Comedians to be pursued in next series

Comedians Laura Smyth and Jen Brister are to go on the run in the next series of Celebrity Hunted.

The pair are following in the footsteps of fellow comics Ed Gamble and  James Acaster, who memorably appeared in the 2023 series  – and were tracked down hiding out in the Taskmaster house. 

Former English teacher Smyth became a full-time comedian in 2021, two years after winning the Funny Women award.  That year she was also diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer, with her experiences informing her Radio 4 stand-up show I Don't Know What To Say, and she currently presents the show Your Mum for the same broadcaster.

She’ll be paired on Celebrity Hunted with Brister, whose TV credits include Mock The Week, QI and Live At The Apollo. In 2019 she wrote the book The Other Mother, about being the parent of twin boys with her partner Chloe.

Strictly Come Dancing pros Amy Dowden and Carlos Xu are also taking part, as is  former Royal Marine and Paralympian  JJ Chalmers, who took part in the BBC One dance contest in 2020.

He’ll be paired with broadcaster Sophie Morgan, who will become the first Celebrity Hunted contestant to use a wheelchair. It’s expected her journey across the UK will highlight accessibility issues.

Also taking part are former EastEnders star Brian Conley and his daughter Lucy; Love Island contestants  Chris Taylor and Toby Aromolaran; and  Scarlette Douglas and her brother Stuart. hosts of Channel 4’s Worst House On The Street.

The broadcaster has not officially announced all the names taking part, nor any broadcast date, but the line-up has been reported by The Sun.

Series eight of the civilian Hunted is also set to be filmed this year. 

Commissioning editor Ian Dunkley previously said: ‘It’s great to be returning to one of Channel 4’s most popular brands. Expect thrills, spills and the latest cutting-edge tech, as once again the fugitives discover just how hard it is to escape the investigative skills of a seasoned team of hunters.’

Series seven of Hunted, which aired last year, consolidated at 2.4million viewers, with the last season of the celebrity versions racking up 1.85million viewers, making it one of the channel’s biggest hits and performing particularly well among 16-34-year-olds.

Published: 8 Jul 2025