Manchester beauty Carly Stratton is among those taking part in this years Shipwrecked: Battle of the Islands series.

The 19-year-old student is one of ten islanders to appear on the hit reality show, which returns to our screens this Sunday. Set in the South Pacific, the series follows an initial 12 people cast away on two islands. Other castaways join the islanders throughout their three-month stay to compete for a share of the £100,000 prize.

“The whole experience is pretty indescribable,” she tells People. “It really was a once in a lifetime opportunity.” Miss Stratton says it was hard not being able to tell her friends that she was going on the show, which was filmed last year.

She forfeited the chance to go to Israel on Habonim Dror’s gap year programme to take part in the show. “I was quite scared beforehand but all the people were really nice,” she says.

The hardest part? “The lack of food and being tired all the time,” she says. “I am not normally a homesick person but you do have your days. It is hard not knowing what’s going on at home.”

A former pupil at Withington School for Girls, Miss Stratton is going to Birmingham University to study childhood education.

Shipwrecked: Meet the Islanders on Sunday is on April 13 at 11.55am on Channel 4