Life Stripped Bare (2016) Movie Script
1
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
This program me contains some nudity
and strong language throughout.
Three households are taking part
in a life-changing experiment.
Come on, guys. Let's do it.
At a time when our lives
are more cluttered than ever...
Certainly won't miss this crap.
...with the average Brit
owning 1.000 items-
- and checking their phone
over 200 times a day...
I feel like some days I'm going
to spontaneously com bust.
...these households are
stripping everything away...
What have we done?
It's so weird.
...to find out what they really
need to make them happy.
I want to find out who I am,
- when everything's taken away.
For 21 days, they will live by three rules.
All of their stuff will be
taken and put into storage.
All of it.
Boobs are coming out.
I don't know what to get.
Every day...
Ahh, stuff!
...they can get one thing back.
Docs or phone?
What's going to make you the happiest?
Can't I have them both?
They can't buy or borrow anything,
- except the very basics of
food and drink. Feet are numb.
And they must carry on with their daily lives.
Morning.
At the beginning, I was like,
- "Everyone should do it! It's amazing!
And now I'm like, "Don't do it!"
To discover what they truly need...
Where am I?
I can't do this.
...and when stripped of everything...
Who needs pants when you've got a phone?
So happy here.
...work out what's really
important in their lives.
I feel like Bear Grylls... ooh!
Oh, no!
Oh, I feel really nervous.
Oh, I don't want them to take it.
Oh!
I love my stuff.
I don't want to be without any of my stuff.
29-year-old fashion designer Heidi-
- is about to be stripped
of everything she owns.
I have 31 bikinis.
There's always a need for bikinis!
On average,
Heidi buys four new items a week-
- for her east London flat.
Buying new things makes me happy.
I go to Ikea once a week.
This desk is from Ikea.
This is from Ikea.
These are from Ikea.
This is, this is...
That actually fell on my head the
other day, and I had a concussion.
Now Heidi's giving up absolutely
everything for 21 days-
- to find out who she really
is without her possessions.
I feel like my stuff defines me.
I really want to see whether I
need all of the things I think I need-
- to make me who I am.
Oh!
- That'll be upright, yeah?
- Yep.
I want people to like me,
and think I'm cool, think I'm nice.
So if I didn't have, like, my hipster coat,
- didn't have my nails painted,
or, like, rings on,
- I don't feel like they would like
me if I didn't have this sort of stuff.
That sounds SO bad!
That I'm worried about not
having anything that people want.
How ridiculous!
I am.
Heidi's even giving up her
phone and all technology.
Like many twenty some things,
- she checks her social
media every ten minutes.
My mobile phone is permanently attached.
I don't know how I'm going
to survive without Instagram.
I think my finger might
go on autopilot, like this.
Cos I'm so used to, like,
"Right, right, right.
If you're not on your phone for,
like, an hour, it seems like-
- everything has changed.
You're behind on everything.
Apart from basic rations of food and drink,
everything must go,
- including every item of clothing.
God.
Start with the hardest thing first.
All right, boobs are coming out.
Boobs are coming out.
OK! 10, 9, 8,
- 7...
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
Aaah! Aaah! Aaah!
OK.
Now, if you look...
For the next 21 days,
all of Heidi's stuff-
- will be kept in a storage
container half a mile away.
She'll get back one item a day-
- to discover what is
really important to her.
Apparently it takes 21 days to break a habit.
That's 21 days to find out if I can be happy-
- without all of my stuff.
But a lot can happen in 21 days.
THEY SING ALONG TO "MATERIAL GIRL"
Flatmates Laura and Jon-
- are also about to give up all
their stuff for the experiment.
You know that we are living
in a material world
And I am a material girl
They live in Chorlton,
a Manchester suburb...
Wait, what's in the freezer?
...in a two-bedroom flat that Laura owns.
Smells delicious.
The 30-year-old graduates both
work in the photography department-
- for the same high-street retailer.
Today's been fun.
They've got the disposable
income to buy whatever they like.
It is a little bit showy-offy having a Mercedes.
I could have got-
- anything else, but just kind
of spoiled myself, I guess.
Posh coffee or not?
Posh coffee, please.
Little bit pretentious, but
I'm like, "Yes. I'm like Clooney."
You don't need a spiralizer to live.
It is a bit of a luxury...
a luxury kitchen item.
That I love.
33 pairs of shoes.
That's not bad at all.
I love technology.
Jon spends twice as much
money on tech than anything else.
So I've obviously got my iPad.
Apple TV.
An iPhone, like everyone else.
Yeah, we have adapted
our lives to technology,
- and I'm a massive investor in it.
Hit 30 now and I've
still not grown out of it.
I'm intrigued, really,
to see if we can live without it.
Hurry up with that brew.
You're so demanding.
As well as the flat,
Laura owns most of its contents-
- nearly 40,000-worth of stuff,
- which is all about to be stripped away.
Having everything taken away from
me is a very extreme thing to do,
- but I think this will be
an experience as well-
- which will hopefully tell me
what I need to be happy.
Oh, my God. It's here!
It's like the Grim Reaper coming-
- to take away all your happiness!
We shall be cleansed.
Let battle commence.
Oh, no. TV down.
How do you sleep at night?!
That's our evening ruined.
Bye, telly.
Bye, TV!
After 21 days, they will have to decide-
- whether to get everything back...
...or see if they'll be happier
with fewer possessions.
It is quite worrying,
thinking that I might come out of this-
- not wanting any of my stuff back!
Because at the moment, that's not me.
To find out what they REALLY need,
- they'll start from absolutely nothing.
We're going to see each other naked.
Difficult to walk past her
at work without thinking,
- "I've seen your boobs!"
Not in a pervy way, though.
Are you ready?
Crack on. No pun intended.
Just going for it. Going for it!
Yeah, might as well.
That's... here.
Ready?
I've got two more bits to take off!
Oh, God. I'm not going to look,
Laura, don't worry about it.
This is...
Bend down here. Don't worry.
It's perfectly natural.
There's nobody outside.
This is just what people
do in their own homes.
We did it!
- Do it again?
- Yeah.
- Oh, my God.
- I'm not looking.
Now what?
I don't know what to do!
Our stuff will not fit in those two trucks.
I don't think the stuff under my
bed's going to fit into that truck.
One in three of us-
- has enough unused stuff
to fill an entire bedroom.
Housemates Tom...
Right...
...Andrew... They haven't been
worn in a while. Fucking hell!
...and Georgia...
I like a good lie-in.
...are one of three households
being stripped of all their stuff-
- for 21 days...
Mouse Trap.
Good, isn't it?
Completely pointless.
...to find out what really makes them happy.
What have we done?
We've got the opportunity-
- to do something crazy together,
something that you'll never forget.
A test of our actual friendship, I'd say.
26-year-old Tom-
- and 28-year-old Andrew have
lived in the house for two years.
I feel like a chunk of my
soul is being torn out.
23-year-old Georgia moved in last summer.
I wouldn't describe it as a
proper grown-up house!
Whether or not you are drinking,
- there's going to be
someone drunk in the house.
And pretty much every day-
- when the post comes there'll
be a parcel for Andrew.
Something that he's bought off eBay.
But you never open them in front of us,
- so where all this stuff goes...
Because sometimes I order them drunk-
- and I want to make sure
it's nothing embarrassing.
I've got rid of all my stuff.
Rock and roll.
All of their 2.300 possessions have
been taken to a storage container.
They'll get one thing back a day,
- before deciding, after 21 days,
- how much of it they
want back in their lives.
Fuck it.
There's just one box to go.
For their very last possessions.
I knew I should have
not worn these trousers.
Do you want some help?
Hello, ladies.
Sorry!
Nice to meet you.
- Right, I'll go first.
- OK.
I just can't watch you.
I literally can't look down.
I cannot divert my eyes from the ceiling.
Duh, duh-duh-duh-duh-duh, dah!
Fuck off, Tom!
I'm actually all right...
I'm strangely liberated by this.
In a really strange way.
Yeah, it's fine. No biggie.
From what I can tell!
I didn't really take into account-
- how much you can
see through the window.
I do want to look out
there but I don't know,
- I don't want to...
in case anyone's out there.
Fashion designer Heidi can't get
her first item back until tomorrow.
For now, she is learning to live with nothing.
I need to get something that
will cover my bits and pieces.
If I can get outside,
there's some bloody great leaves out there.
I'm going.
My friends and I have a saying,
what would Beyonce do?
But I don't think this
applies to this situation.
I feel like Bear Gry...
Ooh, shit!
I've brought in a snail!
Hiya, mate.
I've got a pet!
I'm keeping him.
If I think about people seeing me like this,
- I'd feel ridiculous,
but I feel fine if it's just me.
I... I feel so happy!
So happy.
I feel like... a creature!
I'm really vulnerable.
An hour ago,
flatmates Laura and Jon-
- were stripped of all their possessions.
They've been in separate rooms ever since.
Room for one more?
Come join me.
I love what you've done with the place.
Thanks!
There's evenings where we will be
sat on our phones or watching TV-
- and kind of lost the art of
conversation sometimes.
I think everyone's kind of guilty
of it, so it'll be nice to see,
- without any distractions,
how we get on, I guess.
I moved in with Laura
about 12 months ago now.
I was previously living with
my girlfriend but that fell apart.
