Comics pursued in latest celebrity edition of C4 show

Jen Brister and  Laura Smyth are to take part in the next series of Celebrity Hunted.

The comedians will go on the run next month as part of the next charity series of the show, in aid of Stand Up To Cancer.

Also taking part are:

• Entertainer Brian Conley and his actor-comedian daughter Lucy;
•  Strictly Come Dancing pros Amy Dowden MBE and Carlos Gu;
• Love Island duo Chris Taylor and Toby Aromolaran;
• TV presenters JJ Chalmers and  Sophie Morgan;
• Property experts and siblings, Scarlette and Stuart Douglas.

Each pair of celebrities must vanish into mainland Britain to try to evade capture for 14 days.

Pursuing them is Ray Howard and his team of hunters drawn from policing, military and intelligence backgrounds. They have the full arsenal of the modern state at their disposal, including CCTV, ANPR, Facial Recognition, helicopters, drones, search dogs, cyber investigations and media appeals. Every clue, every sighting and every mistake can mean a capture.

Matt Bennett, director of programmes for producers Shine TV, says: ‘Celebrity Hunted is the only TV series – alongside its cousin, Hunted – which continues to remind us of the powers of the state in an entertaining and engaging way. 

‘This is our most ambitious series yet, beginning with a breathtaking aerial launch among the skyscrapers of London, then a daring escape at the end of the run for any who evade capture… with a great deal of entertaining mischief in between.’

Ian Dunkley, commissioning editor for Channel 4, added: ‘When celebrities go on the run and are forced to engage the help of us mere mortals, chaos and comedy inevitably ensue. 

‘Hunted down by a motivated team of police and security professionals, this series reveals what it takes to remain hidden when everybody knows what you look like.’

Smyth and Brister follow in the footsteps of Ed Gamble and James Acaster, who made a memorable appearance on Celebrity Hunted in 2023. While on the run, they ate in a Michelin-starred restaurant, called into Gamble's Radio X programme and released a video mocking the hunters before luring them to the Taskmaster house in West London.

Published: 14 Jul 2026