I love Ray Mears. He's brilliant. He's so rude about me in the press, it's outrageous!

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

Life has taught me to be very cautious of a man with a dream, especially a man who has teetered on the edge of life. It gives a fire and recklessness inside that is hard to quantify.

The rules of survival never change, whether you're in a desert or in an arena.

Don't be scared to dream big, and don't be afraid to be close to people. And never give up! It's the tenacious not the talented that win.

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.

But the wild is unpredictable, stuff does happen, and it's always when you're least expecting it.