A SPECIALIST plastic surgery centre is featuring in a new TV show aimed at transforming people's bodies and lives.

The world renowned McIndoe Centre in East Grinstead specialises in all areas of plastic and reconstructive surgery.

Consultant surgeon Peter Arnstein is one of a team of specialist medics and nurses taking part in Extreme Makeover UK on the Living TV channel.

Twenty people out of more than 16,000 applicants from the UK were given the chance to transform their looks and lives with the help of plastic surgeons, cosmetic dentists, hair and make up artists, stylists and personal trainers.

In each of the ten episodes two participants are followed throughout their transformations while viewers are given tips from experts on health, fashion and beauty.

Mr Arnstein, who has more than 20 years of surgical experience, performed multiple procedures on half of the participants. These included breast enlargements, removing red veins, reshaping noses, removing the bags under people's eyes and doing brow lifts.

A film crew followed every move of the surgical team during the operations done at the centre, which is based in the grounds of the Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead.

He said: "It was a bit strange at first with the camera crew in the theatre filming everything.

"They were very good and not intrusive so after a short while you soon forgot about them and carried on the same.

"Some of the crew did get a bit queasy but nobody fainted. The sound recordists had a bit of a shock when we had to break the bone in a patient's nose to start work on it.

"The crack sounded like a pistol shot and they all leapt back."

Mr Arnstein spoke with various other colleagues, the British Association of Plastic Surgeons and the General Medical Council before taking part in the show.

He said: "We looked carefully at every person who came forward and assessed each case just as we would with any other patient.

"If we felt it was inappropriate for surgery to go ahead then we would not choose them."

Programmes such as Extreme Makeover have drawn criticism because it may be seen to glamourise plastic surgery and encourage young people to go under the knife.

Mr Arnstein said every effort had been made to show just why the surgery was so important to the people involved and the necessity of making sure a reputable hospital was used.

He said: "The idea behind the programme is about boosting people's confidence.

"Some of the stories have been very touching and it has been great to see how people have managed to change their lives.

"The patients were very serious about the need for surgery and a new direction.

The ten week series starts on Living TV tonight at 10pm.