Aired Tuesday, December 10, 2002 on England's Channel 4, Extreme Ironing was shown with mixed reaction from the public, many of whom thought it was actually a mockumentary-like spoof. It shows a behind the scenes look at the 1st Extreme Ironing World Championships, held in Munich, Germany. It featured extreme ironing, but also looked at urban housework.

Time Out magazine's Paul Murphy wrote that the show "must be one of the most stupid things I've seen on television this year (and I mean that in a complimentary way)... There is a near-tearful moment as Steam, the Brit captain, struggling with his ironing-board in the middle of a fast-flowing river breaks into a verse of God Save The Queen to rally the troops. Any other sport and you would have said he holds the hopes of a nation in his hand. Here you don't know whether to laugh or cry."

The documentary was produced by Martian Durkin, and directed by Steve Green.