Two former bankers have swapped their high-flying lives for a taste of life at the sharp end of the recession.

Griselda Anderson Wheeler, 32, a former hedge fund analyst, cleaned lavatories and waited on tables at a Blackpool hotel for a BBC documentary. Amit Patel, 28, who works on mega-deals as a private equity specialist, milked cows at an dairy farm.

The two agreed to spend a week with businesses in danger of going bust to see if they could use their City skills to help bring about a turnaround. But both had to confront the reality of life for those struggling to make ends meet in the downturn.

Mr Patel, from Harrow, stayed at organic Dairy House in Weobley, Herefordshire. His task was to find much-needed private investment.

But he was "embarrassed" to find that while he had enough saved to be able to live for a year without a salary, workers at the farm would be unable to survive for more then two weeks if they lost their jobs.

Mrs Anderson Wheeler, from Marylebone, spent a week at the Queen's Hotel for Can You Bank on Me? which is being shown on BBC1 today at 9pm.

She had some clashes with members of the hotel team, who said they held bankers personally responsible for causing the credit crisis.

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