At the age of 50 he’s already notched up a giddying list of accomplishments, from becoming one of the youngest people to climb Everest — just 18 months after breaking his back in three places — to crossing the Atlantic in an inflatable boat and setting a world record for the longest indoor free-fall.
But little, if anything — certainly not the numerous acclaimed survival programmes he’s presented, nor even his close friendship with the Prince and Princess of Wales