Episode 1 Escape from Scorpion Island

Scorpion Island.

Isolated in the vast depths of a wild and brutal ocean.

There are only two ways to reach its shore -

by air, or, for the very brave, via the ferocious sea.

Ten daring adventurers are about to experience

the challenge of their lives.

-Faster, faster!

-It's hard.

-Yes!

-That's enough! Bring it up! Bring it up!

-Don't throw it, Zach. No!

We have got to try our best.

-Are you ready?

-Ready!

-Ohh!

-Yes!

There will be conflict...

Someone has to tell them what they're doing is wrong.

Maybe it's time that somebody else had a go.

Shall we just move on from this and set it aside now?

But just when they think they're about to conquer the island

it will find devastating ways to sabotage their mission...

-What?!

-What?

..to Escape From Scorpion Island!

Hello, welcome to Scorpion Island.

I'm Myleene. This time the island has a really big sting in its tail.

I'm Johny and, in just a moment, ten brave adventurers

will be arriving on the island, to take on its terrifying challenges

and devious twists and turns.

Of course, they'll make some new friends

and, no doubt, some enemies, along the way.

Scorpion Island never lets up.

Their time here will push them to the edge.

It's going to be a real test.

The waters around Scorpion Island are treacherous,

filled with intimidating and deadly creatures.

The ten new adventurers are totally unaware of what they're up against,

as they prepare to make their way towards Scorpion Island.

They will be racing high above the murky depths of the ocean,

across the treacherous, unknown waters.

Who knows what will lurk beneath them?

A launch boat is taking the adventurers

to an unknown destination.

They're boarding rescue speed boats

and getting ready to race against the powerful currents.

But for one adventurer,

the thought of facing the raging seas is terrifying.

I'm really nervous about going on the boats today,

because when I've looked at them I've thought,

"That looks really unstable

"and I don't really want to do that."

So, I'm feeling really nervous about it,

but I really want to conquer my fear and go on one.

But this frightening, yet exciting, journey to Scorpion Island

is challenging other adventurers. They must face their fears, too.

The thing about water that I'm so nervous about is I feel like,

when I look in the water, all I see is something blue

and when I stare down, I just feel like I'm going to fall into it.

I'm new to swimming. I haven't really been swimming a lot,

before I knew I was coming to Scorpion Island.

Because the crashing waves are too aggressive for the launch boat,

it must leave the adventurers isolated

in the middle of the turbulent waters.

They must ready themselves for the final stage of their journey,

through the ocean barrier that protects the island.

They're going to need to hold on tight.

They're about to face the ride of their lives.

THEY SCREAM

It's very choppy today, so that boat is going up and down.

I can hear the screams from here!

They must be torn between terror and exhilaration,

to be racing this fast knowing they might fall in at any moment.

Some of our adventurers are confident.

I'm fearless and nothing about Scorpion Island scares me.

I'm really good at skiing and I've started snowboarding

and that's helped with my balance and my co-ordination.

I'm not worried about going.

I'm going to do my best when I go there

and I think that this is maybe a good way to express myself.

Others may be worried, but they are ready for a new adventure.

I've never left Wales before,

except for once, when I went to Lapland with my mum and dad,

then I've never been out of Wales before.

But I should be OK.

I'm worried about Scorpion Island,

because Scorpion Island is mischief and just throws things

out of the blue at you.

Scorpion Island means an adventure. I want to achieve something

and, hopefully, win.

I don't know how to explain it, but I get worried

that I'm going to let my team down in certain things.

Going to Scorpion Island scares me a little bit,

because I'm not going there with any parents or the people

that I'm with I've only met once,

so it's, sort of, like a trust issue,

but I'm sure, as soon as I get there,

within the first two days, I'll be fine.

THEY SCREAM

They're approaching the beach, ready to take on Scorpion Island.

Legend is about to be re-written.

THEY SCREAM

Amazing!

This is awesome!

THEY CHEER

And they've done it! They've arrived.

That was the best fun I've ever had in my whole entire life.

