Naked and Afraid: Apocalypse finishes airing this month – and it features a familiar army face.
WO2 Steven Kelly (RA) was one of 12 contestants dropped into the South African bush to fend for himself after acing a previous series of the show in the Amazon (shown above).
Using only survival skills, resourcefulness and mental resilience, the group battled through extreme heat and some scary wildlife encounters.
Speaking to Soldier afterwards, the commando gunner – whose survival tips we featured in September – said his military mindset had helped him.
“I think during my time on the show I went through every value and standard in the army, and put it into place,” the Scouser said.
No spoilers on how WO2 Kelly fares, but the 39-year-old said he felt he had “something to prove” being a forces man.
He added: “What appeals to me about survival is seeing people overcome struggle – you get to watch them think outside the box and make things work.
“In the military we like to push similar boundaries, but we have logistics, Bergans, rations.
“Out there I had nothing.”
The serviceman explained how just ten per cent of the battle had been down to fitness and skill; 90 per cent was attitude.
“When you’re getting bitten by bugs all day every day, you just have to keep smiling like British soldiers do,” he continued.
“I think the Americans found it hard to understand my banter – I was turning everything into a joke.
“But that’s what soldiers do best; work as a team, survive, laugh.”
