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These U.K. Reality Show Contestants Were Left in the Wilderness for Months, Not Told Series Was Canceled

See ya never? Contestants on the U.K. reality show Eden were left in the wilderness for several months and were not informed that the series was canceled.

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The Channel 4 program gathered 23 men and women in March 2016 and sent them to a remote 600-acre estate in the Scottish Highlands, where the contestants were instructed to create a self-sufficient community and were cut off from all contact with the outside world. Over time, 13 contestants quit the show, citing boredom and health and safety concerns, the Press and Journal reported.

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The network pulled the plug on the yearlong experiment in August 2016 due to low ratings after only four episodes aired. However, no one bothered to tell the remaining 10 contestants or the four-person camera crew. The group didn’t return to civilization until last week, Variety reported. They were then informed about the not-so-current events they had missed during their period of isolation, including the Brexit vote and the U.S. electing Donald Trump to be president.

Though Channel 4 has not commented on the controversy, the network told The Guardian that Eden will return to the small screen later this year. “The appeal of Eden is that it was a real experiment, and when filming began, we had no idea what the results would be and how those taking part would react to being isolated for months in a remote part of the British Isles,” Channel 4 said in a statement. “That’s why we did it and the story of their time, including the highs and the lows, will be shown later this year.”

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The 10 remaining contestants who were left in the wilderness have yet to publicly speak about their experience.

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