With the world of politics currently in chaos, there couldn't be a better time for members of the public to try their hand at leading the country – which is exactly the premise behind Channel 4's new reality show Make Me Prime Minister.

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The competition will see 12 ambitious candidates with strong views across the political spectrum take on campaign trial challenges, with Alistair Campbell and Baroness Sayeeda Warsi judging their performances.

From viral sensation Jackie Weaver to an ex-footballer and a TikTok star, this year's line-up of political wannabes are ready to prove they have what it takes to be PM.

Here's everything you need to know about the contestants of Make Me Prime Minister.

Adam

Adam
Channel 4

Age: 61

Job: Marketing consultant

From: Suffolk

Marketing consultant Adam reckons he would make a great leader and describes himself as compassionate, realistic, patriotic and honest. With political leanings that are "progressive, left of centre", Adam says that he'll cast "any vote to keep the Tories out".

The stepfather to four children, Adam used to be the Business Director for Saatchi & Saatchi when it won the Labour account in 2007 and says that Brexit drove him "f**king mad".

His big idea is to create more social mobility by depoliticising education, and if he had £1 billion to spend, he would invest it in HMRC to stop tax evasion and reinvest money into the country.

"One of the curses of modern politics is the machine politician – in the university politics club, hired as a researcher by central office at 21, parachuted into a safe seat by 30 and by 35, are running a multibillion pound department of state," he says.

"These people are not fit to tell the country what to do, because they exist in an entirely hermetically-sealed bubble of political consideration and not human experience."

Alice

Alice
Channel 4

Age: 20

Job: Student

From: London

London-based student Alice describes herself as "socially very conservative", however she feels as though the current Conservative Party "often prioritises profit and big business over the people".

Studying Classics at Oxford, Alice is a staunch Brexiteer who grew up in an agnostic family but converted to Catholicism at the age of 18. She considers Margaret Thatcher to be her political hero, who she met when she was very young, and would like Britain to be more self-sufficient, revising British industry and agriculture.

Alice's big idea is to abolish all green taxes and levies, instead promoting 'Trees not Taxes' – a plan to create more green spaces in cities. She advocates for an end to the Carbon net-zero agenda to reduce skyrocketing prices of fuel and energy bills to help the poorest and most vulnerable British households.

"When I came out as pro-Brexit, in London especially, a lot of my peers were quite astonished, and assumed I was uneducated and didn’t know enough," she says.

"Coming from a mixed heritage background, people couldn’t understand that I’d be in favour of Brexit, because the narrative around it painted it as some kind of updated jingoistic nationalism… Ultimately, I think I am slightly odd for my generation."

Caroline

Caroline
Channel 4

Age: 55

Job: Hairdresser

From: Buckinghamshire

Extinction Rebellion member Caroline doesn't identify with any particular in particular but says that if she were to lean any way, "it would be towards the Green Party".

The former science teacher was introduced to her first protest in 2019 by her eldest daughter and has since been arrested four times, making "a deal with herself" to do her part in controlling climate change as she finds it frustrating when people say it's not as bad as we think.

The 55-year-old's big idea is to put 'Planet Before Profile', as she believes the government aren't paying attention to environmental issues, and would cut funding to all future non-green projects, starting by scrapping HS2 and using Citizens Assemblies to investigate government policies.

"Id been labouring under the misapprehension that the government was there to take care of us. I now realise this is a fallacy," she says.

"They are there to pander to the vested interests, to line their own pockets, and feather their own nests, and are probably at the behest of multinational corporations and lobbyists."

Conall

Conall
Channel 4

Age: 24

Job: Paralegal

From: Belfast

TikTok star Conall is a self-described "Ralph Lauren connoisseur" who believes the current UK government are a "shambles". As an Irishman, he is fed up with people asking whether he votes Labour or Tory without mentioning any other parties.

Conall isn't convinced that climate change is as bad as people make out and believes the current issues in society stem back to education. He also feels that the UK is behind other countries when it comes to supervised drug consumption rooms and believes it's massively impacting the NHS, with hopes that the UK will look at preventing drug use and promoting safe drug use as criminalisation hasn't worked, in his opinion.

