Before Bear Grylls was even a blip on our radars there was another ruggedly handsome British adventurer on our screens – Ben Fogle.
For more than two decades, the former Royal Navy Reservist carved out a name for himself as one of the world’s most prolific explorers, climbing Mount Everest, and racing across Antarctica, all the while he was amassing legions of admirers, thanks to his signature cut-glass vowels and preppy charm.
But while synonymous with roughing it, Ben has the unique ability to be able to effortlessly straddle braving the wilderness one week, and before attending a royal wedding the next.
“I used to find it really discombobulating,” the TV presenter tells Woman’s Day. “But after doing it for a quarter of a century it’s now become my norm.
“Saying that, I do still find it hard to come back from a war zone in Ukraine and have dinner at Buckingham Palace, or return from a remote part of Ethiopia and then put on my dinner jacket for an awards ceremony, but then variety is the spice of life!”
Indeed, it’s the star’s passion for the great outdoors that led to a great friendship developing between himself and fellow wildlife lover, the then-Duke of Cambridge.
After meeting the future king “years ago” via his wife Marina, whose sister Olivia briefly dated Prince William while at university, the pair struck up a friendship. Ben went on to travel to Africa with the royal to film the documentary Prince William’s Africa alongside Prince Harry. It was an experience he still recalls fondly.
“It was extraordinary to camp in the Okavango Delta with William and Harry,” remembers Ben.
“We discussed our different approaches to conservation – William is very much about enabling community, where Harry believes we must enforce its protection with parks and rangers. It gave me a unique insight into the conflicting opinions around conservation.”
Not only were Ben and his wife guests at Kate and Wills’ 2011 nuptials, they were singled out for the special honour of joining close friends at the evening party at Buckingham Palace.
FAMILY ADVENTURES
Royal relationships aside, it was Ben’s turn on the BBC reality TV show Castaway 2000, which saw him and other volunteers brave life on a remote island in Scotland’s Outer Hebrides, that first introduced him to us.
And more than 20 years later, he has returned to the same remote island as part of his most recent TV outing, Scottish Islands With Ben Fogle. “I loved returning to the Scottish Islands,” he says. “They have long been an obsession of mine and there’s something very nostalgic about returning somewhere after 25 years.”
Having built a career travelling in some of the most remote areas on earth you’d imagine some laid-back luxury on his family getaways, but an appetite for adventure is shared by his wife and kids.
“I want to share these incredible experiences with my family,” he explains. “I want my children to understand their place and privilege in the world and how lucky they are. I want to show them the wonders of the world and take them on adventures.
“Fortunately, they love it! We’ve been dog sledding, diving, climbing, riding, rafting… We do it as a family.”
However, there’s still one continent that has yet to receive the Ben Fogle TV adventure show treatment – Australia.
“I planned to walk across Australia following the route Burke and Wills took,” he says. “But it never happened. I’d love to do that. I’d also love to do a chat show, maybe in Australia? That would be fun – if you’ll have me!”
Endurance: Race To The Pole airs Friday, SBS & SBS On Demand.
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