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CHANNEL 4 fans are being treated to a reality show like no other.
Billed by the broadcaster as “the most extreme survival show on TV”, Alone sees 11 brave contestants dumped in the wilderness with no one to help them, as they are all on their own.
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Who is in the cast of Channel 4’s Alone?
The Alone contestants are dropped in the remote wilderness and tasked with fending for themselves and are completely alone.
The last person standing will bag the £100,000 prize fund.
While they are equipped with a handful of basic tools, each contestant will film their own adventure, as there are no camera crew, producers, or experts to help them.
The survival show is filmed in north-west Canada, and there are 11 brave individuals taking part.
Alan, 43, Woodland manager
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Father-of-two Alan from Birmingham runs two businesses with his wife, selling ethically sourced meat and teaching outdoor skills to other families.
As a big family man, Alan would love for his kids to watch him complete this monumental challenge on TV so that they can feel proud and hopefully inspired.
Alan is autistic and says that he is highly verbal but lacks a sense of social propriety and has a poor short-term memory. He’ll often sing loudly to himself.
He finds solace in the outdoors, is a keen forager and loves cooking, writing and passionately debating politics.
Whenever he has had to overcome challenges or low points in his life, the outdoors has always been something of a comfort zone.
Alan now has a chance to experience ultimate solitude and discover whether the skills he has gained can help him to survive.
Speaking to Channel 4 about going on the show, he said: “It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for decades and every time I’m out on my own in the woods I want to be out there for longer.
“So I’m not saying it won’t be hard, it might be that after three weeks I’ve lost my stuff, I’m wet through all the time and I really need to go home, you know, but that’s still three weeks out there alone and that will be two weeks longer than I’ve been able to do before.”
Elise, 32, PR Executive
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After reading about female explorers when she was younger, London-based Elise was inspired to start ‘Woman with Altitude’.
The project sees her lead expeditions following in the footsteps of history‘s forgotten female adventurers, using only equipment that was available to them at the time.
Through this project, Elise shines a light on these inspiring women who defied societal norms and who were often overlooked compared to their male counterparts, while challenging the traditional narrative of adventurers being fearless and male.
Having suffered with anxiety and panic attacks since moving to London, 11 years ago, Elise has found that reconnecting with nature has been instrumental in her recovery and helped inspire her project.
Elise wants to take on this challenge to test everything she has learnt through her project and to show that all women have a place in the adventure and exploration space.
Speaking to Channel 4 she said: “I’m terrified of the cold but I know I can get through that. For me, it’s the other side of it – the fishing, the bush crafts, the building of the shelter – those are things I have never done before, so that’s my worry, that I don’t have what it takes there.
“Then mentally I’m sort of 50/50 because I’ve obviously got my self- doubt, but I also know from the past things that I’ve done, that I can stick out an unpleasant situation.”
Eva, 25, NHS project manager
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Inspired by her dad’s love of the outdoors, Eva is a determined and fiercely independent, confident hiker with basic bush-crafting skills, who wants to prove that young women can be confident and capable alone in the wild.
She is an outdoor obsessive and loves spending her free time rock climbing, hiking and wild camping.
The outdoors is her happy place and going on a solo hikes or camping trip is her favourite way to deal with stress or difficult moments in her life.
Eva grew up suffering with lots of different health problems – none of which doctors could diagnose or put their finger on.
Finally, one year before taking part in Alone, having pursued her own research, and was given a diagnosis of Ehler Danlos Syndrome – a genetic Collagen default.
Having spent years being labelled as unfit and not capable, the diagnosis finally meant that all her symptoms made sense and it was her lightbulb moment.
The condition means she suffers from gastro issues including chronic indigestion and heartburn, joint pain, scoliosis, hypermobility and dizziness, but with the confirmed diagnosis, she is now able to manage all these symptoms.
This life-changing diagnosis has also made her realise how important it is to take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way.
Eva told Channel 4: “I was a scout for 10 years, where I learned absolutely tons but then I forgot half of it, so I have spent the last year or two relearning a lot of the stuff that I initially learned.
“I definitely don’t have the most survival experience or knowledge but I do have loads of experience foraging in the UK, which I think will be a really useful skill set.
