Stay where you are! Channel 4’s Hunted is back on our screens, with plenty more chases through car parks, contestants hiding in bushes and ‘near misses’ before an ad break that often aren’t as dramatic as they first appear.
The first two episodes of series 8 (the main series, not the celeb special) aired on Sunday and Monday, respectively. At the end of the second instalment , a short trailer for the rest of the series was released – along with a format change that will pose a big dilemma for the remaining fugitives.
In the ‘Coming up…’ clip, we see contestants Marie and Sean sitting in a car reading a message sent from an unknown source, which discusses a dead drop of £10,000.
If you’re unfamiliar with the term, a dead drop is when an item is left in a secret location, designed to be picked up. In this case, it appears it will be a monetary reward.
We then see the Hunters questioning what’s happening at a library in Birmingham, speculating that the contestants are going down to collect something. We then also see bodycam footage of someone running through said building.
From what was teased, it looks as if the fugitives will be given the choice to head to a specific location (most likely the library in Birmingham) to risk getting their hands on some money early. However, it doesn’t appear as if the Hunters have set up the dead drop themselves to lure in the group.
Nonetheless, going along will be risky. Most contestants who survive Hunted head to rural locations with less CCTV and tracking equipment, and fewer opportunities to be cornered. Plus, if the Hunted team catch on to why fugitives are heading this way, then there’s a chance more of them will be in one place, making it hard to get in and out of.
We also don’t know if the money can be split. If it isn’t, and multiple contestants get there, it will be a case of who is the quickest and most stealthy.
For reference, whichever contestants are left standing at the end will win a share of £100,000. However, the competition gets more difficult as it goes on, as Ground Hunters can team up, with fewer targets to follow. So, bagging some money earlier than expected may be a real lure for some teams.
Lead investigator Ray Howard referred to what we now know as the dead drop when asked about series 8:
“Without revealing too much, there is a brand-new aspect to the show that took us all by surprise. It introduces a new element of decision-making for the contestants, involving huge risks and huge rewards for the fugitives brave enough to try. This was a game-changing move and kept us all on the edge of our seats, but you’ll have to watch to see if it works out for them!”
We don’t yet know when the £10,000 dead drop twist will take place, but Hunted series 8 rolls out new episodes on Channel 4 every Sunday and Monday at 9pm BST – so keep your eyes peeled.
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Author: Hannah Cowton-Barnes, Entertainment Editor, Tech Advisor
As Tech Advisor’s Entertainment Editor, Hannah is the resident expert in all things streaming, film and TV. Before joining Tech Advisor in 2019, she studied Theatre and Performance at the University of Leeds and created a website dedicated to geek culture and lifestyle. She’s also reviewed a whole range of gadgets including flagship smartphones, wearables and styling tools. Outside of Foundry, she’s written freelance pieces for Polygon, Metro and Den of Geek, and is proud to be a Women Techmakers Ambassador for Google.
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