CON OR CURE: BBC ANNOUNCES NEW DAYTIME SERIES

Turkey teeth, hair transplants and diet pills are just some of the latest trends to sweep the nation, and Dr Xand van Tulleken and Ashley John-Baptiste are going to lift the lid on what’s a con and what’s not, saving people money and protecting their health.

Landing on BBC One from 10am on 17 April, this programme is not for the faint hearted. With Dr Xand’s medical expertise and Ashley’s investigative approach, the presenting duo will look to separate fact from the fiction when it comes to medical and health related treatments, as well as giving audiences sound help and advice to avoid being scammed.

This series will also shine a light on medical malpractice and criminal behaviour, and help audiences to take their health into their own hands. Each episode also has a special myth busting segment that exposes the shocking truths behind the myths – it will have viewers questioning everything they’ve ever been told.

Presenting from the ‘health hub’ audiences will feel like they’ve stepped into their doctor’s surgery, with the pair answering the medical questions and issues viewers need to resolve. Specialist guest experts will also be on hand to help, offering pinpointed, practical advice.

Across the UK there are stories and myths that need investigating. Dr Xand and Ashley meet a woman who's raised thousands of pounds for her best friend’s cancer treatment – only to find out the diagnosis was a lie; they explore whether there is any truth behind the benefits of doing 10,000 steps a day, and if exercising actually helps you lose weight.

The pair also look into if we really need less sleep as we get older, find out whether being cold can give you the common cold and if the ‘three second rule’ is a rule to live or die by.

Dr Xand comments, “Myself and Ashley have a passion for helping people. He's a great journalist and paired with my medical experience I think we’re a formidable force to be reckoned with. We want to help as many people as possible and we're really proud of this unique series.”

Ashley comments, “I have loved working on this programme with Dr Xand. With social media trends sweeping the nation for all ages in the health sector, our aim was to ensure the audience is not getting conned, and also not causing themselves more damage in the future. If we can help just one person an episode, then we have done our jobs.”

BBC Commissioning Editor, Rachel Platt, comments, “With so much conflicting health advice available 24/7, it’s increasingly difficult to know who or what to trust. Dr Internet doesn’t always give the right diagnosis and some health messaging can be downright dangerous. Dr Xand’s Con or Cure will arm viewers with valuable information and hopefully leave them a little wiser when it comes to spotting a medical con."

Brendan Hughes, Head of Tern Belfast, says: “In Con or Cure we will explore the latest health stories, explore what's real and what's not, expose shocking practices and scammers and ask the sort of questions we all ask – ‘Do I really need 8 hours sleep?’

“The series considers health issues that resonate the world over. We know that the team at Orange Smarty has the expertise to help this series reach new territories and a wider global audience. We hope this collaboration is the first of many.”

Tune in to Con or Cure from Monday 17 April at 10am on BBC One, or catch up on iPlayer.