A week in the scorching desert heat was the price paid by firefighter Jeff Barnes for dragging his feet over a DIY project.

The 38-year-old, who is based at Edmonton fire station, was packed off to the Utah desert in America after appearing on BBC TV's Noel's House Party on October 17.

Jeff spent the week miles away from civilisation accompanied only by a survival expert.

He said: "The only thing we could hear were coyotes. Luckily, they kept their distance."

He camped under the stars every night in a sleeping bag with no tent and once even slept in a cave.

He also spent a night under his kart to shelter from the rain.

After returning to London on Monday morning, Jeff said: "It was an experience but it's nice to be back among the comforts of Enfield."

He returned to duty just hours later and found his arrival at the fire station greeted with a trail of sand leading to the office.

He has spent 16 of his 20 years service as a firefighter in Edmonton after transferring there from Hornsey.

Jeff is still wary of another Noel Edmonds-style prank. "I went into work looking over my shoulder and at home I had a good look for hidden cameras," he laughed.

Wife Debbie told the Independent why she secretly put her husband forward for the hidden-camera NTV slot on the popular show.

She said: "He started an extension on our house 12 years ago and at the time I wrote he still hadn't finished it.

"I thought I'd set him up because there can't be many extensions that have taken that long to finish."

Jeff was whisked off to the US after losing out to Debbie, also 38, in a quiz challenge live on the show hosted by Noel Edmonds.

Cameras had been installed at the home in Aylands Road, Freezywater, the couple share with their three children.

Debbie had supplied the programme's researchers with information about some of her husband's less endearing habits.

And now the nation knows he likes to cut his toenails and line the pieces up along the arm of his chair.

Jeff found himself on the way to Gatwick Airport less than 40 minutes after he discovered himself live on air.

He barely had time to say goodbye to his family.

Jeff said: "I watched the video and the feeling is absolutely weird because you're sitting there watching yourself on TV."

Since Debbie first contacted Noel's House Party, Jeff has carried out more work on the long overdue extension, which will consist of a garage, two bedrooms and a kitchen when finished.

When it was designed, the couple owned a Vauxhall Nova car which would have fitted inside the garage.

However, they now have a mini-bus which is too big and has to be parked outside in the street.

Jeff will now have a few days deserved rest after his very public adventure.

He says one thing he will defintely do is to attempt some decorating to avoid another unexpected appearance on live television.

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