Dr Tharaka Gunarathne weighs in on the eight stars’ performances in the new Channel 4 reality series that plunges them into complete darkness.

By Laura Rutkowski

Published: Sunday, 16 April 2023 at 12:00 am

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Fear of the dark, or nyctophobia, is one of the most common phobias for children aged six to 12, but some of us never grow out of it. Research has shown that nearly one in four British adults admit they sleep with a light on because they’re scared of the dark.

This fear is tested to the limit in Channel 4’s new reality format Scared of the Dark, hosted by Danny Dyer, where eight celebrities must live in a pitch-black 120 square-metre living space called The Bunker.

The cast includes retired pro-boxers Nicola Adams and Chris Eubank, Love Island’s Chloe Burrows, former professional footballer Paul Gascoigne, The Wanted’s Max George, Gogglebox’s Scarlett Moffatt, actress Donna Preston and comedian Chris McCausland, who is visually impaired.

The Bunker, located in a 146,000 square-foot hangar, has been specifically designed to shut out all light, except in the toilets – that’s the only place where there’s a dim light. Episodes will be broadcast across five consecutive nights, where 50 infrared cameras will capture the celebrities’ eight-day stay.

They must also complete challenges in total darkness to win back some time in the light. Their first task is to find five key things that have been taken from their bags, like a toothbrush and socks, within two minutes – or they’ll have to go without them. At the end, the winner will be chosen by the other contestants.

Host Dyer is joined on the show by clinical psychiatrist Dr Tharaka Gunarathne, who said: “The dark can be a direct fear or a reminder of a collateral fear that triggers a memory of a time when, for example, someone was alone in a room in the dark. When the lights go out, psychological uncertainty is at an all-time high – and we need certainty.”

As well as general visual input, complete darkness can also remove social cues and the ability to connect with each other, thanks to an inability to read facial expressions. On the flipside, it also removes the need to keep up appearances, whether that’s putting on make-up or a false smile.

“It’s a challenge for these celebrities because much of their professional life is very much in the spotlight. It’s making a mockery of the social game and seeing how people survive,” explained Gunarathne.

He points out that ex-boxer Adams is always smiling, for example, even in the dark (“it releases positive endorphins and the ability to focus and be more relaxed”), while Burrows, who is petrified of the dark, has a panic attack in the first episode. “Being an influencer is hugely visual, so hats off to Chloe for immersing herself knowing it’s going to be painful, uncomfortable and scary,” he added.

Moffatt is a late entry to the team, at first trying to remain undetectable to the rest of the celebs. “She brings a lot of laughter in that place, which they need, because where there’s increased laughter, there’s increased oxytocin, which promotes trust and bonding.”

Channel 4

Meanwhile, George’s “schoolboy playful side” comes out, but “he’s also able to be very serious” and Preston’s “superpower as a comedian is the ability to innovate and think on her feet”. On the other hand, Gunarathne added: “It was very clear she [Donna Preston] found it very shocking and that’s going to take a massive mental toll on you. You would expect to run into tiredness and exhaustion at times.”

What about McCausland, who’s surely at an advantage? “We have this assumption that Chris is going to be the expert, but there are so many different psychological dynamic factors at play that confound how well he could or could not do,” Gunarathne continued. “Many blind people who don’t have conscious vision still have what we call unconscious vision, where your retina picks up light unconsciously, so putting Chris in the bunker still deprives him of that, so there are a lot of new variables for him as well.”

Gascoigne vocalises how worried he is going into the experiment, but he’s “very open about the weaknesses and vulnerabilities he’s been going through”, Gunarathne added. “You empathise with that and you can see how painful it is for him. Then it makes you worry about how long he’s actually going to manage this.”

Channel 4

Eubank, meanwhile, takes instant offence to anyone swearing and isn’t afraid to tell them so. “In the dark we might reveal what’s important to us, which could be an issue of value,” noted Gunarathne. “Sometimes when we’re anxious, we want to control our environment. I really felt like he was regulating his own emotional energy when he went in, he had a winner’s mindset.” He also maintained his unique sense of style, despite being “completely invisible to everyone else”.

At the end of the day, perhaps it’s not the dark itself we’re afraid of, but of looking inward when we’re there, of truly seeing ourselves, and this format offers a penetrating – and oddly emotional – glimpse behind the celebrity mask. And it seems Gunarathne agrees: “When the lights go out, that’s when you can tell who someone really is.”