I'm so glad I didn't chicken out.

And that was so much fun. I loved that!

Woooo! Ah ha ha ha ha!

Welcome to Scorpion Island.

You've been selected because you are the best

and you're the only ones who can take on the island.

You're going to be following the trail

of the mysterious fortune hunter.

He came to the island and plundered the island's treasure.

However, he didn't manage to escape the island

and has since disappeared.

Scorpion Island relishes in its splendid isolation

and uses its natural world as its impenetrable defence system.

Its virtually impossible ocean and shore

gives way to its dangerous jungles, thick swampy lagoons,

exotic plants and creatures.

The island is alive.

Our ten adventurers are not the first to take on the island.

In recent times, an adventurer came from far across the seas.

He was a fortune hunter, whose mission it was

to plunder the island of its legendary treasure -

the treasure that represents its precious life.

He took on the island's challenges, succeeded and won all the treasure.

But he failed in his final escape.

As an ultimate act of revenge, the furious island

threw the treasures deep into its dense jungles

and mischievously captured the fortune hunter's spirit

and locked it away.

'Ahhhgggggghhhhh!'

His legacy remains scattered across the island.

But now the island is more guarded than ever

and our ten new adventurers must follow the path that he created.

So, guys, the island has hidden the treasure, once more.

It's up to you to find it.

You're going to be split up into two teams.

It's up to your team to find an island treasure each day.

The more island treasure you find, the better your chances

of escaping Scorpion Island.

The island is trying to communicate with you right now.

I don't know if you can see,

over there are a bunch of bottles

with a message in it from the island.

What I want you to do is go over to the bottles

and find your own message.

What you waiting for? Off you go!

Each bottle contains a parchment with a name of an adventurer.

The number 1 or 2 and a unique, mysterious symbol.

What could the island be trying to tell them?

-I've got 1! Who's got 2?

-I've got a shell.

What does 2 mean? What does 2 mean?

-I don't know, but I've got 1.

-It's a map! It's a map!

-Maybe the way to the treasure is when we find each symbol.

-Yeah.

I've got an idea. The challenges -

there could be symbols on the wall, and whatever one lights up,

it's that person who's doing the challenge.

Come in, then, guys. Come in, come in, come in.

Have you all got your parchments? Yeah? OK.

Now, on your parchment you should have a number - 1 or 2.

Will Team One please stand to my left.

And Team Two to my right.

As you can see, guys,

for the first time ever, the island has decided its boys against girls.

Yes!

After defeating the fortune hunter, the island made its defences

stronger than ever before.

And, in an attempt to surprise the unexpecting adventurers,

for the first time in Scorpion history,

it's a battle of boys versus girls.

But who's going to be their first team captain? It's decision time.

-Well, have you decided on team captains?

-Yep.

-OK, so who's going to be team captain for the boys?

-Me.

-Zach. OK, are you ready to lead your team into battle?

-Yes!

-Feeling confident?

-Yes, I don't want to lose.

OK, good on you, good luck.

-Girls, have you decided on a team captain?

-Lizzie!

-Are you feeling confident?

-Yep.

-Do you think you can take on Zach?

-Yes.

We can take them on any day!

Brilliant, so everyone's feeling very confident,

but this might switch things up a little bit.

On your parchments, you should also have a symbol.

-Have you noticed that?

-Yeah.

You'll find that, throughout your island life,

these symbols will be quite important.

In fact, they're very important now,

because in this bag I have ten symbols

and I'm going to pick one out and if it's your symbol,

you'll get to choose who goes first in today's island challenge.

Who has this symbol?

Peter, you have this symbol.

That means you get the choice of who goes first

in the island challenge. This is important.

I'm going to give you a few seconds to talk amongst yourselves.

Let's go second. If we get to watch or something...

Let's go second.

-First.

-Second, second, second.

-So we can see how the girls are going on.

Come on then, guys. I'm going to have to rush you.

Zach, you took the lead.

Have you made a decision together?

