AGE
Forty-Five
Experienced enough to know exactly what can go wrong and adventurous enough to go ahead anyway.
SURVIVAL SPECIALIST
“Your mind will give up long before your body does. Don't let it.”
Forty-five years old. Survival expert, television personality and professional adventurer. Ben Hunter has faced some of the toughest environments imaginable—and somehow still thinks taking a group of schoolchildren into the wilderness is a good idea.
WHO IS BEN HUNTER?
Ben Hunter is a television survival expert who has built his reputation tackling wild places, difficult conditions and challenges most sensible people would probably avoid.
Confident, energetic and impossible to ignore, Ben believes survival has less to do with muscles than people imagine. Staying calm, thinking clearly and working together are the skills he values most.
When he takes Jake and his schoolmates into the wilderness, Ben intends to push them beyond their comfort zones and show them what they're capable of. For Jake, who would quite like his comfort zone back, this is not entirely good news.
AT A GLANCE
AGE
Experienced enough to know exactly what can go wrong and adventurous enough to go ahead anyway.
ROLE
Teaches people how to stay calm, think clearly and work together when the world around them becomes unpredictable.
DAY JOB
Known for surviving wild places on television, usually while sleeping somewhere uncomfortable and eating something Jake would rather not identify.
SURVIVAL RULE
Ben believes the person standing beside you can be your greatest resource—if you're prepared to trust them.
STORY APPEARANCES
Jake is the narrator and central character of the This Is My... series.
LEADING BY EXAMPLE
Ben Hunter believes the greatest lessons aren't taught in a classroom. By challenging young people to work together, overcome fear and think for themselves, he helps them discover strengths they never knew they possessed.
PARTICIPANT
Jake arrives hoping to impress Ruby, despite knowing almost nothing about camping or survival. Ben is determined to show him that courage has very little to do with experience.
PARTICIPANT
Ruby quickly embraces every challenge Ben sets. Her confidence, determination and willingness to help others embody the teamwork he encourages throughout the expedition.
HEAD TEACHER
Mr Harrington invites Ben to lead the school's survival weekend, confident that his experience and leadership will challenge the pupils while keeping them safe.
Leading the Adventure
Ben Hunter believes everyone has more courage and determination than they realise. Sometimes it takes mud, rain, exhaustion and one extremely uncomfortable weekend to discover it.
Meet the Rest of the Cast