.”
The moment when the pair are handcuffed by Jonathan Ross in a Blind Date-style studio(Image: 72 Films)
Despite his success on The Traitors, he says he “wouldn’t want to do it” himself, admitting: “I think I would struggle with the physicality of it.” Tilly, 37, is a cleaner and barmaid from North London, handcuffed to Suffolk-based classic car businessman Anthony, 60. Staunch feminist Jo, 39 is matched with self-proclaimed alpha male Reuben, 29, from Portsmouth. East End hairdresser and Christian Nina, 42, is shackled to right-wing mum-of seven Sara, 55 while prudish housewife Charlie, 44, from West Sussex is stuck with Staffordshire-based Rob, 32, who makes gay porn. Horse trainer Claire, 48, from Hampshire lives alongside model and influencer Bambi, 29, from London while political commentator Lin, 38, is chained to Green Party councillor Frank, 27. Retired soldier Bob, 70, from Yorkshire is handcuffed to Chris, 38, a youth worker from London and Somerset hippie Morag, 64, is linked with petrol-head Angie, 44, from Stockport.
– Handcuffed: Last Pair Standing, Monday, 9pm, Channel 4
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