His big idea is to open rehabilitation centres across the UK which would offer safe spaces for people living on the streets who struggle with addiction.

"I can probably be too considerate and forgiving. I don't like Boris Johnson by any means, but I believe people in power have got there for a reason," he says. "There must be something about them."

Danny

Danny
Channel 4

Age: 37

Job: Venue operator

From: London

London-based Danny doesn't back any party in particular but says that he "calls out the Tories more", adding: "Labour aren't in charge, so I'm not going to spend as much time talking about them – I'll deal with them later".

The 37-year-old says that he wasn't into politics until the pandemic and has since made a name for himself on Instagram with his candid and often personal videos. Describing himself as "sensible" as well as "a legend and joker", Danny uses his platform to bring the outsider's viewpoint to politics.

Raised by his music producer and DJ father Goldie, Danny – who is openly pansexual – feels strongly about government spending and the education system. His big idea is to return power to the people by making everyday people the government's boss, with plans for all big government spending to first be put through a public assembly who decide whether or not it's a good use of the public purse.

"Things like Pride month and Black History month shouldn’t need to exist. If there wasn’t so much hate, they wouldn’t need to exist," he says. "But do I think people would be ready for a black, pansexual Prime Minister? I think normal people would be."

Darius

Darius
Channel 4

Age: 23

Job: Entrepreneur and charity fundraiser

From: London

Entrepreneur and charity fundraiser Darius stood in the last council elections for Hounslow Council as a Conservative candidate, having supported the party since the age of 18.

The 23-year-old fled Afghanistan with his family at the age of six months to escape the Taliban regime, being smuggled into the UK in the back of a refrigerated lorry. He later studied Politics and Philosophy at Kings College and believes the Conservative Party embodies people with strong business acumen, innovation and creativity.

Darius's big idea is to provide more government funding to help young people set up their own businesses, with the London-based candidate hoping to be the first British-Afghan refugee leader who'll tackle crime in society.

"When I was 18, I sent an email to a lot of Conservative and Labour MPs, saying I wanted to become Mayor of London," he says. "I heard back from a lot of Conservative MPs, who invited me to Parliament. I met Colonel Bob Stewart, I met Michael Fallon, and William Hague. All the Labour MPs said was, ‘You’re too young to get involved in politics.’ It wasn’t very encouraging."

Holly

Holly
Channel 4

Age: 29

Job: Ex-footballer and sports agent

From: Leicester

Former footballer Holly identifies with Labour, however she admits that she hasn't been "completely happy with the party and where it's going" but would still vote for them.

A self-described passionate, enthusiastic go-getter, Holly is a qualified solicitor and former first team coach for Leicester City WFC who is also on the advisory board for the Kick It Out campaign.

The 29-year-old has always thought about becoming an MP and believes that her experience as a football captain would help her. She's passionate about health and would like to tackle child obesity in the UK, while her big idea is to dismantle institutional racism in the UK and implement her policy through Employment, Education, Reconciliation and Health.

"I can understand my audience, and what they require from me. And I think I’m led by my morals and values as well," she says. "That’s not always the case in politics, but I think people are looking for someone who they can trust, who is honest and open. I think we’ve lost that layer of trust. Seeing people lying and just accepting it has become normalised, unfortunately."

Jackie

Jackie
Channel 4

Age: 63

Job: Chief Officer

From: Shropshire

Internet sensation Jackie is the Chief Officer of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils who is best known for being angrily told that she has "no authority" in a Zoom meeting back in December 2020.

The mother-of-three says she has always voted Conservative and didn't give it much thought until the last by-election, at which she voted Lib Dem, and if she were leader, she would "make decisions people don't like", believing that we should take "a less emotional look at the NHS and see it for what is it – a business".

Jackie's big idea is to boost local government and focus funding away from central government so that "changes you care about can be made".

"National politics should not involve the rough and tumble that it currently does," she says. "There is absolutely no reason for us to have, for example, the House of Commons set up in a way that has been designed by Big Brother to be as adversarial as it possibly could be, and to say that that is a demonstration of how we expect people to behave in a council chamber."

