24 Hours in the Past (BBC1, 9pm)

I'M sure there are some who are quite enjoying the sight of former MP Ann Widdicome shovelling human and animal excrement while wearing a Victorian dress. But, tonight, the six celebrities face the rigours of the institution which cast a lasting legacy on British history... the Workhouse. There were no rewards for those who were unfortunate enough to end up there, just punishments which aimed to make the place so miserable that only the desperate ended up with its walls.

A uncle of mine lived in the fear of the Workhouse and still ended up inside because when the sinister-looking building was finally closed it was quickly re-opened as the area's cottage hospital. A salutory last few weeks on earth for my uncle.

The idea of our half-dozen bedraggled heroes is to give us, and them, an understanding of life in the 1840s by spending time at the Black Country Living Museum, a coaching inn in Stowe or a pottery in Staffordshire.

It's been a shock for the time-travelling famous faces taking part, who were clearly unprepared for the hardship.

"To leave the modern world behind for a bit is enticing. I actually can't wait," impressionist Alistair McGowan naively said beforehand.

Outnumbered actor Tyger Drew-Honey is still happy to have gone through the filth and grim of past times.

'We were immersed in the era and it felt completely authentic, including the sleeping arrangements – we were lucky to get a wooden board on the floor with a stuffed mattress, and we slept in our day clothes. There were rats, and a terrible stench created by the production team to make it smell real. More and more young people in the 21st Century don't feel they have to work – they can scrounge off their parents, or live on benefits. Some of them couldn't have stuck it out for the full series, I'm sure. By the end of the second day I was feeling low. I was almost in tears. I'd have to think very carefully before tackling something like this again," he says.

Widdecombe, McGowan, Drew-Honey are joined in the Workhouse by TV presenter Miquita Oliver, former Olympic athlete Colin Jackson, and actress Zoe Lucker.

Historian Ruth Goodman and presenter Fi Glover oversee proceedings as the new inmates are stripped of their already-meagre belongings and given relentless graft under the all-seeing eyes of the workhouse master and matron.

Widdecombe swiftly displays acts of rebellion.

"I would have made a rotten Victorian. I answered back, and above all, I simply rebelled when anything offended my notions of dealing. It was made clear to me that I would have been turned out of the workhouse to starve," she says.

The Dog Rescuers with Alan Davies (Channel 5, 8pm)

ALAN Davies returns for a third series where the real stars are the RSPCA officers who work tirelessly to prevent Britain's dogs being mistreated and neglected. In Merseyside a rottweiler has become trapped on the River Dee's treacherous mudflats. Anthony and the Coast Guard team attempt a rescue before the tide rises. Sian, a rescue spaniel, is handed to specialist trainer Kathy, who tries to calm the boisterous pooch's nerves. Inspector Herchy needs suitable homes for a litter of week-old puppies while Justin has to deal with one of the most shocking cases of his career.

Eurovision Song Contest 2015: Semi-Final (BBC3, 8pm)

THE UK are already guaranteed a place in Saturday's final, with Spain, France, Germany and Italy (as a result of funding the event), alongside last year's winner Austria and in a bizarre break with European tradition, Australia. Mel Giedroyc and Scott Mills present coverage of the first semi-final, in which 16 acts will compete for ten places. UK entry Electro Velvet will also be there to offer their verdict on the potential competition, which may include Finnish contestants PKN, a rock quartet with learning disabilities.