I'm still here 12 months later so
I'm obviously doing something right.
This is ridiculous.
This is not what normal people do.
I've been single for... mmm...
...probably about six years?
There's been opportunities but I'd
rather wait until I'm 100% happy.
Taking part in this experience,
I'm hoping to find out what,
- like, genuinely makes me happy in life.
Got any plans tonight?
I should be doing yoga tonight.
I should be drinking tonight.
It's just too uncomfortable.
It's too uncomfortable sleeping on the floor.
Today, everyone will choose
the first of their 21 items-
- and start finding out which of their
possessions matter most to them.
Ow, ow, Ow,
OW, OW, OW, OW.
Both my bum bones kill,
absolutely kill.
This is my bedroom.
Oh, bugger.
Everyone can see in.
And normally I don't worry
about everyone seeing in,
- cos I've got lovely things in here
to look at, or I've got clothes on.
Heidi has been left with
nothing apart from-
- basic rations of food and drink.
She must decide which
item she wants back first.
I don't know what to get back.
And I don't have any paper or pens,
- so I found some icing
sugar in the cupboard.
I think this was a good idea,
I'm not going to lie.
My jumper is comfy, it looks nice
and it's more socially acceptable.
And then my duvet is comfy.
Right, it'll hide me and it
feels and looks horrible-
- so there's, like,
pros and cons to both.
Oh, my God, there's neighbours there.
I have embraced the nakedness...
...in the safety of this house!
I'm not sure what it's going to be like
when I have to leave that front door.
Andrew, Georgia and Tom are
ready to get their first item back.
Getting things back is going to be exciting.
Like having a birthday where you
get to choose your own present.
But the storage container is
half a mile from their home.
Feel like a sprinter before the 100m.
To reach it, they must brave some
of Cardiff's busiest main roads-
- and suburban streets.
Come on, guys, let's do it.
Use a box.
There's no fucking way...
Heyyy!
Man!
Yes! Yes!
They must now make their first decision,
- picking from their 2.300 items.
Right, I really would love to
have some kind of blanket.
Ooh, "Tom bedding".
Hopefully...
I'm looking for my onesie...
my sleeping bag will be in this box.
Ahh! Rarrrr!
We did it. We did it. We did it.
We've got our three items.
Pair of trousers,
- I can go another day with
having half of myself be naked.
Onesie. Free hands at last.
Such a relief.
Sleeping bag.
My little vessel of warmth.
So I can finally get some Zs.
These are the first of 21 choices that will-
- shape their lives for
the next three weeks.
Well done, guys.
Now I'm not running it's really painful.
Heidi has also decided which
of her 800 items she's going to-
- get from the container.
I'm going to get the
biggest roll of fabric I have,
- and then I've got
something nice to lay on-
- or I can wrap it around
me and I've got a cover.
I'm so scared, I'm so scared.
Now Heidi must face the
crowded streets of East London.
(Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...)
Ahh! Just got to do it.
I've just got to do it.
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
Is that free?
I'm just going to borrow this.
Oh, my God!
OK, let's go.
Oh, my God! I know!
Hi!
I want my fabric but I can't see it.
Heidi grabs the first piece of clothing-
- she can lay her hands on
while she looks for her first item.
Oh, I'll use this.
Loads and loads and loads of fabric.
When you don't have anything,
- what you do have becomes everything.
Right now?
- Think there was a taxi!
- Yeah!
It's flatmates Laura and
John's first morning-
- since they were stripped
of all their possessions.
Do it!
But they're in no hurry to
get their first items back.
I kind of want someone to see.
You just don't have
distractions of technology,
- TVs and phones.
God!
At no point have we said,
"Oh, I wish I could check my e-mails-
- or I wish see what's going on on Instagram."
It's all just been about running
from one side of the flat-
- to the other without being
seen by a double-Decker bus.
Over the next 21 days,
they'll choose one item a day to find out-
- what it is they really need to be happy.
Comfort's a big one for us,
- so a bed, somewhere to
sit that isn't on this carpet.
But the obvious thing to say
would be clothes, I think.
We both own onesies which
we thought was going to be-
- the most practical piece of clothing.
All hail the onesie.
At 8pm, Laura and John
haven't yet left the flat.
The streets of Chorlton,
a Manchester suburb,
- are full of locals heading
out on Saturday night.
It's got busy quick, hasn't it?
Quite a few people around.
Dammit!
- We've waited this long,
we can wait another hour. - Yeah.
We're going to go for it now!
We're going to do the run!
Yes!
Oh, my God!
Check the bins.
Oh, my God!
Jackpot!
I'm just going to use this.
Yes!
We're going, we're going.
Yes!
Yes!
After 24 hours without any
of their 3.300 possessions,
- the two friends choose
onesies as their first item back.
Laura!
Yes!
Thank God.
I'm just so glad to wear clothes!
Yeah, it's good.
That was fun.
I kind of want to do it again.
You're on your own with that one, Laura.
The first choice is just the beginning.
To get through the next three weeks,
- working and living their daily lives,
- they'll have to weigh up what they
want with what they really need.
It's just like music to my ears.
Fashion designer Heidi is
making clothes from the fabric-
- she chose as her first item.
Now I'll try and fashion myself
the most socially acceptable outfit.
Socks, shoes, knickers, bra.
Ooh, knickers.
Not quite enough fabric.
Not enough to go round.
Bugger.
I love making stuff.
I couldn't cope with having nothing to do.
Believe it or not,
I'm trying to look as normal as possible.
In preparation for the
walk to the container,
- Heidi's even handcrafting some footwear.
Sole number two.
When I was younger,
I lived in a village,
- and Mum and Dad didn't
really have that much money,
- so I used to look through Vogue,
- but never could envisage
having what was in there-
- and then I learned to make
clothes myself and was like, "Ah!"
Ta-dah!
My shoes are amazing.
Heidi is on her way to
get her second item,
- which she has decided
will be her mattress.
Ooh, it's cold!
It's too big for her to
carry home on her own.
This is all I have.
But her outfit's attracting
attention from strangers.
Oh, my God!
I know. So sorry!
Don't be sorry!
I'm going to get my mattress.
I literally have to drag it-
- cos I don't have anyone to help
me and I can't contact my friends-
- cos I have no phone,
so I have nothing and no-one.
- Are you not allowed no help?
- No.
Well, you could help me,
- but I don't want to ask
you if you want to help.
- Where is it? Do you know where Lidl is?
- If you walk, it's there.
I'm so going to help you.
Oh!
I'm so going to help you!
Thank you so much! I probably smell.
I used lemon as deodorant.
We're helping her. Yay!
21 days!
21 days.
And I'm on day two.
- We're on day two?
- Yeah.
Here.
Oh, my...
Literally everything.
Wardrobes. Everything.
Even the washing machine!
Oh, God, the washing machine.
Don't worry about a washing machine
when you haven't got anything. Oh!
Welcome to my stuff.
Yesterday, I was crying
because I wanted everything-
- and now all I want is my mattress.
Be careful!
Heidi's second choice - her mattress.
Now I've got some friends.
I'm so happy that they stopped.
I honestly feel I've got
everything right now.
Thank you!
Keep going!
Oh! Sideways!
In we go. Slide round.
There we go.
Oh, my God.
This is really, really warm.
I'd have been so engrossed normally,
I'd have been on my phone-
- walking down the street,
would have missed them.
They're lovely girls.
Thank you so, so much.
Hope I see you again.
Thank you.
I love your earrings, by the way.
Thank you.
When you have nothing,
people actually make-
- the whole world of difference.
I feel so...
...I can't cope, I'm so happy.
I'm comfortable and I'm warm.
And my feet are still intact and not sore.
That is one of the best days of my life.
Flatmates and work colleagues
Laura and John have decided-
- to share the second items they get back.
Oh, stuff!
- Wallet.
- Yes.
I can buy things.
They're going to used
his money to buy food...
This is going to be fun.
...and her mattress to sleep on.
I could probably prioritize
other things, like shoes,
- but I want a good night's sleep.
- Are you OK, Laura?
- Yeah.
We are close anyway,
we spend a lot of time together.
Obviously, living and working together,
and I think this process-
- is only going to strengthen
that friendship, really.
We have a bed and a sofa!
Ahh!
I can't sleep.
I'm already starting to feel
like I want my own bed.
It's a cold Monday morning and,
for data scientist Tom,
- the first day back at work after
being stripped of everything.
Morning.
So far, he's got back a sleeping bag,
- a dressing gown and a pair of shoes.
He's also picked up some
gloves left on a bench.
People give me a thumbs up,
but that's no good for me.
Tom normally drive 11 miles to work,
- but his car is in storage
along with his other possessions.
I love new experiences.
Being able to find new
ways which make you happy.
Self-improvement.
But then, it's more,
for me it's about the fun aspect.
After an hour,
no-one has stopped for him.
It would be nice to have
some trousers, a jacket,
- a wallet so I could get my bus,
a phone so I could call my friends.
Yeah. Pretty much everything in
the world I'm missing right now.
This is my walk to work.
I still don't know what time it is.
I don't even know if
I'm late for work or not.
- Excuse me, do you have the time?
- Nine.
I got the time.
I'm late for work.
I got the time.
I'm really late for work. Oopsie!
Laura and John... Thank you.
