In a tribute to the late Mike Reid, ITV1 will air The Baron, the final TV show he made before his death last July. The show saw Mike elected into the aristocracy, winning the esteemed title Baron of Troup, beating off competition from legendary Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and TV personality Suzanne Shaw.

All three celebrities were uprooted from their urban lifestyles and transplanted to the remote Highland town of Gardenstown in North East Scotland, one of the most isolated communities in Britain. It’s a place far removed from the celebrities’ normal lives – the locals have never heard of the Sex Pistols, churches outnumber pubs by six to one and mobile reception is zero. Mike, Suzanne and Malcolm had to work hard to convince the local residents that they had what it took to be their Baron, attempting to win the popularity of the community by mucking in and taking part in village life. After three weeks, an election was held and the personality that polled the most votes from the villagers became The Baron.

The title of The Baron is of huge importance to the locals and upon hearing he had won, Mike was visibly choked. His last words on the subject now take on an emotional poignancy. “I feel very proud. I’m very pleased to have the Baronship. I’d also like to convey my wife Shirley’s good wishes. Next time I come up here, whenever that may be, I’ll bring her with me. I know she’ll love this place as much as I do because it is beautiful and I’ll try my best to be a good Baron and try in my own small way to push this little haven into the 21st century.”

Mike’s wife Shirley holds the title ‘Baroness of Troup’ and the title of The Baron can be passed down to the Reid family descendants.

Fellow contestant Suzanne Shaw paid tribute to Mike saying: “I enjoyed every minute I spent with Mike while filming The Baron. He was an amazing personality and I was shocked when I heard the tragic news of his death. I felt very lucky to have met Mike and he truly deserved to win.”

The first episode of The Baron sees Malcolm, Mike and Suzanne arrive in Gardenstown. Each of them will spend their time in the village staying with a local family. After meeting their hosts they start to realise that Gardenstown isn’t a typical village but a place where the people are more interested in Heaven than Hello magazine.

Thursday 24 April 2008 10:35pm – 11:35pm on ITV1.