FORMER Bullseye presenter Jim Bowen hurled dwarfs across an ice rink for a bizarre TV show on curling.
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The host - catchphrase 'You can't beat a bit of Bully' - joined former Blue Peter frontman Peter Purves during filming last week.
And the pair used dwarfs on sledges instead of the usual curling stones.
They were shooting a pilot show for Channel 4.
The sport's profile rocketed three years ago when Ayrshire mum Rhona Martin guided her team to Olympic gold at Salt Lake City.Now programme makers hope their wacky new approach will make curling even more popular.
Ice rink staff at East Kilbride put on crash helmets to join the dwarfs as human curling stones Bowen and Purves slid the volunteers on blue and red sledges as the ice battle hotted up.
South Lanarkshire Council ruled they would not allow only dwarfs to be used on the sledges,as it might be seen as making fun of them. They said folk of any height should be allowed to take part in the event.
A council insider said: 'They spent a couple of hours trying it with different-sized people, including some of the rink's staff members.'
The use of dwarfs as curling stones was not the first time the vertically challenged have come under the spotlight as sports tools.
A French ban on dwarf-throwing was upheld in 2002.
The UN's human rights committee ruled the need to protect human dignity was paramount, despite many dwarfs supporting the sport.
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