12:47pm UK, Friday February 06, 2004

Meet Miriam. All the men fancy her. In fact, six of them have been filmed for TV competing to seduce the stunner.

Only Miriam is a man.

There's definitely something about Miriam...

And the blokes in question - including a former Royal Marine Commando - tried to get the show pulled to hide their humiliation.

Finally, they agreed to let Sky One show the programme - There's Something About Miriam - after the company reportedly offered them £125,000 each.

Now the men's embarrassment will be shown in six, one-hour shows, starting on Sunday, February 22.

The six, including a chef and an actor, spent two weeks trying to pull the model - who has not yet undergone a sex-change operation - while staying at a villa on Ibiza.

A £10,000 prize was on offer.

One show insider who spoke to The Sun newspaper said: "When Miriam revealed she is actually a pre-op transsexual, they were so shocked that one of the lads was sick."

The lads threatened court action to stop the programme being shown.

Sky denied paying them £125,000 each.

But a joint statement said: "Following the concerns recently raised by the contestants in Brighter Pictures' production of 'There's Something About Miriam' for Sky One, the parties are pleased to announce that these have been addressed and the matter is now resolved.

"It was never the intention of Brighter Pictures or Sky to upset the contestants and they are sorry for any upset caused."