STAR SPA: THE HELL CAMP

Julia Roberts couldn't hack it, Oprah Winfrey was reduced to tears and Barbra Streisand called it a 'boot camp without the food'. But Catherine Zeta Jones lost 7lb in a week there after giving birth to Dylan, and Gwyneth Paltrow said it transformed her into 'a lean, mean fighting machine'.

These are reactions from stars who've been to The Ashram, a Californian weight loss spa so tough it's known as 'Hell's Camp' - because you have to go through hell to survive it.

But, despite its fearsome reputation, the trendy-but-spartan spa has also attracted the likes of Sharon Stone, Cindy Crawford, Jane Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg and Dan Aykroyd. A lot of the stars go to The Ashram because they need to get in shape for a movie and want to lose weight quickly - and this is the place to do it.

Guests are whisked away from their manicurists and stylists in a mini bus and dropped at the unglamorous buildings of The Ashram - which looks more like a cheap motel than a celeb retreat - for the week-long programme of activity and strict diet. By the end of the week the stars will have hiked nearly 100 miles and survived on less than 1,000 calories a day.

The Ashram - which comes from the Hindu word meaning spiritual retreat - is run by two glamorous Swedes, Dr. Anna Marie Bennstrom and Catharina Hedberg. 'The whole concept is like that of a commune,' explains Catharina. 'We only have 12 guests at a time and those 12 people share the six bedrooms. Each room has two beds, and it doesn't matter if you're Barbra Streisand or Sharon Stone, you share a room.' All guests are required to wear the uniform of a red sweatshirt and black tracksuit bottoms for the duration of their stay, and can only communicate with the outside world via two payphones. There are only four bathrooms and they are not en suite. And you have to wait your turn for the showers - you could be waiting in the corridor, and out will step Catherine Zeta Jones.

The rates are pounds 2,300 for a one-week stay, during which stars take part in daily 15-mile hikes, have to take plenty of strenuous exercise and exist on an 800-calorie-a-day diet. Not that there is much time for eating - physical activity starts at dawn.

The Ashram promotional literature says: 'The journey is about finding yourself and nurturing your soul in an environment of utter simplicity. Find out why it's known by some as the "boot camp of spas".' 'There's no pampering,' confirms Catharina. 'You can be pampered at home. We give guests something they can't find anywhere else. Celebrities have to be down-to-earth to survive here.' Which might explain the high drop-out rate. Julia Roberts packed her bag after three days and stormed off. 'I'm outta here. This is ridiculous,' she was overheard saying. Oprah Winfrey was reduced to tears. 'She cried at night in her room and was begging staff for "another potato",' says an insider.

Everybody gathers around one table for meals. Helpings are tiny and guests are encouraged to use chopsticks so food takes longer to eat. Alcohol and cigarettes are forbidden, as are coffee and sugar. In fact, many guests suffer nausea and headaches brought on by the detox.

Certainly, guests often question why they let themselves in for such a rough ride. 'By day three you hear guests grumbling,' says a former guest. 'But Shirley MacLaine loved it. She found it a spiritual experience, which is hardly surprising because the hikes are so gruelling it's easy to start hallucinating.' Dan Aykroyd and Jane Fonda also swear by The Ashram's methods. Health experts claim severe calorie restriction and arduous exercise is not safe and that the effects won't last. But CZJ was pleased with the result, although she admits, 'It was the toughest way I've ever lost weight.' Even the normally pampered Barbra Streisand made it through the week. 'I've never known anything quite like it,' she said.

A DAY AT THE ASHRAM

5.45am Wake up call - staff banging on the doors

6am Yoga

7am Breakfast 1 scrambled egg, 1 apple and 1 glass of orange juice

8am 5-hour mountain hike over 15-19 miles

1pm Yoga

2pm Lunch Hummus and green salad (no dressing) or taco shells with a hint of kidney beans and guacamole

3pm Water aerobics in the pool

4pm Weight training

5pm Deep tissue massage

6pm Yoga

7.30pm Dinner 1 small baked potato, 1 diced tomato, 1 orange

8.30pm Self-improvement seminar

10pm Lights out

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