CASTAWAY star Erica Hurst's husband has stepped up his campaign to join her on the show claiming it will boost viewing figures.

Matt Williams, aged 24, has formally nominated himself with a Radio 1 competition to join the 14 other castaways on New Zealand's Great Barrier Island this week.

The nightclub security manager from Lostock is hoping to make a shortlist from which the station's listeners will vote one person onto the show next month.

He wants friends and family to back his campaign to be reunited with the sweetheart he married in Las Vegas just six weeks ago.

He said: "Viewing figures are falling and I know plenty of people who will watch if I am allowed to go on. I miss her so much and want to tell her how much I love her."

Matt said Erica, aged 22 of Kearsley, would cope with the infighting among the castaways and unexpected gale force winds and torrential rain.

"I wouldn't like to argue with her and I deal with drunks on a daily basis," he joked.

"They were all expecting tropical weather but I can't see it bothering Erica because she loves the rain."

Last night, BBC1 viewers saw Erica and Lucinda involved in a bust-up with Jonathan.

The fiery Scot banned them from eating soup after she caught them sunbathing instead of doing the group's laundry.

"I don't understand how I can come up here and find people sunbathing in the middle of the day," Jonathan said.

Erica told viewers: "Without being appreciated and people seeing how hard we're working, what's the point in doing it?

"We never really get a thank you. We just do it because it's the right thing to do," she said.

Viewers were also given the shock news that one of the castaways would be evicted in the coming weeks.