I’ve often made idle threats about wanting to throw certain celebrities in jail. Mostly Paris Hilton (again) and Lindsay Lohan. But I’d probably stick most of them in there for a couple days if given the chance. Just to give them a bit of perspective. Apparently my threats weren’t so idle after all – a British reality show is doing just that with several minor celebs, most notably Jack Osbourne.

Celebrities have put themselves behind bars for the latest reality TV show. Linford Christie, Jack Osbourne and Donal MacIntyre experienced life as inmates in one of the “world’s harshest prisons” for the new series. The show, entitled Prisoner: X, also features I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! stars Joe Pasquale and Marc Bannerman, actor Will Mellor, author Toby Young and former Coronation Street actress Debra Stephenson.

Sharon Osbourne’s 22-year-old son was extracted from his cell and strip searched in Shelby County Jail, Memphis, while Young, the British author of How to Lose Friends and Alienate People, requested a stab vest in Westville Prison, South Africa, after fearing for his own life. Bannerman is locked up in Germany, and Stephenson in the US in the Virgin1 series – but none of the celebrities endure life in a British jail. A spokeswoman for the show said she did not know whether that was because conditions in British prisons were not harsh enough.

Daniela Neumann, Virgin1’s director of programming, said: “For the first time ever we will genuinely see these celebrities eat, sleep and shower in the most disgusting prisons in the world. These are personal and intimate journeys for people who are used to soft cotton sheets, fine wine, gourmet food and toilet paper – never has the phrase ‘being out of your comfort zone’ been more true.”

[From the Press Association]

My first question was how in the world the producers got the prison wardens to agree to this in the first place. My second question was how they managed to keep the “celebrities” safe. However aside from Jack Osbourne, I’ve never heard of any of the rest of them. They’re probably bigger stars in the UK, but since none of them were in British jails I’m guessing their identities weren’t that hard to keep secret… you know, until the cameras started following them around. Obviously the other inmates knew what was going on since it’s televised.

It is definitely an interesting experiment, and one of the few reality shows I’d ever be interested in watching. The idea of any Osbourne behind bars is intriguingly hard to resist, even though they locked up the least annoying one.

Here’s Jack outside LA’s “Coco DeVille” nightclub on August 12th. Images thanks to Fame.