Kelly

Kelly
Channel 4

Age: 25

Job: Equality and diversity inclusion manager

From: Edinburgh

Former Miss University Great Britain 2020 finalist Kelly considers her political leanings to be "very much to the left" and is passionate about disability rights, inclusion and equality after being diagnosed with autism and ADHD last year.

She has been campaigning for the SNP since the age of 16 and became an elected member of the Scottish Youth Parliament in 2018, being selected to be Nicola Sturgeon's official support at the end of the year celebration for Scotland's Year of Young People.

Kelly's big idea is to focus on housing security for everyone and to abolish homelessness with Housing First. She has taken part in protests and feels that "the right to protest is necessary for democracy".

"I think we need to take a more proactive approach to wellbeing. One of the things I’ve noticed about Britain is that being miserable just has us all in a choke-hold," she says.

"Nobody does anything about it. We don’t have to live like this. We could choose something better. So I’d definitely go down a wellbeing route, but I would like it to be based on neurodivergent inclusion – it’s a massive problem."

Natalie

Natalie
Channel 4

Age: 36

Job: Medical Communications Director

From: Manchester

Manchester-based Natalie is "independent but left leaning" when it comes to politics and believes that the national curriculum is outdated and needs refreshing to suit each child rather than a blanket approach.

Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, Natalie recently launched a clothing campaign for people who wear insulin pumps or take daily injections. If she were leader, she would love to put a cap on capitalism as it would "solve not just economic problems, but problems of corruption, problems of careerists", while she is hugely passionate about more support for the "overwhelmed" NHS.

Natalie's big idea is to impose legislation to prevent multinational corporations from using debt shifting practises to avoid paying taxes. With the money raised, she would propose spending this on improving community infrastructure and facilities.

"We must never forget that it’s the public who pay politicians’ wages. If I were to buy a top from a shop, and I took it home and found that it was too small or exposed my chest or whatever, I would take it back for a refund, because it would not be fit for purpose," she says.

"The British taxpayer spends a huge chunk of their monthly income paying for politicians, and I would argue that the service they’re providing is not fit for purpose."

Rico

Rico
Channel 4

Age: 30

Job: Diversity consultant

From: London

Diversity consultant and transgender man Rico is extremely passionate about campaigning for Black and LGBTQ+ rights, having previously spoken in both Parliament and the Mayor of London's office. As for his political leanings, he says he is "Labour but more about a cause and fighting for minority groups".

Rico believes that the UK is behind when it comes to inclusivity and the needs of the non-binary population, and whilst improving access to the Gender Recognition Certificate is high up his priority list, he feels the "shocking" cost of living crisis is the most paramount issue.

His big idea is to raise awareness of issues that impact the transgender and nonbinary community, starting with access to the Gender Recognition Certificate.

"I went to private school. My dad keeps reminding me that the reason I have this posh accent is because he paid for it, and that I should use it as a force for good," he says.

"I have this ability to speak in a way that people in this country can relate to and understand, therefore I should speak for minority groups. My parents grew up in rough areas of Brixton, so they come from nothing, they worked their socks off."

Verity

Verity
Channel 4

Age: 22

Job: Restaurant supervisor

From: Brighton

Brighton-based Verity says that her political views don't define who she is and having grown up in a family that loved to debate politics, she is infuriated by the lack of female voices in politics.

She is passionate about voting and encourages women to vote in her local town, describing herself as adventurous, spontaneous and independent. She has previously campaigned at Black Lives Matter, equality and climate change protests.

Verity's big idea is to 'Set the Bar' to ensure politics is about the people and ensuring that Parliament has an equal percentage of all different communities within the UK.

"I’m the type of person that, if someone says, 'The fence is broken, can you get someone to fix it?' I’ll go out of my way to prove that I can fix it myself, and I don’t need to do that," she says. "If a man says I can’t do something, whatever it is, I’ll go out of my way to do it."

Make Me Prime Minister airs on Tuesdays at 9:30pm on Channel 4. Visit our dedicated Entertainment page for all the latest news, interviews and spoilers. If you’re looking for more to watch, check out our TV Guide.

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Authors

Lauren Morris
Lauren MorrisEntertainment and Factual Writer
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