Javed, 58, Business coach and mentor
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Organised and methodical, Javed worked as a scientist, as a senior manager and now enjoys coaching and mentoring others. He often uses his love of extreme sports to raise monies for local charities.
Javed considers himself to be ambitious with a curious nature, to the point where he built his own house from scratch throughout lockdown as a challenge to himself.
Despite edging closer to 60, Javed remains extremely motivated and even surprises himself at his inability to keep still, and is always looking for his next adventure.
Javed was brought up in Birmingham as one of seven children, to first generation immigrant parents from Pakistan.
He and his family didn’t spend much time in the outdoors when he was a child, and he didn’t learn to swim or ride a bike until his late 20s.
Javed didn’t know about the existence of caving or other extreme sports until he went away to University – it was here that his love for outdoor adventure was born.
Now in his late 50s, his fitness is at peak level and he now runs faster and for longer than he did 20 years ago.
Javed said: “Initially I thought this was not for me. I didn’t think I had the requisite skill set, but the more I thought about it, the more I thought actually this is the kind of stuff I’d quite like to get into one day.
“And in an ideal world I would move into this slowly and get to know more about the different things that I need to understand.
“However you rarely have time to prepare properly, life is not like that … these days I will do a pretty quick assessment of what something involves, what I need to organise, what might happen ….. and then often just jump in.”
Kian, 19, War Studies student
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A self-confessed survival nerd, Kian has a huge passion for the wilderness, constantly reading and researching the subject, in order to become an expert in the future.
He is a university student where his subject is War Studies, but his real passion, though, is the wilderness.
Kian’s read multiple books and attended several courses. He’s usually the youngest on the courses he takes part in by about 20 years!
He is a real optimist and believes that hope and positivity can drive you through any obstacle.
Kian told Channel 4: “I cannot describe how huge and how crazy this challenge is.
“I’m also slightly scared because I feel like I could go 30 years on this planet and this could be the most interesting and most amazing thing I ever do and I’m having to grapple with that now at the age of 19.
“That’s how big what I’m about to do is. I’m about to go out there and I’m fully aware that this may be the most important thing and the most amazing thing I ever do in my lifetime which is crazy. I
“t’s very, very exciting and very, very scary.”
Laura, 40, Entrepreneur
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Laura went through a massive transformation as she reached her 30s, discovering the outdoors, fitness and adventure.
Since then, she has taken on several endurance events, including rowing the Atlantic.
This new lifestyle is a far cry from the life Laura previously lived.
Throughout her she ran her own beauty salon, living a lavish lifestyle, seeking material happiness and enjoying the finer things in life.
As she approached 30, she took stock and realised that she was deeply unfulfilled, so she gave up the salon, the glamorous clothes and her bling lifestyle in an attempt to find the real Laura.
Laura has always wanted to have the opportunity to take on a challenge at this level and she’s desperate to see whether she is both mentally and physically capable of doing it.
For Laura, this adventure would pull together everything she has devoted the last 10 years of her life to learning.
Laura said: “This is the ultimate adventure – it’s all of the lessons that I’ve taken from my previous challenges put into one and putting me to the test to see how well I’ll do.
“I’m desperate to get out and connect with nature, and be away from the noise of digital and other people and to go really, really deep and see what I’m capable of.
“I feel a deep desire to go through this discomfort. And I just want to see if I am capable of getting my water, getting my food, building my little home and finding out how I will cope whilst doing all of that.”
Louie, 28, Builder
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As a builder, Louie’s job means he is constantly on his feet, which helps him to keeps fit.
He loves wild swimming, camping and mountain climbing but his dream has always been to be dropped somewhere with just an axe, so that he can live in nature and construct his own shelter.
A few years ago, Louie had a serious motorbike crash, which meant he couldn’t work for a year.
He spent all of his savings on bills and couldn’t get out of the house.
The feeling of helplessness Louie experienced after his accident is something he never wants to go through again.
Louie believes that taking part in Alone will give him the confidence boost he needs and will make him feel unstoppable.
He told Channel 4: “What I’m about to do is probably the ultimate test.
“You can be good on paper, you can have a PhD, or like me, you could be good with your hands.
“But I think this challenge I’m about to do will test every ounce of grit, determination, intelligence, and common sense.
“This is the ultimate challenge for anyone, and I just hope I’m ready for it.”