Yeah, second. So that way we can see the girls, see what they're like

and, hopefully, beat them by more.

-Very clever. See how the girls fail, that's what you are hoping?

-Yes.

How do you feel about that girls, going first?

We feel all right, but a bit annoyed.

Guys, it is time for your first island challenge.

So I suggest you all run off and go and join Myleene in the jungle.

Off you, go on, guys.

Who'll win today's challenge? It's all to play for.

As they prepare to play the first round of the island challenge,

let's get to know the girls.

Khadie.

I do football a lot,

so I have to do training two times a week.

And because I'm the youngest in that group, its quite hard,

so I have to keep up with them.

Natty.

When I'm all fired up and stuff I get a bit pushy.

Like, when you're on a netball court

and you're really going for it.

You start pushing the other team around, you know,

trying to get the ball.

So I do get a bit carried away like that.

But I'll try my hardest on Scorpion Island not to get too carried away.

Eleanor.

At school, I'm the oldest of my little group of friends

and I'm quite good at bossing people around, but I think that

I like everyone to be happy what they're doing.

Lizzie.

If I was chosen for the challenge I would just focus hard.

Because I'm profoundly deaf, I have to wear a cochlea implant,

but that makes me listen to people instead.

I've learned to lip-read from such a young age - since I was

one and a half - so I've had the practice all these years,

so I've got better at it.

I lip-read people by the movement of their lips, like,

even though I can't hear them. I just look at the movement of it

and then I can know the words.

And Jeremy.

If I have an opinion I will put it forward.

Sometimes I get into arguments, cos sometimes I like things my own way.

So, when I have feelings, I kind of put them forward.

Other people might take it nastily and sometimes

you have little arguments, but I always make sure that they know

it wasn't really to mean anything mean to them.

So, it's time to reveal the island's first treasure, The Silver Eagle.

The eagle represents Freedom, from the island,

something that both our teams want but the fortune hunter was denied.

First up, it's the girls.

That's Eleanor...

Natty...

Khadie...

Jeremy...

and today's captain, Lizzie.

This is Chasm Of Chaos.

In the heart of the island is a huge ravine, with two crossings.

Lower down is a flimsy bridge, on which four team members will stand,

holding coloured nets.

More than three storeys high is a precarious cable

and the team captains will have to make their way across this,

with nothing more than hoops and monkey bars for balance.

Strapped to the edge of the wobbly platforms are four coloured cogs,

which the captains have to detach one at a time and drop down

into the matching coloured nets as quickly as possible.

If a cog misses a net, or is otherwise lost,

the captain has to head all the way across to the end platform,

where there are two spares of each colour.

So they have got three chances at each drop,

but, of course, the more they use up, the more time is wasted.

And the team which catches the right cogs in all four of their nets

and then gets their captain onto the end platform the quickest, wins.

They're playing for the first island treasure,

The Silver Eagle, because the more treasures they win,

the greater the advantage they'll have in the final race to escape.

The boys have chosen to take this challenge on second,

so they can watch the girls and learn from their tactics.

It could be a real advantage when they take on the Chasm Of Chaos.

OK, girls, are you ready?

Yeah!

Three, two, one, go!

Lizzie's wasting no time grabbing the red cog.

-It's got to go into Khadie's red net.

-To me, Lizzie!

As quick as you can!

They're asking her to get across to Khadie faster,

but it's not easy at such a height.

Lizzie is around five metres above the rest of the girls

and they're already two storeys off the bottom of the chasm.

So, with that in mind, Lizzie's moving impressively quickly

and it's already giving the boys some ideas for their turn.

I need to go down to whoever's holding that net and drop it in.

-Do what they're doing.

-Brilliant! Right, you ready?

Bring it in a bit!

So, Lizzie's in place, trying to gauge the perfect drop.

At this height, it's so difficult.

Please drop it, please drop it.

-I'm not sure.

-Try! Just try!

And here she goes.

Go!

-Oh, no.

-Yes!

Oh, Khadie missed it.

