A RICHES to rags entrepreneur will put his future in the hands of TV viewers today (Mon Jan 22) in a bid to get his life back on track.

Failed Prestwich businessman Marvin Baker (25), who lost everything when his plush publishing company went into liquidation, is one of seven contestants taking part in the ITV reality show Public Property.

Marvin, of Milton Road, was one of seven contestants selected from more than 10,000 applicants to take part in the show, touted as the next Big Brother, which starts today.

Viewers will vote each week on a special life changing decision for the former Prestwich High pupil, with a cameraman and sound technician following him around the streets to record his affairs morning, noon and night.

Decisions about day-to-day basics, such as the clothes he wears and what he does with his free time can be made using an internet site.

Said Marvin: "Within the week they could have me in the Army or working in a chip shop.

"As much as I might want to do my own thing, I won't be able to. It's about doing what you're told."

Following the collapse of his firm, Support Publications, Marvin, who at one time was earning £1,000 a week, was forced to make swift changes to his jet-set lifestyle. He sold his Porsche 911 Speedster, moved in with his mum and had to get around on his old bike.

Now Marvin, whose story we featured in the Bury Times last August, is trying to re-establish himself with his new internet venture, a website that allows users to find date-specific information.

He hopes that the show will either set his future on the right path or get his name in the frame for possible business deals.

"I've been a pretentious fool and I want to sort my life out," he said.

"It seemed to be a time in my life when I could do something like this. This last year has been rotten for me.

"I'm hoping that the show will help get the message across about who I am and what I want to do. I hope enough people will have heard of me after the show to allow me to do that."

Marvin believes that learning to accept nuggets of wisdom from other people might prevent future business disasters.

"I've always been a real control freak," said Marvin. "When the business was still flying, people would give me their advice, but I wouldn't listen to them.

"Perhaps if I had listened to them I wouldn't have got into the position I did."

The stakes in the TV show get higher as the game progresses and competitors are presented with increasingly challenging situations.

An unknown freedom prize is awarded at the end of the series, to the participant viewers think has made the most progress.

But for Marvin that would be a bonus.

"At the end of it all I'd love for my business to be up and running, but if I'm still in one piece after the 12 weeks, I'll be happy," he admitted.

And the former publisher likened the TV show to a book: "As long as it's a best seller the TV company are happy, they don't mind how it turns out."

"I just don't want it to be a horror story."

Public Property goes on air at 5.05pm today.