The American version of Big Brother, the voyeuristic gameshow proving a big hit over here, has reached its conclusion in favour of Richard Hatch, 39-year-old corporate trainer from Rhode Island.

Survivor marooned sixteen competitors on an island in the South China Sea and then gave them physical and mental tests to complete in order to win immunity from expulsion.

Hatch began his stay on the island as an object of ridicule for his attempts to hold a group therapy session, but by using voting alliances with four other contestants, he was able to remove some of the strongest candidates - a technique which got 'Nasty Nick' removed from the British version of the show. Four contestants were left to vote eachother out, but despite the fact that the others were annoyed by the way Hatch manipulated situations, he still won through.

A closer look reveals that Hatch would appear to be well-qualified to survive living in close contact with others on an island - he currently runs his own business as a corporate trainer and consultant, conducting seminars on topics including conflict management, team building, practical negotiation and public speaking, and is undertaking a Masters programme in education and counseling. Speaking about the win, which gives him a haul of 1 million dollars, Hatch said: "I'm ecstatic! Surviving the island adventure and plunging into the interpersonal dynamics are what makes life fun for me."

Tasks set for the group included locating a treasure chest, an archery competition, obstacle courses and a test of knowledge about the other castaways.