Election (TV series) facts for kids

Election was an exciting TV show on CBBC that taught young people about politics. It was a reality competition where contestants faced challenges. The show was presented by Angellica Bell and judged by Jonathan Dimbleby. It first aired in 2008.

What is the Election TV Show?

The TV series Election challenged ten young contestants. They took part in political tasks, working in two teams: Purple and Green. Each week, a famous guest helped both teams. They also tested the teams in a special skills challenge. The winning team got an advantage for the main task.

The team that won the main challenge received a fun treat. The losing team had to face Jonathan Dimbleby. One person from the losing team was told "Your Campaign is Over," meaning they were out of the competition.

The show had ten episodes. It ended with the last two contestants, Hazel and Quincy, competing at Parliament. Quincy Washington won the show. He got to meet the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, at 10 Downing Street. The show even won a BAFTA Award for Entertainment!

Episodes of Election

The Election series had many interesting challenges for its contestants. Here's a look at what happened in each episode:

Auditions

In the very first episode, 16 hopeful young people joined "Leadership Camp." They were tested on how well they could make decisions, work in a team, and convince others. Only ten contestants made it through. These ten then moved into the "Leadership House."

Making an Impression

In this episode, teams learned about "Unique Selling Points" (USPs). A USP is what makes something special and different. Michelle Dewberry, the first female winner of The Apprentice, mentored the teams. The boys' team (Purple) and the girls' team (Green) had to host a party. The parties were to raise awareness for important causes. The Green team focused on chewing gum litter. The Purple team worked to highlight the problem of dog poo.

Recruiting People

Vince Cable helped the contestants learn about getting people to support a cause. Both teams had to convince people on Oxford Street to buy fruit. This was to win an advantage for their main challenge. Later, both teams had to persuade office workers to dance. The Green team got workers to do the haka. The Purple team convinced workers to do the hula.

Public Speaking

Memory expert Dominic O'Brien helped the new mixed teams improve their memory skills. Both teams then had to give a professional and interesting tour on the River Thames. They had to include lots of facts in their tour.

Diplomacy

The seven remaining contestants went to a fancy restaurant in London. There, they learned proper manners and etiquette from Elizabeth Brewer. She was a judge from the show Ladette to Lady. One person from each team had to learn about the culture, language, and traditions of four different countries. They then had to formally discuss these cultures with ambassadors from those countries.

Debating

The last six contestants faced tough questions from their parents, asked by Ann Widdecombe. The contestants then had to debate about mosquito alarms. They did this on the popular BBC NEWS show Newsnight. The debate was presented by Emily Maitlis and Jeremy Paxman.

Campaigning

The contestants had to convince people to sign petitions. The petition was about only flushing the toilet after a "Number 2." Former Mayor Ken Livingstone was the mentor for this task. The Purple team came up with the slogan: "If it's yellow, let it mellow. If it's brown, flush it down."

The contestants also had to pitch their ideas like on Dragon's Den. They had to create their own fairtrade chocolate bar. They got ideas from the Dubble chocolate bar.

Publicity Stunts

Human rights activist Peter Tatchell taught the contestants about getting attention. He showed them how to do publicity stunts. Both teams had to convince people to give them their extra shopping bags. This was to raise awareness about wasted plastic. The four remaining contestants were split into boys versus girls. Each team had to campaign in Oxford Street about animal rights.

Inspiration

The final three contestants traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland. They were tested on their ability to get attention by John Loughton. He was the winner of Big Brother: Celebrity Hijack and a leader of the Scottish Youth Parliament. Each contestant learned about different science topics. They then had to teach a lesson about it in a secondary school in Edinburgh.

The Final

All ten original contestants came back together for the final episode. The last two finalists presented their ideas and plans. They spoke in front of an assembly of young people at the House of Commons. They hoped to win the title of 'Winner of Election'. The winner also got the special meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.