Five young Australians roughed it out in Melbourne for the SBS documentary, Filthy Rich and Homeless.

So swapping the red carpet for a piece of pavement in Melbourne for SBS’s latest documentary Filthy Rich and Homeless was never going to be easy for Christian ‘Prince’ Wilkins.

“It was definitely scary,” he told news.com.au

“The first night before I went to sleep I asked for a bit of money and I got told I was scum and should get a job.”

Christian Wilkins, the son of Richard Wilkins, swapped the red carpet for the streets of Melbourne as part of SBS documentary, Filthy Rich and Homeless. Picture: Brendon Thorne/Getty ImagesSource:Getty Images

As the son of Channel 9’s Today Show host Richard Wilkins and his former wife, Michelle Burke, the 22-year-old spent 10 days living it rough around Melbourne as part of the immersive project.

Hoping to bring awareness to the general population about homelessness in Australia, Wilkins admitted the feeling of isolation and loneliness hit him the hardest during filming.

“Something you quickly realise is that even though you’re in the middle of the city, it is incredibly lonely and incredibly isolating,” he said.

“I was sitting there looking at people and they would look at me and smile back.

“Then I’d put my beanie on the floor to ask for money and as soon as I did that, nobody would engage with me.

“Nobody would look in my direction — it was as if I was very far beneath everyone, and that’s the reality that homeless people experience.”

Christian Wilkins right, spent 10 nights on the streets for SBS documentary Filthy Rich and Homeless.Source:SBS

Wilkins explained that while he was surrounded by a crew throughout the whole production process, they weren’t allowed to engage with him during filming.

“If you did have any kind of support from your camera crew it would have taken away just how isolating homelessness is,” he explained.

The Sydneysider who goes by the name ‘The Prince Wilkins’ on Instagram, and currently works full-time at Channel 9, said he was scouted by producers via his social media account last year.

He made the trip down to Melbourne for filming last September, where he and four other ‘privileged’ young Australians were stripped of their clothes, wallets and phones.

“Dad was definitely nervous at the start because none of us knew what I’d be doing,” Wilkins explained.

Christian Wilkins swapped the runway and red carpet for the streets of Melbourne. Picture Stefan Gosatti/Getty Images.Source:Getty Images

“We’d handed over our phones as soon as we stepped on to the streets, so we didn’t even have a chance to say anything to our parents.

“The first day I was quite upset and I called my mum on a pay phone. I was so lost and I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to approach the people who were already homeless.

“Mum just reminded me why I did this ... and for me, there was never an option to opt out, because I always knew this was going to be intense and a big learning experience.”

Christian stayed a few nights at homeless shelters during Filthy Rich and Homeless.Source:SBS

Wilkins, who wore second hand clothing and was provided with a sleeping bag for the experience, said he made friends towards the end of filming who provided him with advice on how to avoid common dangers encountered on the streets.

“I was very ignorant about this subject,” he said.

“I didn’t really know much about homelessness and I thought that was really upsetting and stupid of me not to understand that it effects so many people.

“Many of them were so kind and offered somewhere for me to stay. They told me areas to avoid so I wouldn’t get involved in any drug scenes, and offered to share food.

Christian called his mum on his first day on the streets.Source:SBS

“I met a fantastic guy who had been homeless for over two decades called Nigel. He shared some food with me and took me to a place, The Wellington, which is a community centre for those experiencing homelessness.

“They have food banks, so I got a bit of food there. But on the last few nights I went dumpster diving with a man called Nauru, that’s how we got our food.”

Filthy Rich and Homeless, a three-part series, will begin on SBS tonight at 8.30pm and conclude on Thursday.