Ben Fogle treated to most luxurious New Lives In The Wild stay ever

Yahoo

18-03-2025

Ben Fogle said he felt "spoilt" by his accommodation in his most luxurious New Lives In The Wild visit ever.
The TV presenter travelled to the remote west coats of Morocco to visit fellow TV adventurer Mark Anstice, and his wife Ayelen Aguilar for the latest episode of his Channel 5 show, which aired on Tuesday, 18 March.
Fogle, 50, likened their home - which has taken 17 years to build - to a "cathedral" and admitted he was going to like staying in their spacious guest room with a private balcony. On arrival the TV presenter had his feet washed in a ritual of welcome. But he was also asked not to flush the toilet too much during his stay, in a bid to preserve water.
In his latest visit to someone who has chosen to shun society and civilisation and live off-grid, Fogle flew to Marrakech and then journeyed to the west coast of Morocco to find Mark and Ayelen's home, where they live with children Gaia,nine, and eight-year-old Isaac.
At first Fogle was in disbelief that he would find a home in the wilderness he found there, remarking: "I love this country normally. When I come here I head to the Sahara, I think of the desert. This really is the middle of nowhere but this is the coordinates I have been given." As he approached the huge house, which has six bedrooms, multiple living areas, a yoga and dance studio and an enclosed courtyard, Fogle marvelled: "I assume I've come to the right place, it's a bit grander than I'm used to."
As the family welcomed the TV presenter Ayelen told him: "Look, we have a tradition in the house and when somebody comes, we wash their feet and the house is called The Serai, it's from the word caravan serai. The caravan seras, as I'm sure you know, were the were the resting places along the Silk Road, and part of the tradition there was, you know, you wash the feet of the, the weary traveller."
Fogle replied: "You haven't seen my feet. I apologise in advance. It feels very strange to have you touching my feet. I haven't even really met you. It feels like it's fast tracking our friendship. Thank you so much."
As the family gave Fogle a tour of the house he remarked: "Oh my goodness. It's like a cathedral in here!"
And as he was shown his spacious guest room, with king-sized bed and private balcony, Fogle said: "Wow I'm being spoilt here! Thank you. I think I'm going to like it here."
Mark previously made adventure documentaries for American television after leaving the British army. He blamed his reluctance to join social media for the collapse of his TV career. Mark said: "I ended up working quite a lot for American TV really happy times. I loved it. And then it suddenly just kind of folded around my ears and that was it.
"The channel I was working for was sold, and the new executive director, this is how it was relayed to me, walked in and apparently they always want to stamp their own kind of personality on programmings, and they didn't like ours.
"And to be honest, I hadn't done a whole lot to make myself indispensable. I had thousands of friend requests on Facebook, for example, and I ignored them all. I kind of disappeared and was difficult then they, it was difficult for them to get hold of me to do any kind of publicity shots cos I was just, I wasn't interested. So in many ways I shot myself in the foot."
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During his stay Fogle was asked not to flush the toilet or use the shower too much.
When the family's well stopped pumping water, Mark told Fogle how concerned he was at how dry the land had become and how the rainfall had depleted every year since they arrived.
Fogle asked: "As a family, does that mean that you're very careful with your water usage?" Mark told him: "Yes, we ask everyone, and I ask you now as well, very short showers please and, if it's yellow, let it mellow. Brown, it goes down." Fogle replied: "Yeah, everyone knows that one."
Mark revealed the family were thinking of moving to Argentina, where Ayelen is originally from, as they have concerns for daughter Gaia growing up as a young woman in a conservative Muslim country.
Mark explained:"I like the idea of Argentina. As the children start to get into their teenage years. And particularly Gaia. You know, we're in a very conservative rural, Muslim culture here, because we live outside of a town or a city. So it's a little bit tricky where Gaia is concerned, But yes, somewhere to escape to, somewhere to get a bit of a different outlook, different perspective. It would be an interesting, I like change and we've been here a long, long time."
Fogle said: "'m surprised that they're thinking of leaving Morocco. They clearly care about the local community. But as an explorer myself, I understand the pull of a new place, and as a father, the needs of the kids as they get older. But if I'd put 17 years of my life into making an incredible home like this I think I'd find it difficult to leave. I can imagine them heading off and doing other things, but I think this will always be a a big part of their lives."
Ben Fogle's New Lives In The Wild is available to stream on My5.