Mike, 49, Joiner and master craftsman
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Master craftsman Mike can build pretty much anything out of wood, whether that’s a house, furniture or anything in between.
He describes himself as a kid locked in a grown-up’s body.
Mike loves adventure and holidaying and believes his biggest achievement in life is his daughter.
He lives on the street he grew up on in Manchester.
In the late 80s, he was very into the acid house scene and struggled with drug addiction.
It took him many years to get clean but he turned his life around and now loves spending time alone in nature, having trekked waterfalls, wild camped and travelled around much of the world.
Speaking to Channel 4, Mike said: “I’ve always wanted to do this because it’s out of the norm.
“I’m a pretty simple person and I like to try and keep things that way.
“I’m a joiner, shelter building, I’ve fished all my life. It’s just the mental side of it, er, because that’s, that’s where it’s at.”
Naomi, 26, Clothing designer
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Naomi is a freelance outdoor clothing designer and is the studio manager of a fashion school in Chelsea but fell in love with the outdoors during her research into creating clothing suitable for extreme environments.
As part of her research into what makes a successful outdoor clothing brand, she is often found trekking in extreme weather conditions and taking on challenging expeditions.
She loves challenging the stereotype of being a fashion designer who is just as at home in the wild.
Naomi has a three-year-old son who will celebrate his fourth birthday while she is away in Canada.
She became a mother in her early twenties and says she is often judged for being a ‘young mum’.
This has made her determined to live a life filled with adventure and opportunities.
Naomi grew up in coastal Wales where a love of the outdoors was encouraged.
She said: “This is going to be a huge challenge for me. I am always with people, whether it be friends, partners, family.
“I’m surrounded by people every day and so the main challenge for me is going to be the social aspect; to be completely on my own is not something I’m used to.
“I’m a young mum, I’ve got a big family, and I’ve just never been on my own.
“But I crave that a lot. I often go out to do an expedition on my own, but I end up mixing with lots of people and making friends.
“So it will be really interesting to see how I do, just completely alone.”
Pip, 47, Wild swimming coach
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Pip is a wild swimming coach, outdoor instructor and a mother of two, who served 17 years as an Army Officer and became the first female Army Commando.
She is now dedicated to supporting others through outdoor-based activities and experiences at the family woodland centre.
Despite being in some intense situations in the past, Pip believes she’s never really experienced a full survival situation and is keen to see how she’ll fare.
Speaking to Channel 4, Pip said: “I’m curious about the environment, I love discovering things so I go into everything with an open mind.
“I have a baseline of skills that will sustain me but I’m keen to explore them and develop them in any way possible, I think the immersive nature of the challenge is going to be something that’s not only super exciting but super scary because we don’t normally put ourselves in those sorts of situations.
“We reach a point where we’re comfortable and life, moseys along, so to actually decide to put yourself into something like this quite interesting.
“Hopefully my resilience levels will help me keep going.”
Tom, 39, Company director
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Tom had a tough time at school – he was overweight, lacked any confidence, picked on by his peers and came academically bottom of his year.
While he presents as a determined and confident guy these days, he says this is something he has worked on building over the years as he struggles to overcome an imposter syndrome from his childhood.
It wasn’t until making it into university that Tom truly found himself, living a year abroad mapping coral reefs for his degree.
It was here that he discovered a love for exploration and adventure. After many years of working unfulfilling ‘cubicle based’ jobs Tom set up his desert island travel business as a means of monetising his passion.
Tom was trained to deal with polar bears when he walked to the North Pole.
He only encountered a mother and her cubs at long range but after the race later learned that he was being stalked by one due to prints on his ski tracks.
Tom thinks competing on Alone will give him the validation he feels he needs to overcome his imposter syndrome.
He also wants to prove wrong all of the people who doubted him when he was a young.
Tom told Channel 4: “I find I feel my best self when I am immersed in nature, when I’m outside of the intense city life.
“I don’t know how on earth it will be doing that with the loneliness aspect, and with the calorie deficit.
“But the map’s unexplored and I like pushing myself to my limits to grow as a person.”
When is Alone on TV?
Alone kicks off on Sunday, August 6, 2023, at 9pm on Channel 4.
Following the launch, there will be five more 60-minute episodes to follow, which will be aired weekly.
You can watch all the action from the show on Channel 4, and it will also be available online at channel4.com.
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