After suffering a “small breakdown” in 2023, TV presenter Ben Fogle warned that the UK is in danger of being “overflowing with noise, materialism, and fear.”
Ben Fogle has issued a stark warning that “we’re all in danger of being overwhelmed” as he contemplates leaving the UK behind. The 52-year-old first shot to fame on the BBC reality programme Castaway 2000.
As the new millennium began, 36 people were positioned on Taransay, a remote Scottish island. The social experiment sought to see if participants would be able to sustain themselves throughout the duration of the filming process.
Ben has subsequently presented numerous television programmes including Countryfile and Cash in the Attic.
He acknowledges that he had a “small breakdown” in 2023 as a result of being “overwhelmed” by the “noise and chaos” of social media platforms. For the first time in his life, he acknowledges feeling anxious and nervous.
This led Ben to declare there is a “mental health epidemic” gripping the country. Yet he maintains there remains a “stigma” surrounding conversations about mental health challenges, reports the Express.
Ben has now made his television debut with New Lives in the Wild in response to his personal “wobble.” He explains how “living off-grid” can assist people who are struggling with bereavement, financial difficulties, or their own mental well-being.
Ben was the subject of the impact of social media because of this. He warned readers of his warning in a conversation with Radio Times magazine: “We’re all in danger of being suffocated by noise, materialism, and fear. The negative aspects of social media have increased, the hate, the constant comparison, and the cacophony become worse.
Ben acknowledges that despite being a first social media user, he now has a greater opportunity to watch TV or listen to podcasts.
He even considers quitting his job to live off the grid in Britain.
He continued, “One day I’d like to find a small off-grid cabin of my own, maybe somewhere in Norway or Sweden; an island in the Arctic Circle sounds nice and I can go into the wilderness.”
Ben envisions paddling in his Canadian canoe, cutting and stacking firewood, and taking early-morning bracing dips. He anticipates that by adopting a non-grid lifestyle, he could learn new skills like “painting or boat-buidling.”
He acknowledges, however, that a canine companion would not be enough to fulfill his vision. Ben’s beloved black Labrador Inca and him both made the heartbreaking decision to have her put to death in 2012.
He previously revealed he believes he “owes everything” to Inca. Writing in The Telegraph, Ben reflected: “Without Inca, I’m not sure how well I would have fared for the whole year. She was my reason – and excuse – to go off and explore the island; indeed, we rechristened one of the hills Inca Ra because she and I spent so much time there.
Castaway “put me in the spotlight,” I said. I was given the power to keep my name, but Inca still permeated my name. Although I never intended to work in the media, my success and the addition of a cute puppy undoubtedly contributed to my name being known. We worked together.
