Scared Of The Dark: How many episodes, format, critical reception, how to watch and who are the celebs on Channel 4's new reality show - from Gazza to Chris Eubank

It’s the new show that everybody is talking about – so let’s get you up to speed.

Locking eight celebrities up in a pitch-black prison may seem like an unlikely idea for a television programme, but that’s the premise of Scared of the Dark.

It’s presented in his own inimitable style by former Eastender Danny Dyer, while clinical psychiatrist Dr Tharaka Gunarathne keeps an eye on the contestants and explains how the lack of light is impacting on their mental state.

Here’s what you need to know.

How does the show work?

Aside from having to cope with living, socialising, eating and washing in the pitch black, the celebrities will also have to take part in tasks that “either test their primal fear of darkness or their ability to function without light”.

The contestants live and sleep in the Bunker, which has been built to keep out all light and contains 50 infrared cameras allowing viewers to see all the action.

At any point they can leave by shouting ‘I’m Scared of the Dark’ and they will immediately leave the Bunker – and the game.

They can also visit The Vault, which acts like Big Brother's Diary Room, and speak about how they are finding the experience. Dark, mainly.

Tasks so far have been set to earn the team of eight famous faces food, but in future episodes failing the tasks will mean leaving the show.

At the end of the five nights only the winner will remain.

How many episodes are there?

The first series of Scared of the Dark is just five episodes long.

The first episode was broadcast at 9pm on Sunday, April 4. The next four episodes will be broadcast over the next four consecutive nights at the same time, with the last episode on Thursday, April 20.

How can I watch Scared of the Dark?

You can catch Scared of the Dark for free on Channel 4 and catch up with all available episodes on streaming service All4.

What have the critics said?

Following the opening episode, it would be fair to say that the critics were somewhat divided.

In the Guardian Lucy Mangan called it “the stupidest thing I’ve ever seen”, while another one star review in The Telegraph said it “plumbs the depths of stupidity”.

But in The Independent Nick Hilton praised the casting in a four-star review labelling it “TV Gold”.

Who are the eight celebrities taking part?

Here are all eight contestant and how they found fame:

Scarlett Moffatt: Former Gogglebox star who went on to win I’m A celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here.

Chris Eubank: Boxer ranked as the third best British super-middleweight boxer of all time. He held the WBO middleweight and super-middleweight championships titles between 1990 and 1995. Famous for his flamboyant dress sense, his son, Chris Eubank Jr., is also a professional boxer.

Paul Gascoigne: Better known as Gazza, Gasgoigne is recognised as the most naturally talented English footballer of his generation, helping take his country to the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup. He also played for Rangers from 1995–1998.

Nicola Adams: A former British professional boxer who retired with an unbeaten record, holding the WBO female flyweight title having won two Olympic golds. She also won at the World, European and Commonwealth Games.

Max George: The lead singer of hit band The Wanted, George started his career as a footballer, playing for Preston North End before an injury put an end to his playing days.

Chris McCausland: A British actor and standup comedian, McCausland plays Rudi in the CBeebies show Me Too! and is a regular on Have I Got News For You. He is blind due to retinitis pigmentosa.

Donna Preston: Rising to fame as an actress on soap Coronation Street, Preston has also appeared in Harry Potter spin-off Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes Of Grindelwald, as well as television shows Pants On Fire, Threesomes (which she also wrote) and Apocalypse.

Chloe Burrows: A former financial marketing executive, Burrows came second in series seven of Love Island.