...are getting a lift to
work from a colleague.
My feet are numb.
Morning. Morning.
They both work in the
photography department-
- of a high street sports retailer.
Have it so it's kind of going
through there a little bit.
Does it feel a bit strange
not wearing a bra?
Yeah.
Well, it feels weirder not
wearing pants for work.
I think that would freak me out.
Yeah, it kind of freaks
me out a little bit.
Because this is quite, like, roomy.
I'm like, "Oh, my God,
am I actually wearing something?"
Laura's job involves taking photos
to promote products and drive sales.
We live in a very consumer-led society.
There's so many adverts
rammed down our throats-
- and I'm guilty of being
sucked into that, as well.
It's made me realise just
how many things I have-
- and I just want to find out
if they are making me happy.
Ah!
Argh!
Heidi's on her way home from work.
I've never seen so much rain in my life!
Today, she knows exactly what
she wants back from the container.
I'm going to get a purse
so I can buy pizza tonight.
Do you not think you should get shoes?
I don't need shoes.
I have shoes.
Sort of.
Whoo!
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
With just three items back,
Heidi's happy with her new life.
Usually I'm afraid of everything.
I'm afraid of being bad at my job,
I worry about what people think,
- I worry about what to have for dinner,
- I worry that I don't know
what to have for dinner.
I think, am I making the right decision?
And today,
literally for the first time ever,
- I thought, do you know what?
I don't care. I don't care.
Oh, my God!
I can smell pizza,
I can smell pizza.
The smell of the right decision.
Thank you so much.
Oh! I'm so happy.
Last night I went in for a friend's house.
These guys went out to the pub-
- and then tried to go to town,
- but apparently they
wouldn't get let in anywhere,
- maybe because they're
wearing fucking pajamas.
Yesterday, these three
friends got their sofa back.
Oh, my God.
So they now have somewhere to sleep.
Tom... I feel ridiculous.
...Andrew... Trusty top.
...and Georgia...
My feet are so sore.
...are rebuilding their
lives one item at a time,
- having been stripped of everything,
- to find out what really matters to them.
Lovely duvet.
But among their 2.200 possessions,
- there's one item they
each have in storage-
- that has the potential to change everything.
I'm getting my phone, because I'm...
...missing the people in my
life more than the things.
Georgia was first to get her phone.
Gone for the phone today.
Quickly followed by Andrew.
We've got an alarm clock on here,
got internet and calculator.
Probably about... ten items in one?
But today, Tom's not so sure.
It's either socks or phone.
Ah!
I think I'm going to go with socks.
I'm going to go with socks.
Sorry, mate.
I'm choosing not to get a phone,
- because it goes against what I
want to take from this experience.
Hopefully, my time can be
well occupied with things-
- other than television
and social media, yeah.
I feel a bit nervous getting my phone back.
Cos I don't want it back.
Over the past few days,
- Heidi's got back her kettle,
trousers and trainers.
Today, she faces a dilemma.
I call my mum every day.
It's like a little comfort blanket,
having your mum there.
Usually when I get something
that I know I want, I'm like, yeah!
But I only want it to ring...
...my mum, and...
I don't want all the other stuff
that comes with it, really.
The Time Zapper.
Before the experiment,
Heidi was constantly on her phone,
- checking social media every ten minutes.
Hello?
Hi!
How's it going?
Mum, it's hard. It's really hard.
I bet it is. Had uppy-downy days,
you think, should be all right-
- today, and then, God,
what are you doing?
But you'll be able to contact
me now, which is great.
Yeah, you can call me now,
I've got a phone back. Oh, excellent.
Right, go and enjoy your food, Mumma.
OK, love you.
Love you, bye-bye.
Love you, bye.
Whoa! It's on!
Within minutes,
Heidi receives more than 400 messages.
From Steph. Ooh!
"I can't believe you've gone for
a week now without your phone."
I'm baaaack!
She's gone, "You're baaaack."
She knows, she knows.
She is literally online all the time.
Oh, my God.
Emojis! Emojis!
I'm completely freaked out.
Cos I can't work out-
- whether I've been sucked
into my phone world or not.
My whole mood and life-
- is governed by how many
Instagram followers I have.
It's pretty sad.
I sort of want to get away again.
That was close.
With no means of communication,
John is stuck at home on his own.
Without my phone. I can't make
plans now, so it's a night in for me.
John's been prioritizing clothes
over two PlayStations,
- five Apple products and a 42-inch TV.
Saturday night.
Eight days in,
the low-tech life is wearing thin.
Oh...
It's almost like, joke's over, guys,
can we have our stuff back, please?
The next day,
John knows exactly what he wants.
Ah... Yay! Connected!
Who needs pants?
That's it, I'm done now, don't need
anything else out the container.
It's a little bit shallow-
- to think an inanimate
object can make you happy,
- but products are making people
more content with their lives.
The world is my oyster,
cos I'm now connected to it again.
Today is a good day.
Can I get a spoon out of...?
Found a way.
Oh...
Oh, no way,
I forgot we don't own anything.
Can you hear that?
That's the sound of my clothes
being washed for the first time.
And now, somehow or another,
I've managed to do this.
It's halfway through the experiment.
So far, Tom's chosen essentials.
But now he's weighing
up what he wants most.
I would like to see how I can get
on with my life without television,
- without the Web, without my phone.
So, hopefully...
...I'll be able to, you know,
really put some time-
- and effort and brainpower
into learning the piano.
Jesus Christ, it's heavy.
Georgia's been getting items-
- so her boyfriend can
stay for the weekend...
Ta-da!
...including her mattress.
The mattress is definitely a godsend.
She hasn't yet got back
any pants or socks,
- but there's one item she
knows will make her happy.
That's my England flag!
Yay!
So I can get beaten up in the pub tonight.
Go on! Go on!
Ah... Whoo!
People are definitely more
important than possessions.
If someone said to me,
you either lose all your stuff-
- or you lose all your friends-
- for three weeks, it would be
a no-brainer, take it all away!
I'll get all my friends round,
we'll have that house party!
The three friends are doing just that.
Oh, my God, it fucking stinks.
They've invited 40 people to a party-
- in their empty house tonight.
So from the container,
they get back speakers,
- a fridge for the booze and
Tom's car for collecting supplies.
- I literally haven't seen you forever.
- I know!
THEY LAUGH
Talk to me, baby...
A simple cocktail of vodka,
milk and coffee liqueur.
Tom improvises with their
only item of kitchenware.
White Russians!
Hands up for White Russian.
I had to go round asking for a cup!
Drink up!
I want more.
She wants more.
Has she got shower gel?
Probably not.
She didn't buy her toothpaste until,
like, day seven.
But she probably dealt with it really well.
But we're not like Georgia.
No. We probably...
She's quite feral.
Ah, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya!
Keep on hoping
We'll eat cake by the ocean
Huh!
Oh, my God, it's snowing!
It's snowing.
Laura and John are also
keeping up their social lives.
My God, I don't have clothes for snow.
This evening is their works' night out.
In the past few days,
John's got back his mattress and duvet,
- so Laura's finally had a good night's sleep.
For tonight,
she wants something special to wear.
This is not a top that is suitable
for snowy weather, but...
I'm just going to get it,
just going to get it.
I'll probably regret it tomorrow-
- but sometimes you've
just got to feel nice, haven't you?
Before their night out,
there's a busy day ahead.
Working in a photo studio-
- makes Laura even more
aware of what she's missing.
Just seeing everyone else
wearing nice clothes...
...and make-up and things,
- yeah, being surrounded by models...
has been quite tough.
I'll start with some landscape ones first-
- and then I'll do some portrait ones...
Laura owns more than
200 beauty products,
...but she hasn't got any of them back yet.
It's the longest she's
gone without make-up-
- since she was in school.
As a teenager, I was very...
...quiet and shy.
I just had no confidence... at all.
I've got different coloring to people,
you know.
When I've got no make-up on,
you can't see my eyelashes-
- and my eyebrows and my
freckles and everything.
People are mean in school!
There'd be times when I was younger-
- that I just wanted to rip my face off,
which is awful.
It's awful, but it's true.
When you're a kid,
you don't forget that, either.
Sorry.
Under the rules of the experiment,
- Laura can't buy or borrow any
make-up, but she can buy food.
Hiya. You don't sell Skittles
do you, at all? Oh, yeah.
There was one plug where a girl
had used Skittles, the sweets,
- for lipstick and a bit of blusher.
So I'm going to try it.
Sorry... Oh, no. OK, thank you.
That's all right. Sorry.
When you've got absolutely nothing,
- it's hard to resist raiding the
office stationery cupboard.
Job done.
Instead of hours in front of a mirror...
Do the other one, do the other one!
...five minutes with a black
marker pen does the job.
I've been worried about it all day,
- but this has made all the difference.
I'm walking on sunshine
Whoa-whoa-oh!
And don't it feel good?
This is one of my favourite tops-
- and I've got Sharpie eyeliner on right now.
Little things like that can
make you feel so much better!
And don't it feel good?
Yeah!
There's no work social
for fashion designer Heidi.
She recently quit her full-time job,
to set up on her own.
So, how much money have you
saved up to start this venture?
When you say "saved up",
I've extended my overdraft.
So, I've, sort of,
got to make money fast.
Like, really fast.
