Sugar Free Farm, ITV - TV review: Mostly silly, but effective in driving home the message about sugar

Much of the entertainment had nothing to do with living sugar free

Sugar Free Farm

Six younger celebs took on another challenge in ITV's Sugar Free Farm, where they were forced to go cold turkey from all things sweet in a rural retreat for two weeks. That also meant not drinking wine for a fortnight, which came as a bit of a surprise to singer Jane McDonald.

Starving themselves of sugar proved too much for some. Game show whizz Mark “the beast” Labbett from The Chase grew irate when his dinner was served late, and dancer Jennifer Ellison had flu-like symptoms from fizzy drink withdrawal. In the words of Towie's own James “#burgernipples” Argent, it really did look like they'd been through World War III.

Much of the entertainment had nothing to do with living sugar free. When Jennifer Ellison wasn't “covered in buffalo poo and loving it” while mucking out on the farm, she was getting emotional about feeding a baby calf and preventing it from dying early. Jane McDonald's backstage assistant, whose sole job appeared to be heating up our Jane's ready meal in a microwave, was perhaps the most risible character of all.

Sugar Free Farm was mostly silly fare, but effective in driving home the message for those who grew up thinking fat, not sugar, is the big dietary evil.