Ben Fogle promises 'moving' New Lives in the Wild series

Yahoo

2 days ago

What you need to know about the latest series of Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild
Ben Fogle has said the latest series of New Lives in the Wild is "unique and moving".
The popular Channel 5 show is returning to TV on Thursday at 9pm after New Lives in the Wild aired earlier this year, with Fogle previously telling Yahoo UK to "prepare to be moved to tears."
New Lives in the Wild tells the extraordinary stories of those courageous individuals who have quit their "normal" jobs to chase their dreams of living in the remote wilderness.
Fogle said there are some "unique" stories in this upcoming series. There's Aleks, a Norwegian model who found happiness in Botswana. Yidan invited Fogle to see his simple life in Thailand after he left China. Then there's Rupert, who quit Yorkshire to transform his life and become a rice farmer in Japan.
"It often takes years to organise [filming for New Lives in the Wild]," Fogle revealed on Instagram.
Why Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild is so popular
New Lives in the Wild has two fresh, shorter, series this year and it has been on TV since 2013. The presenter explained the secret to what makes the show so "enduring".
Fogle wrote on Instagram: "New Lives in the Wild has such a rich variety of characters and locations. I have filmed nearly 150 over the last 13 years. In that time I have met homeless folk, preppers, hunters, communities and hermits. From the family that gave away their million pound wealth and moved to the desert of North Africa to penniless nomads.
"I have met couples who bought plots of land for a few thousand euros to the moneyless man in Ireland. There are a mix of fortunes both financial, aesthetic and social. I suppose that is what makes the programme so unique and enduring.
Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild (Channel 5)
Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild series finishes on Tuesday with a trip to a poo expert. (Channel 5)
"There are some people with whom each of us can relate on some level. The assumption and presumption that everyone is privileged is shortsighted and…….. presumptuous. The privilege comes not from where they came from but where and what they have found.
"They are individuals who have chased their dreams and made it their own."
What we know about Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild series 20
New Lives in the Wild has a lot of lessons for its viewers; Fogle said the show covers mental wellbeing, bereavement, insecurity, anxiety, sexual abuse, non-conformity, stereotype, PTSD, eco anxiety, poverty, financial insecurity, escape and redemption.
Fogle's first adventure this series will see him travel to the African continent, Botswana where he will meet with a Norwegian model living in the desert. While there, Aleks introduces him to her adopted family, the Ju'/hoansi people, who have lived in Africa for hundreds of thousands of years.
Fogle has come into her life at a time of change as Aleks has married the owner of a nearby safari camp.
New Lives in the Wild has been moved to Thursday night slots but previously the programme has always aired on Tuesdays.
Ben Fogle hits back at trolling
New Lives in the Wild puts a spotlight on people who have chosen to go down a different path and live off-grid. However, the Castaway star shared he has to "block and delete a lot of angry comments" about the young women contributors on social media.
Going forward Fogle has one request for this new series — that everyone doesn't judge and comes to the stories of the individuals with an open heart.
He wrote on Instagram: "Young women who feature on my series always bare the brunt of online trollery. I have always tried not to judge a book by its cover. If ask you to do the same until you have heard the story."
Ben Fogle's New Lives in the Wild airs at 9pm on Channel 5 on Thursday.