In her studio, Heidi's allowed
all the items she needs for work.
She's making clothes to
sell at one of East London's-
- most fashionable markets
at the end of the experiment.
But having all of her personal
possessions in storage-
- is making her start-up even harder.
You only get one time
to make an impression.
And if it's a bad one, it's not good
and already I'm on a back foot-
- because I look like this and
I don't have any make-up on.
I don't have, you know,
nice colours, things like that,
- perfume and deodorant and
nice things... I don't have all that,
- so I already feel mentally on
a back foot, so, like, it's just...
...I just need to make this work.
Oh!
When the experiment's over,
Heidi will get all her stuff back.
Then, she must decide what to
keep and what to get rid of.
Today, with the pressure
of the market building,
- she's after something to
make her feel more confident.
Oh, it's here!
Voila!
I've found it.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Suds! I haven't had suds for over 15 days.
Feels horrible.
So, has that made you feel as
happy as you thought it would?
No.
Probably chose wrong, to be fair.
Heidi's been getting back the items
she thinks she can't live without.
But her choices are getting harder.
At the beginning, when I got
something back, it was such a high.
But now, the things that you get,
- the novelty wears off really quickly.
Like, within minutes now.
And it's really weird, it's hard.
I've got everything I need.
But I'm not happy and the more
stuff I get back, the less happy I am.
In Manchester, Cardiff and London,
- three households are nearing
the end of the experiment-
- to find out which of their
possessions matter most to them.
There's one important item that
Heidi's managed without until now.
Just walking to work and
all that hustle and tussle,
- like, it's just not very
comfortable not to wear a bra.
Just a bit of chafe.
Not everyone waited as long as Heidi.
Georgia got her bra
back in the first week,
- and so did Laura.
Who would have thought I'd
get excited by a sports bra?
- What are you looking for, Laura?
- My pants.
By week two...
I'm going to warm up them up first.
...Laura wanted one of
her 120 pairs of knickers.
For yoga, I think I'd rather wear pants,
- as my leggings are actually
quite see-through, it turns out.
After 11 days of chafing...
Got my pants.
...comfort became a priority for John.
Just a regular guy with some pants on.
In Cardiff, 18 days in,
- they're still a pants-free household.
No pants.
You don't need pants to get by in life.
Aha! But Heidi's given in.
That noise!
I haven't heard that noise in a while.
I feel like I could do anything now.
I feel completely in control
when I've got a bra on.
I think, "Right, yeah!"
It's like someone's patting you
on the back and going, "Go on!"
It's not just underwear
that's making them happy.
Oh, Henry! Hello, there!
That guy!
He's always happy to see you, isn't he?
At the beginning of the experiments,
everyone chose similar essentials-
- but, in the final few days,
their picks are more varied.
Nobody needs a PlayStation, but I do.
I like it, so I'm going to get it.
Me and you are going to
have a good time tonight.
At the start, it was kind
of just getting things-
- just because we needed those things-
- and now it's, "What do I actually
want and what do I enjoy doing?"
So I like watching TV,
so I got the telly back-
- and I like having a car,
so I got the car back.
Just a bit more fun now.
I think, when everything's chucked away,
- it does make you feel different,
- different in the way that
you actually prioritize things.
What Andrew wants most
of all is a sentimental item.
My dad drowned when I was 16.
I hadn't seen him for a good few years.
No matter how close
you are to your parents,
- when they pass away,
it always affects you quite deeply.
- Yeah, got it.
- Yeah.
My dad, me and my mum.
And my brother would be standing here-
- because he's the one
taking the photo, I guess.
I'm not sure what flower this is with this.
It's taken from the wreath
from my dad's funeral.
The flower's irreplaceable,
so it's one of my most treasured items.
Hello! I did it! I did it!
Having reached the
end of the experiment,
- the rest of their possessions are
being returned to each household.
Bring me my life back!
I'm so excited!
Looking forward to getting
my pants back most of all.
I want to get my stuff back-
- because I want to go through
it and get rid of loads of it.
After 21 days of deciding what to get back...
We're sorry!
...they'll now decide what to get rid of.
I'm going to charity shop this one.
Charity shop that beanie.
At the start, Georgia had
the most stuff in the house...
Stay.
...including 97 socks and 44 pairs of pants.
- Are you going to put a pair of knickers on?
- No.
I think I'm over it.
I'm over pants. That's it.
That can go.
Andrew's getting rid of his unused items-
- and working out what matters most.
That can go, too.
I no longer need 30%
of the possessions I had-
- before this all started.
Makes you realise what
is actually, you know,
- of an emotional importance to you.
This belongs in someone else's life.
Tom is giving away
almost half of his stuff.
One box down.
300 to go.
There's one item he'd like to get rid of-
- but Georgia and Andrew won't let him.
Not having a TV's really great.
Having that time to
really just do other things,
- I really enjoyed.
If the telly's on,
you can't walk through here,
- you have to get out your
bedroom window to the kitchen.
I'd quite like to think that
I can kind of continue my life-
- as I lived my life during the experience.
At the start of the experiment,
- Tom, Georgia and Andrew
had more than 2.300 items.
Today, they're giving away
almost a third of them.
It was great being
able to declutter my life.
I really did have far too much stuff.
As long as it doesn't go under
someone's bed, I'll be happy.
Oh, yes!
Look at that!
It's a different color!
Heidi's enjoying having her stuff back-
- but is now working out
which of her 861 possessions-
- to keep in her new life.
I'm being very ruthless indeed.
She's getting rid of 241 items,
- even some of her 31 bikinis.
Oh, gosh!
16. Half exactly.
And all of these I would wear.
I'd wear all of them, so I need them.
I feel so much lighter.
Now that Heidi's
downsized her possessions,
- she's throwing herself into work,
- selling her designs to
the hipsters of East London.
These are, like, comfy and soft.
They feel nice, don't you think?
I need to declutter, but I'm telling
everyone that they need stuff.
Yeah, well...
You do need SOME stuff, that's why!
So, like, snuggly.
And they just wash and wear.
So I want people to love it-
- and, if they don't,
then they don't need it.
You need stuff that you love.
21 days since the experiment began,
- Heidi has learn't what she
really needs to be happy.
I used to think having lots
of nice materialistic things-
- made me who I was-
- but, actually, I feel very
differently towards my stuff.
It doesn't define me.
And it's a good feeling.
I don't have to adhere to social pressure,
I can just be who I am.
Thank you so much. Oh!
I just sold two things!
It's so exciting! I'm so excited!
With cash coming in,
Heidi's business is taking off.
Thank you. Ah!
Oh, my God! So happy!
It's like the cosiest jumper in the world!
I hope you love it!
Homeowner Laura is unpacking
her 2.500 possessions-
- to put everything
back just how she had it.
I love every single
thing that is on this shelf.
My stuff does definitely make me happy.
Yeah!
That's Mr Pelican.
During the experience,
the room's been so bare.
It just didn't feel like a nice, safe place.
Everything in here is what
makes it feel like home.
Laura got through the whole 21 days-
- without getting any of her make-up back.
Not having my make-up was really difficult.
You feel like everyone's staring at you,
- but they're not, really.
I probably don't wear quite
as much as I would have-
- or I don't care as much
when I'm not wearing any.
That's a nice feeling.
But, yeah, I still... I still love it.
Laura and John are giving away
148 items to a homeless charity.
Going through this process,
- I personally was more aware of
the homeless than any time before.
We were whingeing about being cold-
- but at least we had a nice,
warm flat to come back to.
Yeah, it's kind of changed
my outlook a little bit.
What size are these slippers?
Probably about an eight,
something like that.
Quite tight, yeah.
Can I have them?
Yeah, course you can.
Underwear has been really popular,
- and then one guy was loving my shirts.
Yeah, I think just anything
to keep people warm, I think.
I've realised that you
get to a point in your life-
- where there's only so many
PlayStations you can buy-
- or phones you can get,
then actually it's not going to fulfill-
- what you genuinely want out of life.
I've not long turned 30 now.
I have got a lot of friends
that are all getting married-
- and having children.
So I think I've had my fun,
- it's time to probably take
a bit more responsibility now.
I do want to settle down and I do
want to have a family eventually.
Be a grown-up.
Heidi is making a final life-changing decision.
She's turning her back on social media.
I'm just having a bit of
a cull with everything.
Everything that sort of...
...I just feel like I need to
check all the time and feel like...
Just wasting my time checking-
- and the people that I want to
talk to and want to call and stuff,
- I call anyway.
Just don't need it.
So, Facebook...
Delete.
Facebook Messenger.
Delete.
Delete.
Snapchat.
I feel more comfortable being myself.
Just more relaxed.
I don't feel as like, "Oh, I'm missing out,"
- or, "I've got to do this," or,
"I've got to dress a certain way,"
- or, "Have to worry about
putting my make-up on.
"I have to worry about
straightening my hair!"
Life still goes on if you
don't straighten your hair.
You still have to do stuff.
You still have to work.
You still have to have meetings.
You still have to...
It's not the end of the world.
I think 21 days to break a habit-
- and I think I've broken my habit
of having to need people's approval-
- and that's massive for me.
Massive.
I don't need 3.000 other
people to tell me that I'm OK.
You just have to make sure
that you love what you do-
- and love what you have and
be happy with what you have.
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
This program me contains some nudity
and strong language throughout.
