An activity centre in Newquay, Cornwall last week played a leading role in the opening episode of new children’s TV series Serious Ocean.

The show – aired on BBC1 last Wednesday – featured children testing themselves to the limits on activities at The Adventure Centre at Lusty Glaze Beach.

A group of 16 teenagers from all over the country were seen jumping into the ocean, squeezing through tight spaces and dangling off ropes on the Cornish coast as they battled for places on a sailing adventure around Cape Horn in South America.

In this reality TV show for children, the contestants were set a series of challenges in which they had to prove themselves to earn a place in the final eight for the expedition of a lifetime.

The episode last week saw them trying to overcome their fear of heights, water and tight spaces to try to impress the judges.

Filmed on location at Lusty Glaze Beach last summer, the youngsters tested their nerves on a number of activities including Coasteering, the Rat Run, Abseiling, Snakes & Ladders and the Multivine.

They then sailed a yacht out from Newquay Bay and around Land’s End to see how they would cope with life at sea.

“It was gripping to watch,” said Tracey Griffiths from The Adventure Centre. “The kids were really put through their paces on activities that put the fear into some fully-grown adults.”

Lusty Glaze Beach was approached by the BBC last year as a venue for its exciting new adventure series for kids. As the country’s only beach-based activity centre and one with an excellent safety record, the Lusty Glaze facility was a natural choice for the programme makers.

Tracey Griffiths continued: “Our team set up all the activities and helped to make sure the children and camera crew got all they needed from the day. As a major centre for schools and youth activities, we cater for groups of this kind on a daily basis.

“It was amazing to see our beach and facilities showcased on national TV like this. It is all fantastic publicity, not only for Lusty Glaze, but for Cornwall at a time when the tourism industry needs all the support it can get. It also promotes healthy lifestyles and enjoyment of the great outdoors, which is what we’re all about.

“If I do say so myself, we looked awesome!”

* Serious Ocean is aired each week on Wednesday afternoons on BBC1.
ENDS