Revealed: The tactics used by Sky TV execs to dupe six 'typical lads' into wooing a Mexican model, 21, without telling them she was transgender in 'unethical and disgusting' reality show

In one of the most controversial shows of the 2000s, six male contestants were set the task of wooing the 'girl of their dreams' - but they weren't told that she was transgender. 

The 2003 Sky1 dating series There's Something About Miriam turned Mexican model Miriam Rivera into the 'world's first transgender reality star' Miriam Rivera, but she took her own life aged 38 in 2019 after being 'broken' by the backlash to the show. 

Now, twenty years after the show first aired, new Channel 4 series Miriam: Death Of A Reality Star, explores her extraordinary life, death and fame in more detail.  

In the reality show, described as 'the most explosive dating experience of a lifetime', six 'typical lads' were given the task of wooing Miriam, then 21, with the winner receiving a £10,000 prize and a romantic yacht cruise with her. 

But the producers did not tell them she was a transgender woman who had not  undergone gender-affirming surgery - and kept it a secret through a series of tightly-managed methods. 

In There's Something About Miriam in 2003, six contestants had to compete for the attention of Miriam Rivera (pictured on the show) - but they weren't told she was transgender

In the documentary, executive producer Remy Blumenfeld of Brighter Pictures admits: 'I don't feel like I was cruel in making it. I feel like I was incredibly naïve. Our intention for the show was for viewers to watch it and to relate to Miriam's story.' 

But Dr Gareth Smith, a psychiatrist who was brought in to work on the show, called it, unethical and ridiculous and horrible and disgusting'.

'The fact that Miriam had a penis seemed to be the punchline of a joke,' he said. 'But it wasn't a joke - it was Miriam and her life. And these boys, who weren't given the option to consent. It was cruelty television.' 

In the first episode of the documentary titled The Secret, contestants Aron Lane and Toby Green give their first-hand accounts of what it was like being on the show and getting to know Miriam. 

Toby, who was 23 at the time, described the group as 'typical lads lads, who wanted to party and chat up women'.

He said that the producers handed each participant a huge contract at the start of the show, saying 'half of it was in a language we didn't understand'. 

Meanwhile, members of the crew were told to sign an NDA. They claim they were given walkie talkies and told to constantly supervise the boys to make sure Miriam's true identity stayed a secret - because Sky1 had spent hundreds of thousands on the show, and wanted to make sure the shocking twist was not revealed. 

Winner Tom Rooke, 23, and the other contestants were only told after it had been announced who had won the show. 

On screen, the producers even got a doctor in to 'make sure' she was transgender.  

Aron Lane (pictured in the documentary) was a contestant on the show. He saw an advert in the Metro newspaper, reading: 'Do you want to be in a dating show?'

Toby Green was also on the show but ended up leaving after voicing his suspicions about Miriam

Tom Rooke won the show after being chosen by Miriam - but rejected the prize money before the show aired

Tom is pictured in the show's finale learning that Miriam is trans. He later joined the others in a lawsuit

Speaking on the dating show, Miriam said: 'I tried to be honest in everything I say, but there is a secret the guys don't know. 

'I'm a transsexual and I see myself as a girl because I've been living half of my life the way that I am right now. I don't have any operation. 

'Only this! (pointing to her chest). I love my life, I love the way that I am.' 

The scenes with Tom were especially controversial. In one instance, he and Miriam filmed intimate scenes together and passionately kissed. 

Producers interfered in a panic that it would go too far and Miriam's secret would be revealed - telling the couple that they had to stop kissing because 'it wasn't that sort of show'.  

'It's the fact that he didn't know that he was [kissing a transgender woman] that I found uncomfortable,' said crew member Leo McCrea. 

And Dr Gareth Smith said: 'Nobody had thought about this. If Tom had discovered that she was trans, he would have kept off.'

Even contestant Aron, then 20, didn't suspect the truth at the time, said he found it 'strange' that the producers intervened - seemingly when the goal of the show had been completed and Miriam and Tom were getting on well. 