Three households are taking part
in a life-changing experiment.
Come on, guys. Let's do it.
At a time when our lives
are more cluttered than ever...
Certainly won't miss this crap.
...with the average Brit
owning 1.000 items-
- and checking their phone
over 200 times a day...
I feel like some days I'm going
to spontaneously com bust.
...these households are
stripping everything away...
What have we done?
It's so weird.
...to find out what they really
need to make them happy.
I want to find out who I am,
- when everything's taken away.
For 21 days, they will live by three rules.
All of their stuff will be
taken and put into storage.
All of it.
Boobs are coming out.
I don't know what to get.
Every day...
Ahh, stuff!
...they can get one thing back.
Docs or phone?
What's going to make you the happiest?
Can't I have them both?
They can't buy or borrow anything,
- except the very basics of
food and drink. Feet are numb.
And they must carry on with their daily lives.
Morning.
At the beginning, I was like,
- "Everyone should do it! It's amazing!
And now I'm like, "Don't do it!"
To discover what they truly need...
Where am I?
I can't do this.
...and when stripped of everything...
Who needs pants when you've got a phone?
So happy here.
...work out what's really
important in their lives.
I feel like Bear Grylls... ooh!
Oh, no!
Oh, I feel really nervous.
Oh, I don't want them to take it.
Oh!
I love my stuff.
I don't want to be without any of my stuff.
29-year-old fashion designer Heidi-
- is about to be stripped
of everything she owns.
I have 31 bikinis.
There's always a need for bikinis!
On average,
Heidi buys four new items a week-
- for her east London flat.
Buying new things makes me happy.
I go to Ikea once a week.
This desk is from Ikea.
This is from Ikea.
These are from Ikea.
This is, this is...
That actually fell on my head the
other day, and I had a concussion.
Now Heidi's giving up absolutely
everything for 21 days-
- to find out who she really
is without her possessions.
I feel like my stuff defines me.
I really want to see whether I
need all of the things I think I need-
- to make me who I am.
Oh!
- That'll be upright, yeah?
- Yep.
I want people to like me,
and think I'm cool, think I'm nice.
So if I didn't have, like, my hipster coat,
- didn't have my nails painted,
or, like, rings on,
- I don't feel like they would like
me if I didn't have this sort of stuff.
That sounds SO bad!
That I'm worried about not
having anything that people want.
How ridiculous!
I am.
Heidi's even giving up her
phone and all technology.
Like many twenty some things,
- she checks her social
media every ten minutes.
My mobile phone is permanently attached.
I don't know how I'm going
to survive without Instagram.
I think my finger might
go on autopilot, like this.
Cos I'm so used to, like,
"Right, right, right.
If you're not on your phone for,
like, an hour, it seems like-
- everything has changed.
You're behind on everything.
Apart from basic rations of food and drink,
everything must go,
- including every item of clothing.
God.
Start with the hardest thing first.
All right, boobs are coming out.
Boobs are coming out.
OK! 10, 9, 8,
- 7...
Oh, my God!
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
Aaah! Aaah! Aaah!
OK.
Now, if you look...
For the next 21 days,
all of Heidi's stuff-
- will be kept in a storage
container half a mile away.
She'll get back one item a day-
- to discover what is
really important to her.
Apparently it takes 21 days to break a habit.
That's 21 days to find out if I can be happy-
- without all of my stuff.
But a lot can happen in 21 days.
THEY SING ALONG TO "MATERIAL GIRL"
Flatmates Laura and Jon-
- are also about to give up all
their stuff for the experiment.
You know that we are living
in a material world
And I am a material girl
They live in Chorlton,
a Manchester suburb...
Wait, what's in the freezer?
...in a two-bedroom flat that Laura owns.
Smells delicious.
The 30-year-old graduates both
work in the photography department-
- for the same high-street retailer.
Today's been fun.
They've got the disposable
income to buy whatever they like.
It is a little bit showy-offy having a Mercedes.
I could have got-
- anything else, but just kind
of spoiled myself, I guess.
Posh coffee or not?
Posh coffee, please.
Little bit pretentious, but
I'm like, "Yes. I'm like Clooney."
You don't need a spiralizer to live.
It is a bit of a luxury...
a luxury kitchen item.
That I love.
33 pairs of shoes.
That's not bad at all.
I love technology.
Jon spends twice as much
money on tech than anything else.
So I've obviously got my iPad.
Apple TV.
An iPhone, like everyone else.
Yeah, we have adapted
our lives to technology,
- and I'm a massive investor in it.
Hit 30 now and I've
still not grown out of it.
I'm intrigued, really,
to see if we can live without it.
Hurry up with that brew.
You're so demanding.
As well as the flat,
Laura owns most of its contents-
- nearly 40,000-worth of stuff,
- which is all about to be stripped away.
Having everything taken away from
me is a very extreme thing to do,
- but I think this will be
an experience as well-
- which will hopefully tell me
what I need to be happy.
Oh, my God. It's here!
It's like the Grim Reaper coming-
- to take away all your happiness!
We shall be cleansed.
Let battle commence.
Oh, no. TV down.
How do you sleep at night?!
That's our evening ruined.
Bye, telly.
Bye, TV!
After 21 days, they will have to decide-
- whether to get everything back...
...or see if they'll be happier
with fewer possessions.
It is quite worrying,
thinking that I might come out of this-
- not wanting any of my stuff back!
Because at the moment, that's not me.
To find out what they REALLY need,
- they'll start from absolutely nothing.
We're going to see each other naked.
Difficult to walk past her
at work without thinking,
- "I've seen your boobs!"
Not in a pervy way, though.
Are you ready?
Crack on. No pun intended.
Just going for it. Going for it!
Yeah, might as well.
That's... here.
Ready?
I've got two more bits to take off!
Oh, God. I'm not going to look,
Laura, don't worry about it.
This is...
Bend down here. Don't worry.
It's perfectly natural.
There's nobody outside.
This is just what people
do in their own homes.
We did it!
- Do it again?
- Yeah.
- Oh, my God.
- I'm not looking.
Now what?
I don't know what to do!
Our stuff will not fit in those two trucks.
I don't think the stuff under my
bed's going to fit into that truck.
One in three of us-
- has enough unused stuff
to fill an entire bedroom.
Housemates Tom...
Right...
...Andrew... They haven't been
worn in a while. Fucking hell!
...and Georgia...
I like a good lie-in.
...are one of three households
being stripped of all their stuff-
- for 21 days...
Mouse Trap.
Good, isn't it?
Completely pointless.
...to find out what really makes them happy.
What have we done?
We've got the opportunity-
- to do something crazy together,
something that you'll never forget.
A test of our actual friendship, I'd say.
26-year-old Tom-
- and 28-year-old Andrew have
lived in the house for two years.
I feel like a chunk of my
soul is being torn out.
23-year-old Georgia moved in last summer.
I wouldn't describe it as a
proper grown-up house!
Whether or not you are drinking,
- there's going to be
someone drunk in the house.
And pretty much every day-
- when the post comes there'll
be a parcel for Andrew.
Something that he's bought off eBay.
But you never open them in front of us,
- so where all this stuff goes...
Because sometimes I order them drunk-
- and I want to make sure
it's nothing embarrassing.
I've got rid of all my stuff.
Rock and roll.
All of their 2.300 possessions have
been taken to a storage container.
They'll get one thing back a day,
- before deciding, after 21 days,
- how much of it they
want back in their lives.
Fuck it.
There's just one box to go.
For their very last possessions.
I knew I should have
not worn these trousers.
Do you want some help?
Hello, ladies.
Sorry!
Nice to meet you.
- Right, I'll go first.
- OK.
I just can't watch you.
I literally can't look down.
I cannot divert my eyes from the ceiling.
Duh, duh-duh-duh-duh-duh, dah!
Fuck off, Tom!
I'm actually all right...
I'm strangely liberated by this.
In a really strange way.
Yeah, it's fine. No biggie.
From what I can tell!
I didn't really take into account-
- how much you can
see through the window.
I do want to look out
there but I don't know,
- I don't want to...
in case anyone's out there.
Fashion designer Heidi can't get
her first item back until tomorrow.
For now, she is learning to live with nothing.
I need to get something that
will cover my bits and pieces.
If I can get outside,
there's some bloody great leaves out there.
I'm going.
My friends and I have a saying,
what would Beyonce do?
But I don't think this
applies to this situation.
I feel like Bear Gry...
Ooh, shit!
I've brought in a snail!
Hiya, mate.
I've got a pet!
I'm keeping him.
If I think about people seeing me like this,
- I'd feel ridiculous,
but I feel fine if it's just me.
I... I feel so happy!
So happy.
I feel like... a creature!
I'm really vulnerable.
An hour ago,
flatmates Laura and Jon-
- were stripped of all their possessions.
They've been in separate rooms ever since.
Room for one more?
Come join me.
I love what you've done with the place.
Thanks!
There's evenings where we will be
sat on our phones or watching TV-
- and kind of lost the art of
conversation sometimes.
I think everyone's kind of guilty
of it, so it'll be nice to see,
- without any distractions,
how we get on, I guess.
I moved in with Laura
about 12 months ago now.
I was previously living with
my girlfriend but that fell apart.
I'm still here 12 months later so
I'm obviously doing something right.
