Will MellorWill Mellor’s about to be banged up abroad; but it’s no laugh being locked up in Barbados' only prison with over 1000 inmates.

How will Will survive among the rapists, thieves and drug dealers?

It may seem like a gimmick, but the bruises on Will’s body after being forcibly removed from his cell are no joke. Some of the island’s most notorious criminals are sharing ‘accommodation’ with him, and the guards are taking no chances.

Joining Will on Virgin 1’s new show The Prisoner are a group of celebs including Jack Osbourne, Joe Pasquale, Debra Stephenson, Donal MacIntyre, and Linford Christie, who have all agreed to spend time in some of the world’s toughest prisons in as candid an environment as is safely possible. 

In an attempt to keep the experience as realistic as possible Will is subjected to the same rules and rigours as all the other inmates on entering the prison. He's strip-searched, shaved, and locked away - but this is the least of his problems.

The actor's main reason for taking part is purely personal. Will has a young family of his own, but he remembers a childhood where his own father was sent to jail. Being away from his children under these conditions for real is unthinkable, and more so for him by the end of his journey.

Meeting one man on death row is a horrific experience – to the point of nausea. Will has to leave the building, but his luck is that he can walk away. He’s moved to tears by the injustice of the man who has been imprisoned on death row indefinitely for over 20 years. 

Will’s experience provides a insight to what life is really like on the inside - by the end he's left feeling claustrophobic, tearful and overwhelmed. But how will his fellow celebs deal with their incarceration in the coming weeks?

Find out when The Prisoner is showing on TV.