[Blowout]

Day 44, 18:25
Saturday 10 July

The housemates have been given two hours to peel 400 potatoes as part of their Boot Camp task.

Big Brigadier summoned a housemate to the Diary Room. Sergeant Michelle emerged with a laminate informing them of their latest task.

Calling the Privates into the living room Michelle commanded, "Quickly, Privates!"

"I'm glad you enjoyed your rest, Privates 'cos your gonna need... your energy," Michelle began as she waited impatiently for "Private Slick" to join the assembled on the sofas.

She outlined the task - to peel 400 potatoes, with every shred of skin removed, in two hours.

"Only clean potatoes with their entire skin removed" would be accepted by Big Brigadier.

"Gooooo!!!" yelled Stuart racing into the garden pursued by his fellow Privates.

Snapping on their rubber gloves and seating themselves on the white stools in a semi-circle the gang got busy with the peelers.

Victor grabbed a hose and filled a bucket of cold water in readiness for the skinned potatoes. Sergeant Jason, mindful of the implications of task failure, took a hands-on approach.

Telling his charges that the best way to loosen the skins on the potatoes was to soak them in lukewarm water, he duly provided a bucket.

The troops kept an eye on each other's progress. "Have you done one yet Shell?" Stuart asked Shell as they frantically attacked the potato mountain.

Meanwhile, Michelle was relishing her role and didn't intend to get her hands dirty.

"Every last piece of skin, Nadia," said a watchful Michelle and berated her, "You nearly splashed my suit there."

But she had words of praise, too, for the hard-working housemates. "You're doing so well," she commended.

After peeling all those spuds, bet they'll be wishing they could get smashed...