This is ridiculous.
This is not what normal people do.
I've been single for... mmm...
...probably about six years?
There's been opportunities but I'd
rather wait until I'm 100% happy.
Taking part in this experience,
I'm hoping to find out what,
- like, genuinely makes me happy in life.
Got any plans tonight?
I should be doing yoga tonight.
I should be drinking tonight.
It's just too uncomfortable.
It's too uncomfortable sleeping on the floor.
Today, everyone will choose
the first of their 21 items-
- and start finding out which of their
possessions matter most to them.
Ow, ow, Ow,
OW, OW, OW, OW.
Both my bum bones kill,
absolutely kill.
This is my bedroom.
Oh, bugger.
Everyone can see in.
And normally I don't worry
about everyone seeing in,
- cos I've got lovely things in here
to look at, or I've got clothes on.
Heidi has been left with
nothing apart from-
- basic rations of food and drink.
She must decide which
item she wants back first.
I don't know what to get back.
And I don't have any paper or pens,
- so I found some icing
sugar in the cupboard.
I think this was a good idea,
I'm not going to lie.
My jumper is comfy, it looks nice
and it's more socially acceptable.
And then my duvet is comfy.
Right, it'll hide me and it
feels and looks horrible-
- so there's, like,
pros and cons to both.
Oh, my God, there's neighbours there.
I have embraced the nakedness...
...in the safety of this house!
I'm not sure what it's going to be like
when I have to leave that front door.
Andrew, Georgia and Tom are
ready to get their first item back.
Getting things back is going to be exciting.
Like having a birthday where you
get to choose your own present.
But the storage container is
half a mile from their home.
Feel like a sprinter before the 100m.
To reach it, they must brave some
of Cardiff's busiest main roads-
- and suburban streets.
Come on, guys, let's do it.
Use a box.
There's no fucking way...
Heyyy!
Man!
Yes! Yes!
They must now make their first decision,
- picking from their 2.300 items.
Right, I really would love to
have some kind of blanket.
Ooh, "Tom bedding".
Hopefully...
I'm looking for my onesie...
my sleeping bag will be in this box.
Ahh! Rarrrr!
We did it. We did it. We did it.
We've got our three items.
Pair of trousers,
- I can go another day with
having half of myself be naked.
Onesie. Free hands at last.
Such a relief.
Sleeping bag.
My little vessel of warmth.
So I can finally get some Zs.
These are the first of 21 choices that will-
- shape their lives for
the next three weeks.
Well done, guys.
Now I'm not running it's really painful.
Heidi has also decided which
of her 800 items she's going to-
- get from the container.
I'm going to get the
biggest roll of fabric I have,
- and then I've got
something nice to lay on-
- or I can wrap it around
me and I've got a cover.
I'm so scared, I'm so scared.
Now Heidi must face the
crowded streets of East London.
(Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...)
Ahh! Just got to do it.
I've just got to do it.
Oh, my God, oh, my God.
Is that free?
I'm just going to borrow this.
Oh, my God!
OK, let's go.
Oh, my God! I know!
Hi!
I want my fabric but I can't see it.
Heidi grabs the first piece of clothing-
- she can lay her hands on
while she looks for her first item.
Oh, I'll use this.
Loads and loads and loads of fabric.
When you don't have anything,
- what you do have becomes everything.
Right now?
- Think there was a taxi!
- Yeah!
It's flatmates Laura and
John's first morning-
- since they were stripped
of all their possessions.
Do it!
But they're in no hurry to
get their first items back.
I kind of want someone to see.
You just don't have
distractions of technology,
- TVs and phones.
God!
At no point have we said,
"Oh, I wish I could check my e-mails-
- or I wish see what's going on on Instagram."
It's all just been about running
from one side of the flat-
- to the other without being
seen by a double-Decker bus.
Over the next 21 days,
they'll choose one item a day to find out-
- what it is they really need to be happy.
Comfort's a big one for us,
- so a bed, somewhere to
sit that isn't on this carpet.
But the obvious thing to say
would be clothes, I think.
We both own onesies which
we thought was going to be-
- the most practical piece of clothing.
All hail the onesie.
At 8pm, Laura and John
haven't yet left the flat.
The streets of Chorlton,
a Manchester suburb,
- are full of locals heading
out on Saturday night.
It's got busy quick, hasn't it?
Quite a few people around.
Dammit!
- We've waited this long,
we can wait another hour. - Yeah.
We're going to go for it now!
We're going to do the run!
Yes!
Oh, my God!
Check the bins.
Oh, my God!
Jackpot!
I'm just going to use this.
Yes!
We're going, we're going.
Yes!
Yes!
After 24 hours without any
of their 3.300 possessions,
- the two friends choose
onesies as their first item back.
Laura!
Yes!
Thank God.
I'm just so glad to wear clothes!
Yeah, it's good.
That was fun.
I kind of want to do it again.
You're on your own with that one, Laura.
The first choice is just the beginning.
To get through the next three weeks,
- working and living their daily lives,
- they'll have to weigh up what they
want with what they really need.
It's just like music to my ears.
Fashion designer Heidi is
making clothes from the fabric-
- she chose as her first item.
Now I'll try and fashion myself
the most socially acceptable outfit.
Socks, shoes, knickers, bra.
Ooh, knickers.
Not quite enough fabric.
Not enough to go round.
Bugger.
I love making stuff.
I couldn't cope with having nothing to do.
Believe it or not,
I'm trying to look as normal as possible.
In preparation for the
walk to the container,
- Heidi's even handcrafting some footwear.
Sole number two.
When I was younger,
I lived in a village,
- and Mum and Dad didn't
really have that much money,
- so I used to look through Vogue,
- but never could envisage
having what was in there-
- and then I learned to make
clothes myself and was like, "Ah!"
Ta-dah!
My shoes are amazing.
Heidi is on her way to
get her second item,
- which she has decided
will be her mattress.
Ooh, it's cold!
It's too big for her to
carry home on her own.
This is all I have.
But her outfit's attracting
attention from strangers.
Oh, my God!
I know. So sorry!
Don't be sorry!
I'm going to get my mattress.
I literally have to drag it-
- cos I don't have anyone to help
me and I can't contact my friends-
- cos I have no phone,
so I have nothing and no-one.
- Are you not allowed no help?
- No.
Well, you could help me,
- but I don't want to ask
you if you want to help.
- Where is it? Do you know where Lidl is?
- If you walk, it's there.
I'm so going to help you.
Oh!
I'm so going to help you!
Thank you so much! I probably smell.
I used lemon as deodorant.
We're helping her. Yay!
21 days!
21 days.
And I'm on day two.
- We're on day two?
- Yeah.
Here.
Oh, my...
Literally everything.
Wardrobes. Everything.
Even the washing machine!
Oh, God, the washing machine.
Don't worry about a washing machine
when you haven't got anything. Oh!
Welcome to my stuff.
Yesterday, I was crying
because I wanted everything-
- and now all I want is my mattress.
Be careful!
Heidi's second choice - her mattress.
Now I've got some friends.
I'm so happy that they stopped.
I honestly feel I've got
everything right now.
Thank you!
Keep going!
Oh! Sideways!
In we go. Slide round.
There we go.
Oh, my God.
This is really, really warm.
I'd have been so engrossed normally,
I'd have been on my phone-
- walking down the street,
would have missed them.
They're lovely girls.
Thank you so, so much.
Hope I see you again.
Thank you.
I love your earrings, by the way.
Thank you.
When you have nothing,
people actually make-
- the whole world of difference.
I feel so...
...I can't cope, I'm so happy.
I'm comfortable and I'm warm.
And my feet are still intact and not sore.
That is one of the best days of my life.
Flatmates and work colleagues
Laura and John have decided-
- to share the second items they get back.
Oh, stuff!
- Wallet.
- Yes.
I can buy things.
They're going to used
his money to buy food...
This is going to be fun.
...and her mattress to sleep on.
I could probably prioritize
other things, like shoes,
- but I want a good night's sleep.
- Are you OK, Laura?
- Yeah.
We are close anyway,
we spend a lot of time together.
Obviously, living and working together,
and I think this process-
- is only going to strengthen
that friendship, really.
We have a bed and a sofa!
Ahh!
I can't sleep.
I'm already starting to feel
like I want my own bed.
It's a cold Monday morning and,
for data scientist Tom,
- the first day back at work after
being stripped of everything.
Morning.
So far, he's got back a sleeping bag,
- a dressing gown and a pair of shoes.
He's also picked up some
gloves left on a bench.
People give me a thumbs up,
but that's no good for me.
Tom normally drive 11 miles to work,
- but his car is in storage
along with his other possessions.
I love new experiences.
Being able to find new
ways which make you happy.
Self-improvement.
But then, it's more,
for me it's about the fun aspect.
After an hour,
no-one has stopped for him.
It would be nice to have
some trousers, a jacket,
- a wallet so I could get my bus,
a phone so I could call my friends.
Yeah. Pretty much everything in
the world I'm missing right now.
This is my walk to work.
I still don't know what time it is.
I don't even know if
I'm late for work or not.
- Excuse me, do you have the time?
- Nine.
I got the time.
I'm late for work.
I got the time.
I'm really late for work. Oopsie!
Laura and John... Thank you.
...are getting a lift to
work from a colleague.
