Ice Cold Catch: Meet the Yorkshire dementia carer who took part in Icelandic TV fishing competition

The call to say she had been successful in applying for the show came as she worked on a wealthy Egyptian couple’s yacht. “It was the right decision, definitely,” she said.

"I don’t know what I want to do with my life yet but I do like an adventure.”

Caitlin, 29, from Ryedale in North Yorkshire hopes it will be the start of more television work. “My mum wants me to be the next Anneka Rice, which would be cool,” said Caitlin.

She is now working as a personal carer for a man with dementia – a job she loves – but she still hopes television stardom will beckon.

“It was the hardest work I have ever done,” she said. “It was freeing cold and the fish were huge – I’m 5ft 2in and they were bigger than me.

“The television people were amazed I kept going but I loved it. We had eight hours on and eight hours off, but you couldn’t sleep because the boat moved so much.”

The programme is now airing on 5Action every Tuesday in the UK but it was broadcast earlier in other countries including America.

“The feedback I have had has been amazing,” she said. “I got 2,000 more followers on Instagram which was cool.”

Caitlin, who lives in Nawton Beadlam, between Helmsley and Kirkbymoorside, took part in filming for the show from 2021 to 2022 but it is only being broadcast now.

The show challenges contestants to work as a team on a longliner boat in very difficult conditions to catch large Atlantic Cod.

They are tasked with catching the highest number of fish which translates into big money for everyone involved.

The rookies must pass a challenging three-week trial and impress their captains and crew mates to be awarded a place on board the ship through the high season.

Caitlin was drawn to the show due to her love of fishing which started when she was living in Texas with her father. The former Ryedale School pupil spotted an advertisement for the show on Facebook and decided to apply.

The job at hand saw the team catch, gut, and hook fish – some of which weighed 75lbs. She also had to deal with being followed by cameras all the time which she said took a lot of getting used to.

"To get feedback from around the world is amazing,” she said. “People are praising me saying I did so well. It was difficult enough for anyone.”

But Caitlin explained how she was determined to get through the struggles to prove she was as strong as the much larger men.

Despite the hard work involved for the show Caitlin said: “If they were to get in touch with me I would do it again.”