I went on Hunted & it’s even tougher than you think – TV doesn’t show hardest part… it took days to get back to normal
THE race is on to catch a fresh batch of fugitive stars in Celebrity Hunted, but what is it really like to appear on the hit show?
The Channel 4 series tasks contestants with travelling around the UK, trying to avoid expert hunters tracking their every move.
From desperate food rationing to living in damp tents in a constant state of anxiety, the path to victory is never straightforward.
In the latest series, This Morning therapists Nik and Eva Speakman go on the run – and even enlist some celebrity pals to help them out.
Last week, the couple were seen turning up at the house of Alison Hammond, who was just the friend they needed after struggling with time away from their kids.
Here, ahead of the fourth episode of the reality show, they reveal what it’s really like to go on the lam.
On edge
Tasked with avoiding capture for 14 days, the Speakmans admit one of the most unexpected challenges not captured on TV was living on barely any food.
Eva said: “There were days where we ate very little. We both lost weight.
“By choice. We did have tinned tuna, nuts, and things like that with us. But we were rationing them a lot.”
By far the toughest element, however, was living in a constant state of dread not knowing how near the hunters actually are.
Nik explained: “You’re constantly on edge, because you never know where the hunters are, so you have to be vigilant all the time.
“And that alone is so tiring, it made me realise how tiring it can be for people who suffer with anxieties.”
Eva added: “There are days where you feel so paranoid and you’re so aware of the hunters, CCTV and people recognising you, because we found out our photos were being put on the Hunters’ Instagram with a reward. So you become paranoid about people seeing you.
“You just became so aware of everyone watching you and every little thing, that after it all ended, it stuck with me.
“It was a bit residual in that it took me a few days to realise I didn’t need to worry about that anymore.
“Because you’ve become so conditioned to look out for certain things, you just become paranoid. But it was so much fun.”
Cut off from kids
Living day to day with just “cash, a tent and some food”, the couple weren’t even allowed a mobile phone.
This meant the close-knit family were cut off from their kids, Olivia and Hunter, which was the “hardest part” of all.
Fortunately, they could turn to some A-list pals, with Alison Hammond even risking the wrath of the hunters by hiding them out at her home.
Eva said: “We had such a blast, we didn’t want to leave her house but you do feel like you can’t stay anywhere long.”
Nick added: “There’s not a day that’s gone by where we haven’t spoken to our kids, no matter where we are, several times a day.
“We’re such a close knit family, and by that time, we hadn’t spoken to our family and we were feeling very isolated, and to see Alison and get a hug from Alison was amazing.”
Show brought our grief
The lack of social media and mobile phones also had a “therapeutic” effect on the couple and particularly Nik, who was finally able to cry over the loss of his beloved mum, who passed away four years ago.
“It was like when we first met 30 years ago because there was no distractions,” he says.
“It was only when we’d been a few days on the run, and I was finding it tough, I was thinking about what I was doing and I realised that I’d never actually grieved.
Eva adds: “Nik often sheds a tear when we’re watching TV or films, but that was really the first time I’d seen him properly cry. That was quite therapeutic in itself. I was shocked.”
Camping phobia
Despite the couple’s reputation for curing lifelong phobias, it took being on the run to rid Nik of his own fear of outdoor living, and he now wants to go on a camping holiday.
“It was like a phobia!” says Eva. “It wasn’t like he just didn’t want to go camping, he genuinely was scared of sleeping outside.”
Nik admits he has now changed his view of camping, adding: “By the time I’d got to my 20s and had never slept outside, I just thought, why would I need to? I can sleep in a bed, what’s the point?
“But when I slept outside for the first time, I really enjoyed it. I was like, what was this all about?
“I just realised it all stems from when I was a kid. But I never needed to do it before, so I thought what’s the big deal? I’ll just stay inside.
“I finally figured out that it was a phobia. But I love animals and nature, and waking up in a tent and it’s all right there – it’s incredible.
“I’d definitely think about going on a camping holiday now.”
Their newfound enthusiasm for sleeping under canvas doesn’t mean everything went to plan.
“We’d never pitched up a tent before though, and doing it in pitch black took us forever,” says Eva.
“We thought we’d done a really good job and then we woke up with the tent pretty much stuck to our face.”
Ahead of the show, they were holed up with other celebs and used their time wisely – by doing what they do best.
“We cured Bobby Seagull’s phobia of marmite,” says Eva. “He was like, ‘I hate it, I can’t stand it’ but then we cured him and he told us he now has it for breakfast every day.”
While the show was an emotional rollercoaster for the couple, and among the toughest fortnights of their lives, Nik says they took a lot from the experience.
“Three major lessons I learnt along the trip,” he says. “I feel a lot better talking about my mum now that I’ve been forced to confront it, I don’t look at my phone as much now, at social media, and that’s put me in a much better headspace and the third thing is that people are amazing.
“We found that if you ask a stranger for help, they often do.”
Celebrity Hunted continues tonight on Channel 4 at 10pm