Since the launch of his broadcasting career almost 20 years ago, Ben Fogle has led a remarkable life of adventure. He’s climbed Everest, swam with crocodiles, had many close brushes with death on his travels and made his own contribution to conservation work around the world.
Now, Fogle, age 45, is ready to share some of the memories he’s made along the way in his very own on-stage show, Tales from the Wilderness, coming to Warrington on March 7th . The self-proclaimed story-teller says: “My hope is that the show will be enlightening, educating and entertaining. There will also be a Q&A session at the end, often the most surprising part of the evening.”
The title of the show is also a nod to Fogle’s work as a reputable conservationist. He says: “I think the thing of which I’m most proud is being appointed United Nations Patron of the Wilderness.
“I now meet everyone from environment ministers to presidents to prime ministers all around the world and share my experiences of life in the wild, everything from Himalayan mountains to remote corners of the ocean. And all of it stems from the time I spent a year on that Hebridean island.”
Although it hasn’t always been the most rewarding lifestyle. Fogle has came close to death a number of times from almost drowning in the Atlantic when his boat capsized., suffering frostbite as he trekked across 500 miles of snow and in Peru, he was bitten by a sand fly and developed leishmaniasis, a flesh-eating bug that kills tens of thousands of people each year.
“Sadly, I know of far too many people who’ve lost their lives in pursuit of being what you might call pioneers. The Australian Steve Irwin, for instance, was killed by a stingray but look what he’d done for people’s understanding of the environment.’ None of it has changed Ben’s approach to life. ‘If anything, it’s given me more resilience to make the most of all the amazing opportunities out there.”
Fogle is treading close to the same path as his mother, actor Julia Foster, who has recently taken back to the stage in Alan Bennetts new play, ‘Allelujah!’.
He says: “Every time I ask Mum whether she prefers screen work or the theatre, she always says the theatre. There’s nothing, in her opinion, to beat the instant response of a live audience.”
There’s no doubt the response from his own audience will be one of intrigue. The explorer has an abundance of interesting tales he’s already planning to delve into during the show.
Listing just some of the subjects he plans to cover, Fogle says: “I’ll be talking about clearing mines in Iraq from where I’ll have recently returned just before the tour begins; swimming with crocodiles in Botswana; climbing Mount Everest; travelling with Princes William and Harry for conservation work in Africa; working at Longleat with Kate Humble on Animal Park and with John Craven on Countryfile for 10 years; taking part in the World Worm Charming Championship; and lots more besides. In short, it’s going to be a yomp through 20 hugely varied, highly enjoyable years.”
Ben Fogle’s Tales of the Wilderness 27-date tour begins in Aylesbury on February 26 and
finishes in Torquay on March 29. Details from www.benfogle.com www.ticketmaster.co.uk