What Scouting says to people is: Every child has a right to have an adventure. Life is about grabbing opportunities

When I'm in 'Man vs. Wild' mode, it's not pleasure. Every sensor is firing and I'm on reserve power all the time and I'm digging deep - and that's the magic of it as well, and that's raw and it's great.

I don't like expeditions where it is a total lottery whether you live or die. You have to keep those sort of good luck cards for rare occasions!

A friend once asked me what qualities were needed for SAS. I would say to be self-motivated and resilient; to be calm, yet have the ability to smile when it is grim; to be unflappable, be able to react fast and to have an ‘improvise, adapt and overcome’ mentality.

I come from a line of self-motivated, determined folk - not grand, not high society, but no-nonsense, family-minded go-getters.

Is your ego small enough, and your backbone strong enough, to raise others up high on your shoulders?

I'm terrified of walking into a room full of people. Sitting down at a dinner table with 15 strangers brings me out in a sweat.