Hunted returns on Channel 4 at 9pm on October 12 with 14 contestants

Channel 4’s reality series Hunted returns on October 12 with 14 members of the public attempting to evade capture for 21 days in a civilian edition of the show that begins at 9pm on Channel 4 4HD and will be available live and on demand via the network’s app. If the fugitives avoid an elite team of hunters for the full period, they will share a prize pot of £100,000 as they travel across the length and breadth of the United Kingdom.

The format pits everyday contestants against a professional investigative team operating from Hunted HQ. The hunters are led by Ray Howard, a former Detective Superintendent at Thames Valley Police, who oversees a handpicked group of police, military and cyber security experts supported by analysts. The team is authorised to use state surveillance tools that include CCTV, automatic number plate recognition, facial recognition algorithms, helicopters, drones, tracker dogs and mobile phone monitoring to locate the fugitives.

Every series brings new challenges and unpredictable moments which keeps the excitement alive, Howard said, calling the teamwork and strategy involved in tracking the contestants both tough and rewarding. He added that the mix of...