Survival in the Spotlight: Expert Tips for ‘I’m A Celebrity’ Contestants Braving the Jungle
Ten celebrities will enter the I’m A Celebrity…Get Me Out Of Here! camp in Murwillumbah, New South Wales this coming Sunday, giving up their lives of luxury to go back to basics. But will these pampered poppets be able to cut it in the jungle without their usual home comforts?
We asked survival expert Rich Hungerford, a former Australian SAS Regiment Team Commander and Instructor, what the celebs should consider to make the transition from their regular lives to camp life as painless as possible.
Former MP and GB news presenter Nigel Farage, Jamie Lynn Spears, who is the sister of pop star Britney Spears, Hollyoaks legend Nick Pickard, This Morning presenter Josie Gibson, YouTube star Nella Rose, Made In Chelsea star Sam Thompson, First Dates maître d Fred Sirieix, food critic Grace Dent, former EastEnders star Danielle Harold and JLS singer turned TV presenter Marvin Hume will all spend the next several weeks roughing it for the hit ITV show.
From food rations to creepy crawlies to unpredictable weather, the celebs will find themselves in situations that are alien to them, and Rich told casinos.win that the most important thing that they will be able to draw on is their own psychological strength and the power of teamwork.
“Professionally I consider the psychological aspects of the survival context to far outweigh physical life support skills and knowledge,” he explained. “Human beings demonstrating absolute and extreme determination to prevail no matter the depth of external challenges being faced; represent the true dynamic of human resilience.
“A participant should aim to view the situations they face as a game, as a challenge, as a test of inner mettle rather than as a calamity. This in no way alters the seriousness of the situation, however, it significantly alters the emotional and psychological response to the circumstances. The perspective shift facilitates a reduction in the intensity and duration of the human body’s sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) response to the predicament. In doing this more reasoned and informed decisions and mental acumen are harnessed to problem solve the various challenges participants face,” he said.
Psychological attitude also applies when it comes to the stomach-churning challenges that the participants will face in order to win more food for the camp although Rich told casinos.win that they can also utilise some practical techniques to get through it.
“Fear is the root causative stress stimuli that activate the human sympathetic nervous system response, complete with its many detrimental impacts on human performance. Specifically, a technique such as ‘Box Breathing’ can be very useful in managing a fearful situation.
“Box breathing technique is a simple process of slow, rhythmic, deep (abdominal) respiration to a count of 3-4 seconds. For example: inhale for 4 seconds, hold the breath for 4 seconds, exhale for 4 seconds, hold the exhale for 4 seconds and repeat with the inhale. Breath techniques such as this are well researched and have been proven on the modern battlefield by elite soldiers undergoing the extreme stresses of close combat,” he revealed.
While Rich’s practical tips can aid celebrities in getting through the experience, he admits that their greatest resource is each other and, even though they all want to be crowned winner, he encourages teamwork.
“Teamwork is essential in any high-stress situation such as survival. I equate it to being in possession of a single book with which an individual must solve all the complex situations they face. Conversely, a team of individuals facilitates access to multiple books of resource material and consequently allows for more comprehensive solutions to be developed. Many hands make light work; many minds solve complex problems. Rich also advised as to how they can best achieve this group dynamic.
“The most effective strategy to achieve effective team dynamics is total honesty, not levels of honesty; total transparency, absolute respect for every individual within the group regardless of race, religion, age, gender, etc. Anyone can have a brilliant idea that saves the day. Open communication, joint decision-making, a flat leadership dynamic and a willingness to change on a dime if a better course of action is suggested. All of which requires humility and wisdom to implement,” he said.
Rich also told casinos.win that the lack of familiarity with their environment could be one of the biggest downfalls for the celebrities in the jungle this year.
“This wilderness locale is generally a gestalt of environmental conditions that most modern living humans are unaccustomed to. They consequently arrive in situ and become ‘overwhelmed’ by the lack of familiar reference points in the context of their normal life experience base. The consequent risk of exposure-related illnesses and injuries such as hyper and hypothermia are extant,” he explained.
Contestants famously shower under a waterfall and have a “dunny” toilet that needs to be regularly emptied. This means that they can somewhat keep on top of personal hygiene which Rich told casinos.win is hugely important in survival scenarios.
“Personal cleanliness via bathing in downstream water courses away from water drawing points, sponge baths, hand washing, and foot care all remain a necessary discipline. Washing food and cooking food effectively are important.
“Hand washing after toileting is a high priority,” he said. “Many people consider personal hygiene a secondary consideration in survival situations. This is a mistake as generations of jungle fighters will attest to. The hot humid environment allows for the proliferation of disease at an exponential rate. Discipline is required to dedicate energy to personal and group hygiene.”
About Rich Hungerford
Rich Hungerford is a distinguished survival expert and former Australian SAS Regiment Team Commander and Instructor. He served in the SAS Battle Wing, focusing on Close Quarter Battle and related warfighting skill sets. Post-military, he has dedicated himself to educating others as a subject matter expert at The Warrior’s Path Academy, emphasising Warrior Mindset, Combatives, and Survival & Tracking, leveraging his real-life experiences to help individuals become adept in survival techniques.
Rich also founded Bushlore Australia, a wilderness survival school where he instructs on survival, tracking, and bushcraft skills. This venture is built upon his extensive twenty-five years of experience in survival and tracking, equipping people with the necessary skills to thrive in the bush and handle disasters.