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Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks explore horrific ‘bonesmashing’ trend in new ITV documentary

Published 13:40 13 Aug 2026 BST

Updated 10:52 13 Aug 2026 BST

Vese Hyseni
Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks explore horrific ‘bonesmashing’ trend in new ITV documentary

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ITV wants to show how far men will go

ITV is set to delve into the increasingly extreme world of male self-improvement with a new three-part documentary exploring just how far some men are prepared to go to change their appearance.

Sam & Pete: Dying to Look Good will be fronted by reality stars Sam Thompson and Pete Wicks, who will meet men chasing what they believe is physical perfection and get involved with some of the techniques themselves.

From bodybuilding and cryotherapy to cosmetics, the pair will explore a range of trends while investigating the growing obsession with changing and improving appearance.

One of the more unusual practices featured is “bonesmashing”, a looksmaxxing trend in which people hit or tap their faces with a hammer in the belief that it can alter their facial structure.

The documentary will also look at “t-maxxing”, which involves attempts to boost testosterone, as well as biohacking and the increasingly popular obsession with anti-ageing.

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Things are about to get very weird

ITV described the programme as an “access all areas insight” into the men embracing extreme methods in their pursuit of perfection, promising to explore what it calls the “surprising and at times shocking universe of male self improvement”.

According to the broadcaster, the series will examine “the lengths many go to to achieve physical perfection”, with Thompson and Wicks experiencing some of these methods first-hand.

There is no confirmed release date just yet, but Sam & Pete: Dying to Look Good is expected to arrive next year on ITVX and ITV2.