My feet are numb.
Morning. Morning.
They both work in the
photography department-
- of a high street sports retailer.
Have it so it's kind of going
through there a little bit.
Does it feel a bit strange
not wearing a bra?
Yeah.
Well, it feels weirder not
wearing pants for work.
I think that would freak me out.
Yeah, it kind of freaks
me out a little bit.
Because this is quite, like, roomy.
I'm like, "Oh, my God,
am I actually wearing something?"
Laura's job involves taking photos
to promote products and drive sales.
We live in a very consumer-led society.
There's so many adverts
rammed down our throats-
- and I'm guilty of being
sucked into that, as well.
It's made me realise just
how many things I have-
- and I just want to find out
if they are making me happy.
Ah!
Argh!
Heidi's on her way home from work.
I've never seen so much rain in my life!
Today, she knows exactly what
she wants back from the container.
I'm going to get a purse
so I can buy pizza tonight.
Do you not think you should get shoes?
I don't need shoes.
I have shoes.
Sort of.
Whoo!
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God. Oh, my God.
With just three items back,
Heidi's happy with her new life.
Usually I'm afraid of everything.
I'm afraid of being bad at my job,
I worry about what people think,
- I worry about what to have for dinner,
- I worry that I don't know
what to have for dinner.
I think, am I making the right decision?
And today,
literally for the first time ever,
- I thought, do you know what?
I don't care. I don't care.
Oh, my God!
I can smell pizza,
I can smell pizza.
The smell of the right decision.
Thank you so much.
Oh! I'm so happy.
Last night I went in for a friend's house.
These guys went out to the pub-
- and then tried to go to town,
- but apparently they
wouldn't get let in anywhere,
- maybe because they're
wearing fucking pajamas.
Yesterday, these three
friends got their sofa back.
Oh, my God.
So they now have somewhere to sleep.
Tom... I feel ridiculous.
...Andrew... Trusty top.
...and Georgia...
My feet are so sore.
...are rebuilding their
lives one item at a time,
- having been stripped of everything,
- to find out what really matters to them.
Lovely duvet.
But among their 2.200 possessions,
- there's one item they
each have in storage-
- that has the potential to change everything.
I'm getting my phone, because I'm...
...missing the people in my
life more than the things.
Georgia was first to get her phone.
Gone for the phone today.
Quickly followed by Andrew.
We've got an alarm clock on here,
got internet and calculator.
Probably about... ten items in one?
But today, Tom's not so sure.
It's either socks or phone.
Ah!
I think I'm going to go with socks.
I'm going to go with socks.
Sorry, mate.
I'm choosing not to get a phone,
- because it goes against what I
want to take from this experience.
Hopefully, my time can be
well occupied with things-
- other than television
and social media, yeah.
I feel a bit nervous getting my phone back.
Cos I don't want it back.
Over the past few days,
- Heidi's got back her kettle,
trousers and trainers.
Today, she faces a dilemma.
I call my mum every day.
It's like a little comfort blanket,
having your mum there.
Usually when I get something
that I know I want, I'm like, yeah!
But I only want it to ring...
...my mum, and...
I don't want all the other stuff
that comes with it, really.
The Time Zapper.
Before the experiment,
Heidi was constantly on her phone,
- checking social media every ten minutes.
Hello?
Hi!
How's it going?
Mum, it's hard. It's really hard.
I bet it is. Had uppy-downy days,
you think, should be all right-
- today, and then, God,
what are you doing?
But you'll be able to contact
me now, which is great.
Yeah, you can call me now,
I've got a phone back. Oh, excellent.
Right, go and enjoy your food, Mumma.
OK, love you.
Love you, bye-bye.
Love you, bye.
Whoa! It's on!
Within minutes,
Heidi receives more than 400 messages.
From Steph. Ooh!
"I can't believe you've gone for
a week now without your phone."
I'm baaaack!
She's gone, "You're baaaack."
She knows, she knows.
She is literally online all the time.
Oh, my God.
Emojis! Emojis!
I'm completely freaked out.
Cos I can't work out-
- whether I've been sucked
into my phone world or not.
My whole mood and life-
- is governed by how many
Instagram followers I have.
It's pretty sad.
I sort of want to get away again.
That was close.
With no means of communication,
John is stuck at home on his own.
Without my phone. I can't make
plans now, so it's a night in for me.
John's been prioritizing clothes
over two PlayStations,
- five Apple products and a 42-inch TV.
Saturday night.
Eight days in,
the low-tech life is wearing thin.
Oh...
It's almost like, joke's over, guys,
can we have our stuff back, please?
The next day,
John knows exactly what he wants.
Ah... Yay! Connected!
Who needs pants?
That's it, I'm done now, don't need
anything else out the container.
It's a little bit shallow-
- to think an inanimate
object can make you happy,
- but products are making people
more content with their lives.
The world is my oyster,
cos I'm now connected to it again.
Today is a good day.
Can I get a spoon out of...?
Found a way.
Oh...
Oh, no way,
I forgot we don't own anything.
Can you hear that?
That's the sound of my clothes
being washed for the first time.
And now, somehow or another,
I've managed to do this.
It's halfway through the experiment.
So far, Tom's chosen essentials.
But now he's weighing
up what he wants most.
I would like to see how I can get
on with my life without television,
- without the Web, without my phone.
So, hopefully...
...I'll be able to, you know,
really put some time-
- and effort and brainpower
into learning the piano.
Jesus Christ, it's heavy.
Georgia's been getting items-
- so her boyfriend can
stay for the weekend...
Ta-da!
...including her mattress.
The mattress is definitely a godsend.
She hasn't yet got back
any pants or socks,
- but there's one item she
knows will make her happy.
That's my England flag!
Yay!
So I can get beaten up in the pub tonight.
Go on! Go on!
Ah... Whoo!
People are definitely more
important than possessions.
If someone said to me,
you either lose all your stuff-
- or you lose all your friends-
- for three weeks, it would be
a no-brainer, take it all away!
I'll get all my friends round,
we'll have that house party!
The three friends are doing just that.
Oh, my God, it fucking stinks.
They've invited 40 people to a party-
- in their empty house tonight.
So from the container,
they get back speakers,
- a fridge for the booze and
Tom's car for collecting supplies.
- I literally haven't seen you forever.
- I know!
THEY LAUGH
Talk to me, baby...
A simple cocktail of vodka,
milk and coffee liqueur.
Tom improvises with their
only item of kitchenware.
White Russians!
Hands up for White Russian.
I had to go round asking for a cup!
Drink up!
I want more.
She wants more.
Has she got shower gel?
Probably not.
She didn't buy her toothpaste until,
like, day seven.
But she probably dealt with it really well.
But we're not like Georgia.
No. We probably...
She's quite feral.
Ah, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya!
Keep on hoping
We'll eat cake by the ocean
Huh!
Oh, my God, it's snowing!
It's snowing.
Laura and John are also
keeping up their social lives.
My God, I don't have clothes for snow.
This evening is their works' night out.
In the past few days,
John's got back his mattress and duvet,
- so Laura's finally had a good night's sleep.
For tonight,
she wants something special to wear.
This is not a top that is suitable
for snowy weather, but...
I'm just going to get it,
just going to get it.
I'll probably regret it tomorrow-
- but sometimes you've
just got to feel nice, haven't you?
Before their night out,
there's a busy day ahead.
Working in a photo studio-
- makes Laura even more
aware of what she's missing.
Just seeing everyone else
wearing nice clothes...
...and make-up and things,
- yeah, being surrounded by models...
has been quite tough.
I'll start with some landscape ones first-
- and then I'll do some portrait ones...
Laura owns more than
200 beauty products,
...but she hasn't got any of them back yet.
It's the longest she's
gone without make-up-
- since she was in school.
As a teenager, I was very...
...quiet and shy.
I just had no confidence... at all.
I've got different coloring to people,
you know.
When I've got no make-up on,
you can't see my eyelashes-
- and my eyebrows and my
freckles and everything.
People are mean in school!
There'd be times when I was younger-
- that I just wanted to rip my face off,
which is awful.
It's awful, but it's true.
When you're a kid,
you don't forget that, either.
Sorry.
Under the rules of the experiment,
- Laura can't buy or borrow any
make-up, but she can buy food.
Hiya. You don't sell Skittles
do you, at all? Oh, yeah.
There was one plug where a girl
had used Skittles, the sweets,
- for lipstick and a bit of blusher.
So I'm going to try it.
Sorry... Oh, no. OK, thank you.
That's all right. Sorry.
When you've got absolutely nothing,
- it's hard to resist raiding the
office stationery cupboard.
Job done.
Instead of hours in front of a mirror...
Do the other one, do the other one!
...five minutes with a black
marker pen does the job.
I've been worried about it all day,
- but this has made all the difference.
I'm walking on sunshine
Whoa-whoa-oh!
And don't it feel good?
This is one of my favourite tops-
- and I've got Sharpie eyeliner on right now.
Little things like that can
make you feel so much better!
And don't it feel good?
Yeah!
There's no work social
for fashion designer Heidi.
She recently quit her full-time job,
to set up on her own.
So, how much money have you
saved up to start this venture?
When you say "saved up",
I've extended my overdraft.
So, I've, sort of,
got to make money fast.
Like, really fast.
In her studio, Heidi's allowed
all the items she needs for work.
