The Search is a new seven-part global treasure hunt entertainment series. Presented by Jamie Theakston, the series will follow ten bright contestants as they battle against each other to crack fiendish codes and unravel ancient mysteries around the world.

The Search contestants are:

Adrian, 64, from Lincolnshire, now lives in London
Adrian has been a vicar for 40 years, and is currently vicar of All Saints Church where Lady Thatcher is sometimes in attendance. He has a degree in Theology and English from Oxford, and writes “Thoughts of the Day” for Teletext. He is married and has two children.

Alan, 58, from Manchester
Alan has studied Egyptology and ancient history for over 30 years and is literate in hieroglyphics. He specialises in Egypt’s Old Kingdom period, with a particular interest in pyramid sites, and has lectured on his specialist subjects in the UK for over 20 years.

Alexandra, 27, from London
One of six children, Alexandra was brought up in both Greece and the UK. She is now working as an architectural interior designer.

Kristian, 27, from Cambridge, now lives in London
Kristian has a BA in Medieval Languages from Oxford, and did a post-graduate degree in Law. He now practices as a solicitor. Kristian loves sport, in particular football and rugby.

Mairianne, 24, from Devon, now lives in London
Mairianne is currently a city headhunter, but it was her singing skills that got her into university. She received a choral scholarship to Oxford where she did a BA in music, and while at Oxford she was also captain of her boxing team.

Monica, 51, from London
Monica has a BA in Arabic from Oxford, and got an MA in Medieval History from UCL as a mature student. She is a freelance editor and single mum with a 19-year-old son. Monica wanted to be an actress but gave up after four years of no success.

Nat, 25, from Birmingham, now lives in London
Nat graduated from Oxford University with an Honours degree in Classics, and then went on to Institut d’Etudes Politiques in Paris where he studied Political Philosophy. He has directed and produced a number of plays for the Oxford University Classical Drama Society.

Saskia, 24, from London Saskia is a PHD student studying Bioinformatics (maths) at Oxford University. She grew up in Germany where her dad is a Professor of Genetics, and is fluent in German, French and Spanish, as well as having good Latin and basic Ancient Greek. Saskia thinks she could look at any European language and understand it.

Simon, 32, from Manchester, now lives in London
Simon is an art history lecturer and art critic, and has an MA in Contemporary Art from the Courtauld Institute of Art.

Suzy, 29, from Hartlepool Suzy is a corporate fundraiser and artist, but also a self-confessed treasure hunting enthusiast. She has an MA in Tourism Management and a BA in Business Administration, and is married with two daughters.

For more information on the show and it’s locations click here