A new ITV programme is set to give the public a behind-the-scenes look into the reality of Hugh Hefner's private life.

LOS ANGELES - American businessman Hugh Hefner's dark secrets are set to be exposed by a new ITV documentary.

The Playboy magazine founder - who was known for his hedonistic lifestyle - lived in the Playboy mansion with a number of different women, and the new ITV programme is set to give the public a behind-the-scenes look into the reality of Hefner's private life.

Carla Howe, a former Playboy bunny, explained: "The show is being filmed at the moment. Producers are speaking to girls who lived in the mansion."

Howe revealed that although she's heard plenty of unflattering stories about the American businessman - who died in September last year, aged 91 - she never witnessed anything untoward herself.

She told the Daily Star newspaper: "I never had any bad experiences with him but there are some girls who did. Some girls are coming out and saying bad things about him.

"I've heard bad stories. I've heard they had to take it in turns with him. They'd all be in a little room together. It would be eight at a time.

"A lot went on. Luckily that never happened to me. When I lived there he was already married so I think I was one of the lucky ones.

"Girls would say to me, 'You're lucky you weren't here years ago'."

Actors have already been hired to recreate some of the more dramatic incidents that took place at the Playboy mansion.

And according to Howe, Hefner always expected that some of his secrets would eventually come to light.

She shared: "I think Hugh always knew everything would come out eventually because so many girls lived there.

"The girls knew what they were getting themselves in for and they made careers from it.

"But at the same time, there was a lot of cattiness going on there."