THE nation's first glimpse of Kearsley's Erica Hurst was as she stepped out of the sea in a skimpy bikini to begin a new life on a remote Island.

And in a warning to her fellow Castaways, the former lapdancer said: "The only thing I won't kill is an animal."

She was third among 13 participants - who include a young Tory, a recovering drug addict and a farmer - to swim ashore Great Barrier Island, off the coast of New Zealand.

Islanders will live under the gaze of cameras for three months without any comforts, running water or electricity.

In her introduction, which featured the 22-year-old tomboy kickboxing in her home town of Bolton, Erica told viewers: "I want to see how far I can be pushed and how much I can cope with. This will push me to the limit. I can't stand closed-minded people. If people judge me, I'll judge them right back."

Although Erica described herself as "loud", she took a back seat as the group got to grips with island life while Scotsman Jonathan and 23-year-old aspiring politician Clare asserted themselves in the first days of their exile.

Erica said: "The only thing I'm worried about is food. I've got a problem with killing live animals."