Reality-Soap Stars Hit Cambridge For Freshers’

Cambridge will be invaded by reality TV stars in Freshers’ Week, with appearances scheduled for stars of both The Only Way Is Essex and Made In Chelsea.

The Tab can exclusively reveal that members of Made In Chelsea‘s cast will be swapping Knightsbridge for Cambridge as they appear at the Cambridge Union. The Only Way Is Essex’s Arg will also be DJing at Life during Freshers’ week.

The Union Society’s will host Made In Chelsea‘s stars as they face off against the Footlights in the first debate of the term. Ollie, Mark-Francis, Fredrik and Francis will have to get their well-groomed heads around the motion This House Would Rather Be In Cambridge Than Chelsea.

The event, scheduled to take place at 8pm on Tuesday 4th October, will be open to all students as part of the Union’s two-week open period to entice fresh(er) blood.

Ollie (left), Fredrik (centre) and Francis (centre-right) form the core of the MIC debating team

Meanwhile, ‘everyone’s favourite Essex boy’, TOWIE‘s Arg, will be taking a spot behind the turntables at Life on October 13th, followed by a meet and greet for Cambridge superfans.

‘Reality-soaps’ The Only Way Is Essex and Made In Chelsea have taken TV sets by storm, and both events are sure to be big draws. TOWIE charts the highs and lows of Essex’s finest while MIC follows the interwined, high-maintenance lives of rich youngsters in the capital’s trendiest area.

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Arg showing off his chat up lines, watch out ladies

But not everyone’s pleased by the visits. Saskia Goldman, a second year English student at Selwyn, said she didn’t think the Chelsea playboys were right for the Union. She told The Tab: “The Cambridge Union should provide a platform for serious debate, not pointless bickering.

“The title of the motion itself confirms that the Union has either run out of ideas, or is willing to bow to mindless mass culture.”

The Union is no stranger to controversy. Last year it hit the headlines for hosting porn stars, as well as Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

But Union President Calum Maconald sees the freshers’ debate as part of a healthy balance. He said: “We’ve got over a dozen MPs and peers coming this term, and wanted to show that the Union’s also a great place for a more informal, populist and fun start to the term, featuring Cambridge favourites.”

More serious events at the Union this term include hustings for the Cambridge Chancellorship. All four of the candidates – Lord Sainsbury, Michael Mansfield QC, anti-Sainsbury’s campaigner Abdul Arain, and Brian Blessed – will address the chamber and take questions from the floor, just days before the elections on October 14th and 15th.

Macdonald also hinted that the MIC lads may try out the Cambridge nightlife after the debate, so whether you like it or not, it looks like reality TV stars will be dominating Freshers’ Week.

The new series of Made In Chelsea airs tonight at 10pm on E4. READ TV columnist Rob Young’s review of the first series.