Ben Fogle, 51, renowned TV presenter and adventurer, is no stranger to extreme situations. From surviving Castaway to rowing across the Atlantic and summiting Everest, he’s faced death head-on more than once – and now he’s sharing his most heart-stopping stories.
How a reality show changed his life
Ben’s journey into the wild began in 1999 when he signed up for the BBC’s Castaway experiment, spending a year marooned on the remote Scottish island of Taransay. “It was a life-changing experience,” Ben recalls. “I was thrown into a completely different world, and it reshaped how I saw life and adventure.”
Dicing with death on the Atlantic
One of Ben’s most terrifying experiences came when rowing across the Atlantic with Olympic rower James Cracknell. “I was thrown 100m from the boat during a storm – no life vest, no safety harness. I genuinely thought I was going to die,” he admits. After what felt like an eternity, Ben managed to make it back to the boat, but that experience left a lasting impression.
Climbing everest- A battle of survival
In 2018, Ben conquered Everest, but the climb was anything but easy. “The air is so thin, and every step feels like a fight for survival,” he says. The intense cold, altitude sickness, and exhaustion made it a brutal test of endurance, but Ben’s determination kept him going.
Facing danger in the Amazon
During an expedition through the Amazon rainforest, Ben also found himself face-to-face with danger. “It was like stepping into a world where everything wanted to kill you – from insects to jaguars,” he laughs. But despite the constant threats, Ben’s thirst for adventure never waned.
Why he keeps pushing limits
So, why does Ben keep risking it all? “Because life is about pushing boundaries and living fully,” he says. Whether he’s rowing oceans or scaling mountains, Ben Fogle continues to inspire others to embrace life’s wildest adventures – even if it means dicing with death.
Ben Fogle tour
You can join Ben Fogle on tour in his live show WILD, which brings to life on stage, stories and tales of hope, possibility, and positivity. From his extraordinary encounters with the human and natural world; the wilderness of Northern Sweden to the jungles of Honduras; the hostile extreme environments of Chernobyl to the mountains of Nepal; Ben will take you on a journey with inspiring and uplifting tales of self-discovery, that will leave you enchanted, enlightened, and entertained.
Richard Barber is a freelance journalist interviewing the great and the good for a wide range of newspapers and magazines. Previously, he has edited nine magazines from Look Now to OK!, from Woman to TVTimes.