Next Episode of Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild is
Season 20 / Episode 3 and airs on 21 January 2025 21:00
Adventurer Ben Fogle gets a taste of extreme escapism in this brand new series meeting those who have turned their backs on the daily grind. Each week, Ben spends time in one of the world's most remote locations, meeting the people who now inhabit these inhospitable corners of the planet after leaving their ordinary lives behind. Our intrepid guide also wonders whether these extraordinary individuals and their incredible experiences might tempt him to move his own family out of London and away from the comforts of the city. Is it daring or downright crazy? Ben wants to discover the truth about life in tough, harsh conditions, where doing battle with Mother Nature is a daily reality.
Ben travels to Eastern Europe to meet Brits Jordan, Lewis, and their two children, who are at the start of their new life, undertaking an ambitious renovation of a dilapidated farmhouse in a Bulgarian village. With the country's population on the decline, Ben is curious about their choice to settle there, especially since they purchased the property before ever seeing it. As he helps Lewis to plaster walls and Jordan to repurpose old items from the local dump, Ben uncovers the couple's challenging pasts and gains a deep understanding of how crucial this fresh start is for their family.
Ben heads into the forests of northern New South Wales to meet Jimmy, an American photographer living alone. Jimmy shares his story of coming out to family and friends, and how meeting his late husband Richard inspired them to start a new life together in the wild. Ben learns that Jimmy has faced multiple tragedies since leaving urban America for rural Australia. Bereavement and unprecedented natural disasters have taken a significant toll on him, prompting Ben to wonder why Jimmy has chosen to remain in the wild alone.
Ben ventures into the snowy mountains of Piedmont, Italy, where he meets Father Johannes, an Austrian priest living as a hermit. Ben is given a tour of the clergyman's tiny home, complete with its own chapel, and is surprised to find they have more in common than he expected. Ben learns how Johannes manages to live such an isolated life while still fulfilling his duties as a priest. Together, they clear trees, lift rocks, and use a jackhammer to dismantle an old wall. As their bond deepens, Ben questions Johannes about the church's recent troubled history and discovers how he is using his remote existence to help restore its reputation.
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