Lizzie makes great time in getting in position for her first drop

and Khadie seemed braced for the catch

but Lizzie's aim is off and it just plummets past Khadie's net.

Unlucky, but is it just the practise shot the girls needed?

-Go again! Get a yellow!

-Get the blue one. Get the blue, go on, quickly!

-OK, I've got the yellow.

-She's got a yellow. Yeah.

That's a good idea. Instead of going back to get blue

-and then over here...

-Yeah, get the closest one.

Come on, you're doing really well.

Everyone seems to think this is a good tactic from Lizzie, but can

she get the yellow cog in Natty's yellow net at the end of the bridge?

She is moving so quickly across those ropes.

The blue. Drop it in Natty's

and then get the blue coming back.

-The hard bit is trying to catch them.

-Yeah.

The boys think they're learning a lot here.

Now, are they about to find out how to make a successful catch?

-Go... Go!

-Ready?

-Oohh!

-Missed!

Lizzie takes a long time to aim this cog,

but it bounces off the edge of Natty's net,

it was certainly closer,

but it's still two drops, two misses, for the girls.

They really need to improve.

-Line it up before you drop.

-Yeah.

Lizzy's collected the blue cog,

but she can't afford to let the pressure get to her.

Go. Go, quickly! Jeremy's got it, quickly!

Eleanor seems to be taking charge,

telling Lizzie to head all the way over to Jeremy. Good advice,

-but can Lizzie follow it?

-You're doing really well, Lizzie.

The boys look nervous.

Can Lizzie give them a real reason to fret?

She's going for the drop.

Yes!

First cog, it's the blue cog, Jeremy caught it.

It's third time lucky for the girls.

Lizzie throws the blue cog over, nearer the lower bridge.

It's only a tiny adjustment,

but enough for it to be within Jeremy's reach. Great stuff!

-Lizzie!

-Good job!

-Go and get the green and the yellow!

-OK.

-Get yellow first!

-Get the green one beneath your plank.

-Get yellow first!

-OK.

Lizzie's heading all the way across to the spare cogs,

but it must be so confusing for her.

Her team mates are all giving her different advice.

-Lizzie! Just get one at a time!

-Come back and get the green.

Still, she's collected another yel-... Oh, no!

This could be bad news.

While collecting a spare yellow,

Lizzie manages to dislodge the other.

Just over three minutes in, the girls have only made

one successful catch - and they've lost two yellow cogs.

If they're going to fill the nets,

they've got to get this last yellow cog into Natty's net.

They have to move fast now, but have to be bang on target.

I need to get the aim perfect.

Try to go as fast as you can, but take your time when you drop it.

-Yeah.

-And I'm not being funny.

If I tell you to go left or right, please go,

cos that'll help me greatly.

The boys sound like they've got their plans together,

but while they're in deep discussion

they're missing some impressive cable-crossing from Lizzie.

So brave. Now can she match this with an accurate drop?

It's our last chance for yellow! We can do this!

I'm holding it here. It's up to you.

-You can do this.

-Is it in there?

OK, is it right?

-Guys?

-Oh, no!

-Yes! They're not going to get that.

-They haven't got yellow cog.

Lizzie's aim is good, but Natty's concentration is off

at the very moment of the drop.

It catches her by surprise,

so she doesn't react quickly enough to catch the cog.

So their last yellow cog has gone, as well as any chance the girls had

of filling all four nets. Nightmare!

There's no telling the boys won't make an equally big mistake,

so the girls really need to push on and try to make three catches.

It could still be enough to win.

Brilliant!

Come on, Lizzie, that's how to do it!

Well done, Lizzie. I'm green.

Lizzie's heading to the middle,

to drop this green cog into Eleanor's net.

Can they both keep their cool?

And what are the boys learning from watching?

I've noticed why she's dropping them.

they're not putting the net out far enough.

So put it out a bit further for me, so that way I can just drop it.

Zach has got this worked out,

but it seems much tougher when you're way up there,

with nothing but the hoops and monkey bars for balance.

Can Lizzie keep focussed and make a successful drop to Eleanor?

