The six-foot-tall, flaxen-haired adventurer, obsessed with the desire to find an island to call his own, has been scouring the extremities of the British coastline in a desperate search for The One. His experiences and narrow escapes in all kinds of death-defying encounters with nature and the elements are recounted in his latest book: Offshore: In Search of an Island of My Own.

When I first tried to get hold of him for an interview, he was in the Arctic, filming the BBC’s up-and-coming series Extreme Dreams, an exhilarating reality show in which Ben guides five ‘everyday’ volunteers through the endurance test of a lifetime. It’s a programme that Ben dreamed up himself – and sounds completely exhausting as his next missions will include climbing one of the world’s highest mountains, crossing one of the largest deserts and fighting through one of the densest jungles. Milk Tray scenario – or what?

Then I was offered a quick telephone conversation while he was travelling intercity by train on his whirlwind author’s tour to promote Offshore. But as tunnels and mobile phone connections are not a good mix, I managed instead to speak to him while he was filming the fourth series of Animal Park, with Kate Humble. So much for the ‘quiet’ half-hour, I could hear lions roaring in the background! I suggest

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