The Farm rounds up a policeman, a puppet and two adult film stars

Other contestants include 74-year-old entertainer Lionel Blair, Phixx singer Mikey Green and Charlene Tilton, who played "poison dwarf" Lucy in 'Dallas'.

They were joined by two blonde, surgically enhanced, models called Emma: James Major's former wife Emma Noble; and Brian Harvey's girlfriend Emma B.

Porn star Ron Jeremy and Public Enemy rapper Flavor Flav, who looks set to reprise the brash, loudmouth role taken by Vanilla Ice, complete the line-up.

Last night's show, broadcast between 10.30pm and 11.35pm and hosted by camp design duo Colin and Justin, pulled in an average 1.2m or 9% of the audience share, beaten in its time slot by all the other terrestrial channels.

Highlights of last night's introductory show include Flavor Flav asking  ex-policeman Morgan what he did for a living. Morgan waited a few moments before saying: "My ex-partner is a soap star."

Flavor Flav said: "You look like you might be a comedian."

The first three-week series, which ran last October, grew ratings to 1.8m or an 8.9% audience share on its final evening, thanks mostly to the huge amount of publicity generated by Rebecca Loos as she serviced a pig and flirted with other cast members.

Other contestants in the first series included former footballer Stan Collymore, magician Paul Daniels and rapper Vanilla Ice, who clashed with everyone.

Among the group's tasks were manure collecting, sheep dagging and driving combine harvesters. The shows presenters warned that this year there will be tasks involving oversized animals including a giant turkey.

The RSPCA yesterday blasted Five for putting animals at risk for laughs.

Dr Julia Wrathall, head of the RSPCA's farm animals department, said: "This is not reality TV, it is shabby TV, and it is irresponsible."

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