She's making clothes to
sell at one of East London's-
- most fashionable markets
at the end of the experiment.
But having all of her personal
possessions in storage-
- is making her start-up even harder.
You only get one time
to make an impression.
And if it's a bad one, it's not good
and already I'm on a back foot-
- because I look like this and
I don't have any make-up on.
I don't have, you know,
nice colours, things like that,
- perfume and deodorant and
nice things... I don't have all that,
- so I already feel mentally on
a back foot, so, like, it's just...
...I just need to make this work.
Oh!
When the experiment's over,
Heidi will get all her stuff back.
Then, she must decide what to
keep and what to get rid of.
Today, with the pressure
of the market building,
- she's after something to
make her feel more confident.
Oh, it's here!
Voila!
I've found it.
Oh, my God.
Oh, my God.
Suds! I haven't had suds for over 15 days.
Feels horrible.
So, has that made you feel as
happy as you thought it would?
No.
Probably chose wrong, to be fair.
Heidi's been getting back the items
she thinks she can't live without.
But her choices are getting harder.
At the beginning, when I got
something back, it was such a high.
But now, the things that you get,
- the novelty wears off really quickly.
Like, within minutes now.
And it's really weird, it's hard.
I've got everything I need.
But I'm not happy and the more
stuff I get back, the less happy I am.
In Manchester, Cardiff and London,
- three households are nearing
the end of the experiment-
- to find out which of their
possessions matter most to them.
There's one important item that
Heidi's managed without until now.
Just walking to work and
all that hustle and tussle,
- like, it's just not very
comfortable not to wear a bra.
Just a bit of chafe.
Not everyone waited as long as Heidi.
Georgia got her bra
back in the first week,
- and so did Laura.
Who would have thought I'd
get excited by a sports bra?
- What are you looking for, Laura?
- My pants.
By week two...
I'm going to warm up them up first.
...Laura wanted one of
her 120 pairs of knickers.
For yoga, I think I'd rather wear pants,
- as my leggings are actually
quite see-through, it turns out.
After 11 days of chafing...
Got my pants.
...comfort became a priority for John.
Just a regular guy with some pants on.
In Cardiff, 18 days in,
- they're still a pants-free household.
No pants.
You don't need pants to get by in life.
Aha! But Heidi's given in.
That noise!
I haven't heard that noise in a while.
I feel like I could do anything now.
I feel completely in control
when I've got a bra on.
I think, "Right, yeah!"
It's like someone's patting you
on the back and going, "Go on!"
It's not just underwear
that's making them happy.
Oh, Henry! Hello, there!
That guy!
He's always happy to see you, isn't he?
At the beginning of the experiments,
everyone chose similar essentials-
- but, in the final few days,
their picks are more varied.
Nobody needs a PlayStation, but I do.
I like it, so I'm going to get it.
Me and you are going to
have a good time tonight.
At the start, it was kind
of just getting things-
- just because we needed those things-
- and now it's, "What do I actually
want and what do I enjoy doing?"
So I like watching TV,
so I got the telly back-
- and I like having a car,
so I got the car back.
Just a bit more fun now.
I think, when everything's chucked away,
- it does make you feel different,
- different in the way that
you actually prioritize things.
What Andrew wants most
of all is a sentimental item.
My dad drowned when I was 16.
I hadn't seen him for a good few years.
No matter how close
you are to your parents,
- when they pass away,
it always affects you quite deeply.
- Yeah, got it.
- Yeah.
My dad, me and my mum.
And my brother would be standing here-
- because he's the one
taking the photo, I guess.
I'm not sure what flower this is with this.
It's taken from the wreath
from my dad's funeral.
The flower's irreplaceable,
so it's one of my most treasured items.
Hello! I did it! I did it!
Having reached the
end of the experiment,
- the rest of their possessions are
being returned to each household.
Bring me my life back!
I'm so excited!
Looking forward to getting
my pants back most of all.
I want to get my stuff back-
- because I want to go through
it and get rid of loads of it.
After 21 days of deciding what to get back...
We're sorry!
...they'll now decide what to get rid of.
I'm going to charity shop this one.
Charity shop that beanie.
At the start, Georgia had
the most stuff in the house...
Stay.
...including 97 socks and 44 pairs of pants.
- Are you going to put a pair of knickers on?
- No.
I think I'm over it.
I'm over pants. That's it.
That can go.
Andrew's getting rid of his unused items-
- and working out what matters most.
That can go, too.
I no longer need 30%
of the possessions I had-
- before this all started.
Makes you realise what
is actually, you know,
- of an emotional importance to you.
This belongs in someone else's life.
Tom is giving away
almost half of his stuff.
One box down.
300 to go.
There's one item he'd like to get rid of-
- but Georgia and Andrew won't let him.
Not having a TV's really great.
Having that time to
really just do other things,
- I really enjoyed.
If the telly's on,
you can't walk through here,
- you have to get out your
bedroom window to the kitchen.
I'd quite like to think that
I can kind of continue my life-
- as I lived my life during the experience.
At the start of the experiment,
- Tom, Georgia and Andrew
had more than 2.300 items.
Today, they're giving away
almost a third of them.
It was great being
able to declutter my life.
I really did have far too much stuff.
As long as it doesn't go under
someone's bed, I'll be happy.
Oh, yes!
Look at that!
It's a different color!
Heidi's enjoying having her stuff back-
- but is now working out
which of her 861 possessions-
- to keep in her new life.
I'm being very ruthless indeed.
She's getting rid of 241 items,
- even some of her 31 bikinis.
Oh, gosh!
16. Half exactly.
And all of these I would wear.
I'd wear all of them, so I need them.
I feel so much lighter.
Now that Heidi's
downsized her possessions,
- she's throwing herself into work,
- selling her designs to
the hipsters of East London.
These are, like, comfy and soft.
They feel nice, don't you think?
I need to declutter, but I'm telling
everyone that they need stuff.
Yeah, well...
You do need SOME stuff, that's why!
So, like, snuggly.
And they just wash and wear.
So I want people to love it-
- and, if they don't,
then they don't need it.
You need stuff that you love.
21 days since the experiment began,
- Heidi has learn't what she
really needs to be happy.
I used to think having lots
of nice materialistic things-
- made me who I was-
- but, actually, I feel very
differently towards my stuff.
It doesn't define me.
And it's a good feeling.
I don't have to adhere to social pressure,
I can just be who I am.
Thank you so much. Oh!
I just sold two things!
It's so exciting! I'm so excited!
With cash coming in,
Heidi's business is taking off.
Thank you. Ah!
Oh, my God! So happy!
It's like the cosiest jumper in the world!
I hope you love it!
Homeowner Laura is unpacking
her 2.500 possessions-
- to put everything
back just how she had it.
I love every single
thing that is on this shelf.
My stuff does definitely make me happy.
Yeah!
That's Mr Pelican.
During the experience,
the room's been so bare.
It just didn't feel like a nice, safe place.
Everything in here is what
makes it feel like home.
Laura got through the whole 21 days-
- without getting any of her make-up back.
Not having my make-up was really difficult.
You feel like everyone's staring at you,
- but they're not, really.
I probably don't wear quite
as much as I would have-
- or I don't care as much
when I'm not wearing any.
That's a nice feeling.
But, yeah, I still... I still love it.
Laura and John are giving away
148 items to a homeless charity.
Going through this process,
- I personally was more aware of
the homeless than any time before.
We were whingeing about being cold-
- but at least we had a nice,
warm flat to come back to.
Yeah, it's kind of changed
my outlook a little bit.
What size are these slippers?
Probably about an eight,
something like that.
Quite tight, yeah.
Can I have them?
Yeah, course you can.
Underwear has been really popular,
- and then one guy was loving my shirts.
Yeah, I think just anything
to keep people warm, I think.
I've realised that you
get to a point in your life-
- where there's only so many
PlayStations you can buy-
- or phones you can get,
then actually it's not going to fulfill-
- what you genuinely want out of life.
I've not long turned 30 now.
I have got a lot of friends
that are all getting married-
- and having children.
So I think I've had my fun,
- it's time to probably take
a bit more responsibility now.
I do want to settle down and I do
want to have a family eventually.
Be a grown-up.
Heidi is making a final life-changing decision.
She's turning her back on social media.
I'm just having a bit of
a cull with everything.
Everything that sort of...
...I just feel like I need to
check all the time and feel like...
Just wasting my time checking-
- and the people that I want to
talk to and want to call and stuff,
- I call anyway.
Just don't need it.
So, Facebook...
Delete.
Facebook Messenger.
Delete.
Delete.
Snapchat.
I feel more comfortable being myself.
Just more relaxed.
I don't feel as like, "Oh, I'm missing out,"
- or, "I've got to do this," or,
"I've got to dress a certain way,"
- or, "Have to worry about
putting my make-up on.
"I have to worry about
straightening my hair!"
Life still goes on if you
don't straighten your hair.
You still have to do stuff.
You still have to work.
You still have to have meetings.
You still have to...
It's not the end of the world.
I think 21 days to break a habit-
- and I think I've broken my habit
of having to need people's approval-
- and that's massive for me.
Massive.
I don't need 3.000 other
people to tell me that I'm OK.
You just have to make sure
that you love what you do-
- and love what you have and
be happy with what you have.