OK, right, there.

OK! Go!

-Ready?

-Concentrate.

-Ready!

Catch it, catch it, catch it.

Go!

-ALL: Yes!

-Yes!

She got it.

This is just what the girls needed,

and with some terrific team work just what they deserved.

Lizzie's aim is perfect and Eleanor follows it with her eyes,

all the way into her net,

so in just under six minutes they've made two catches.

Now, can they make it three?

Lizzie is racing across towards the spare cogs

at the far end of the cable again.

It's so wobbly up there, but she's not letting it worry her.

Then again, perhaps you wouldn't expect it

to worry the girl who arrived on the island and said this...

I'm fearless and nothing about Scorpion Island scares me.

Well, that much is clear - and it could be great news for the girls.

You can do it, Lizzie!

Excellent work! She's made it to the spare cogs.

She's got a red one.

If they get this, we need to get four.

Three's the safe point, if they get three, but four is the one to get.

-We need to get four.

-We have to beat them!

The boys sound defiant,

but also a little anxious. They can see how hard this is.

Can the girls give them something to really worry about,

by getting this into Khadie's net?

Brilliant! Right, go onto the plank.

The first cog Lizzie dropped here was a red one,

but Khadie had no chance of catching it.

Lizzie seems to have her eye in, so will she be able to make it

-easier for Khadie this time?

-OK.

-Come on!

Lizzie is concentrating

and she's really leaning

into the drop.

GIRLS: Yes!

She got it, Khadie got it.

We've got a blue, a green and a red.

-Girls are flying through this.

-Brilliant!

At just over seven minutes, the girls made their third catch.

Maybe Khadie learnt from Eleanor,

because she doesn't let the cog out of sight

until it hits her net, either.

Because they haven't got any more yellow cogs

this was the last catch they can make.

So they just need Lizzie to get to the end platform, ASAP.

Right, get back to the platform, quickly! Get onto the platform!

She is racing back. Oh, but what's she up to now?

No! You just need to get onto the platform and then we're finished!

Lizzie is confused, but the clock's ticking

and she needs to start doing what Eleanor says - and fast.

Get on the platform!

Do whatever you think is right.

And she's there!

Guys, that's the end of the game!

Well, Lizzie's across, but just when her team needed her

to move at top speed, she wasted time,

which, depending on how the boys do, could prove crucial.

Still, it was a good effort, but what did they make of it?

It's a lot harder than it looks, cos when you see it from here

you think "Oh, that's going to be so easy."

But it wasn't and I think Lizzie did really well.

My team mates performed really well, because they put all the...

They tried their hardest

and three of them out of four got their cogs in. So it was all good.

Over all, I think we all did perfectly.

I think we did fine for a first time.

You didn't do perfectly, Jeremy, but it was a strong first showing.

Captain Lizzie never seemed troubled at having to work

at such an extraordinary height and moved at impressive speed.

She did send the first two cogs tumbling,

but with solid back-up from Jeremy, managed to get the third in.

And this was where things really went wrong for the girls.

Lizzie dislodged one spare yellow cog while collecting the next.

Then, Natty wasn't paying attention when it dropped. She missed it.

That meant, with all three yellow cogs lost,

they could not fill all four nets.

They did battle on,

and with the help of some outstanding direction from Eleanor,

managed to net three cogs, finishing in seven minutes, 40 seconds.

The question is, have they done enough to win The Silver Eagle,

or can the boys do better?

Next time, the girls and the boys

discover the fortune hunter's extraordinary camps,

but it's been a while since they've been lived in.

It's a little dark and dull, and it's smelly, too.

Looks like it's been dumped there.

Who is this mysterious character that breached the island's defences?

I'm not really sure about the fortune hunter.

I'm just a bit curious about where this person is.

And the boys have to face the Chasm of Chaos,

to win the first island treasure. But the pressure is on.

Yes!

And you can join all the action online at...

So, we'll see you next time...

..as both teams try to Escape From Scorpion Island. Bye.