Miriam appeared on the show when she was just 21. In 2019, she died by an apparent suicide

Miriam was known as the 'world's first transgender reality star' and went on to appear on Big Brother Australia

Aron himself first became involved with the show after seeing an advert in the  newspaper asking 'Do you want to be in a dating show?'

Speaking in the documentary, he said: 'I just wanted to have fun. I was excited to be out and about, it was non-stop, work hard, play hard.'  

Meanwhile Toby, who had just spent a year and a half travelling the world, had his application filled out by his mother. 

Both thought the application process was odd, especially when it asked about intimate details about their sexual history and preferences. One question even asked: 'If your best friend got with your mum, how would that make you feel?' 

When the six finally met, they were handed a big contract. But Toby said they 'didn't know what we were signing up for.'

He admitted: 'They literally wanted it done and dusted very quickly. We didn't know what we were signing up for. 

'Half of it's in a language you don't understand and you just want to get on the flight and experience this reality TV, so am I really going to say "I disagree with that paragraph"? No.' 

After arriving in Ibiza, the first challenge saw the boys swim to a yacht, where Miriam was waiting for them. The winner - Tom - was then able to give her a kiss.  

Dr Gareth Smith, a psychiatrist who was brought in late to work on the show, called it 'unethical and ridiculous'

Sky later removed There's Something About Miriam from its platforms and apologised

Crew member Leo said it was 'mindbogglingly' hard to keep it a secret right from the start. 

The crew were told they couldn't directly lie: they weren't allowed to say the words 'he or she' and instead had to call Miriam a beautiful 'person'.

Iain Park, another crew member, said everyone had a walkie talkie. Each of the contestants almost had their own team to follow them around to make sure they hadn't worked out the truth.

But it all nearly came crashing down when Toby began to work out what was really going on, and secretly shared his thoughts with the other boys. 

The other lads thought his suspicions were hilarious, but when they jokingly asked 'Do you still think she's a man?' in front of the cameras, the producers were quick to step in to maintain the secret. 

Toby was told he had been 'specially selected' for a date with Miriam because he was her favourite, but she immediately showed a lack of interest, and it wasn't long before she selected him to leave the competition. 

Reflecting on how it unfolded, Aron said: 'It was all because he knew.' 

The following two episodes of Channel 4's deep dive will feature interviews with  Miriam's father, and explore the outcome of the reality show in more detail. 

At the end of the series, Tom Rooke was chosen by Miriam as the winner and he  initially accepted the £10,000 prize and holiday. But he was visibly shocked when he was told she was transgender at the end of the show. 

He later rejected the prize prior to the show airing and joined the other contestants in a lawsuit.

The men alleged conspiracy to commit sexual assault, defamation, breach of contract, and personal injury in the form of psychological and emotional damage.

There's Something About Miriam has been widely described as 'cruel' and 'exploitative', and a similar format is yet to be reproduced anywhere in the world. Miriam pictured in 2004

Miriam, who was born in Mexico, began taking hormones when she was 11 and was living as a woman by the time she was 16. 

After her school boyfriend realised she was transgender, he was angry and told the others at school the truth. Miriam said the experience had made her feel 'lost and lonely' and in the show she wanted to find someone 'honest' who could 'be there for me'. 

Her death, which authorities claimed was suicide, in 2019 has never been solved. 

Her husband Daniel Cuervo has always maintained she was murdered, but friends said she was suffering a deep depression as the result of fame. 

Banijay, which aquired Endemol in 2020, said in a statement posted on the show: 'Benijay does not in any way support the editorial concept or the production processes of the show. 

'We champion inclusivity and prioritise welfare. The management responsible for this show no longer work with the company.' 

Sky later apologised and removed There's Something About Miriam from its platforms. 

Miriam: Death Of A Reality star airs this week on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday on Channel 4 from 9pm. Episode One: The Secret airs on Monday night.