Did you know there are people in America who get paid to give “fanny facials”?

You would if you had watched last night’s episode of Dirty Jobs (Channel 9, 7pm), where host Ben Dark bravely visited an establishment which offers the bottom treatment to its brave (brazen?) clients.

Dirty Jobs, for the uninitiated, is a new series where Dark and his fellow host, the Sunny Coast’s own Jo Beth Taylor, get down and dirty trying a host of jobs that are more than a little icky.

Last week, for example, Jo Beth tried her hand at septic tank cleaning, while Dark went to Oregon in the US to work alongside an owl vomit collector (apparently the vomit is used in science projects at schools).

And last night it was the fanny facial in the spotlight – yes, I do mean spotlight, not red-light. Remember, folks, “fanny” is to the Yanks what “bum” is to the Aussies (hence they carry their valuables in a fanny pack).

Amazingly, two clients actually agreed to bare their derrieres to the TV cameras for this Dirty Jobs revealing expose.

After a brief demonstration by a professional fanny facial therapist, Dark was let loose on his own “victim” who, of course, turned out to be a rather large and hairy-looking gentleman who struggled to fit into the plastic G-string offered by his “therapist”.

The treatment then began with the client’s bottom being given a quick wash, followed by the attachment of a number of pads attached to wires attached to a machine. The electric pulse which runs through them apparently helps to smooth and tone the bottom (I’d like to do further research to give you more precise details, but I’m afraid to Google “fanny facial”).

Suffice to say, the whole experience seemed quite electrifying for both Dark and his client. What can I say? Only in New York.

As Dark was giving a bum rap, Taylor was hamming it up with some porkers of a different variety.

The glamorous host visited a piggery to try her hand at mucking out the sties, feeding the pigs and – best of all – helping Mr and Mrs Piggy do the do.

Oh Babe, it was enough to make Taylor not just squeal; she almost vomited.

Much as part of me was scoffing, “Welcome to the real world, Jo Beth, where do you think the bacon comes from to go with your eggs”, I also found myself captivated.

While the fanny facial was hysterical entertainment, the visit to a piggery gave city slickers an insight into country life that most would never see and you have to say hoorah for that.

I can’t wait to see where our daring duo get down and dirty next week.

— SUZANNE KEEN

What do you think of Dirty Jobs? Any ideas for other unsavoury occupations the hosts could try their hands at?