In August, Channel 4 presents an extraordinary survival challenge called “Alone,” airing Sundays at 9 pm from 6th August. Eleven ordinary individuals will undergo the ultimate test of survival. Completely isolated in the remote wilderness of north-west Canada, they have volunteered to participate in TV’s most pure and extreme competition. Armed with only a few basic tools, each person must film their adventure and fend for themselves, striving to survive as long as possible. The prize at stake is a substantial £100,000 for the last person standing.
The contestants, ranging from 19 to 58 years old, are not hardcore survival experts. Instead, they are regular people seeking an extraordinary challenge, each with their own unique stories that unfold during their time in the wilderness. “Alone” not only showcases a bare-knuckle survival battle but also offers a glimpse into the resilience of the human spirit against all odds.
Among the participants are Alan (43), a forestry manager and father of two from Birmingham, who finds solace in the outdoors and is fascinated by foraging; Elise (32), a PR executive from London, driven by her admiration for historical female explorers; Eva (24), an NHS project manager from Leeds, who thrives in the outdoors and uses it as a tonic to cope with life’s difficulties; Javed (58), a business coach and mentor from Ripon, who discovered his passion for outdoor adventure later in life and now mentors individuals from diverse backgrounds; Kian (19), the youngest participant from London, a War Studies student, and wilderness enthusiast; Laura (40), an entrepreneur from Lincolnshire, who traded her luxurious lifestyle for outdoor pursuits and adventure; Louie (28), a builder from Wallasey, who has dreamt of taking on this ultimate challenge; Mike (49), a self-taught bushcraft expert and joiner from Manchester, who transformed his life after battling drug addiction; Naomi (26), a clothing designer from London, with a love for the outdoors and bushcraft, dedicated to bringing adventure into her family’s life; Pip (47), a wild swimming coach from Aberdeenshire, Scotland, who served as an Army Officer and is passionate about supporting others through outdoor experiences; and Tom (39), a company director from Stourbridge, whose passion for exploration helped him overcome past confidence issues.
Once dropped in their designated locations, the contestants will have no camera crew, producers, or experts to assist them. They will face the harsh elements, loneliness, and starvation, all while being aware of the constant threat from predators like bears and wolves. This demanding trial will challenge their skills, mental strength, and resilience in one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, and they must confront it all alone.
This six-part series marks the UK’s first edition of the international survival sensation, “Alone.”
Commenting on taking part in the challenge of their lives, the cast said; Kian: “I cannot describe how huge and how crazy this challenge is. I could go 30 years on this planet and this would 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. It’s very, very exciting and very, very scary.”
Louie: “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. For me, this is 100% a mind game. The physical bits can help me through it, but when push comes to shove, this is a mental challenge, and I’m really ready to see what I’m actually made of.”
Eva: “I would definitely describe this as the maddest thing I’ve ever done. For me the exciting element is relying only on myself for absolutely everything and seeing how far my own resilience and my own skill set take me. Not being able to have instant contact with friends and families will be one of the biggest challenges mentally.”
Elise: “The competition for me is definitely with myself, because I don’t want to be in competition with the landscape and with nature. I want to be fully immersed in it, and I want to try and thrive and not just survive in it. For me it’s all about proving to myself that I can do it. So I’m not going to worry about what anyone else is doing, I’m not even thinking about the end because in my head there is so far to go until I even get there. Deep down I’d like to think that I do have what it takes to make it to the end.”
Laura: “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.”
Mike: “I think the time alone will be a good thing, just to evaluate life but I’m just going in with the thought that it’s going be extremely difficult and painful, and anything other than that is a bonus. When I think about the challenge, mostly I feel excited, a little bit nervous, a little bit anxious. But the overall feeling is excitement.”
Naomi: “This challenge particularly is going to be huge 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. It will be really interesting to see how I do, just completely alone. I’m terrified about being on my own. But having that feeling is exactly why I need to be doing it. If I was comfortable with being on my own, I wouldn’t be here. The fear is what’s pushing me to do it.”
Tom: “I’m not really in it for the prize money. It’s proving to myself that I do have the resilience that I think I perhaps do. I’ve a lot to prove to my family. I’m most looking forward to really slowing down, and feeling at one and at peace with my environment. It’s a unique opportunity to live simply, not worrying about bills, and organising work. My job will just simply be to shelter, water, fire, food and look after myself, and to live on that real kind of simplistic level is really exciting to me.”
Pip: “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. The immersive nature of the challenge is going to be something that’s not only super exciting but super scary too and 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 is quite interesting. Hopefully my resilience levels will help me keep going.”
Javed: “I am very happy in my own company a lot of the time but being alone for an hour is quite different to being alone for weeks. That’s part of the attraction of this kind of journey and this kind of experience. I am curious to see what that’s going to be like. And I am hoping with curiosity to know what day two and day five and day 70 feels like. That will in itself be a real motivator for me.”
Alan: “The only thing I’m worried about out there is procuring food. I’m not worried about the mental at all, maybe I should be.”
Alone has been commissioned for Channel 4 by Ian Dunkley, Commissioning Editor, Factual Entertainment with Alf Lawrie, Head of Factual Entertainment. The series from The Garden, part of ITV Studios, is executive produced by Rachel Bloomfield, Tom Garland, Jo Harcourt-Smith. The Creative Director is Nicola Brown and Head of Programmes is Lucie Duxbury. Alone is distributed worldwide by A+E Networks.
