A TV Explorer feared she would die from a venomous snake bite or lack of food during her latest expedition to the deepest reaches of the Amazon rainforest.
The new series of Secret Amazon Into The Wild, began on October 7 and charts the adventures of British explorer Lucy Shepherd.
Lucy spoke exclusively to The Sun Online about what went on behind the cameras and how she felt during the filming process of the survival show.
In series one, episode one we see Lucy and her indigenous team embark on an unprecedented 50-day expedition to traverse the virgin Amazon rainforest entirely on foot.
“Everyone thought it was impossible,” she said they entered a dangerous section of unexplored and dense jungle canopy that was to be their home for the next few months.
She and the team faced fearsome challenges from deadly snakes to alligators.
Speaking about whether she was ever scared at times, she admitted: “Yeah, multiple times, but also not at all. Truthfully, I was more scared for my team because, although there’s four guys with me and we all try to be as safe as possible and follow everything, at the end of the day, it just boils down to a lot of luck.
“You might be the best snake spotter or be able to tell what branch is good to stand on what’s not.
“But when you haven’t had much food and you’re tired and your skin is falling apart, then your senses do go down a little bit.
“Your pupils and your eyes are just so like ready for anything. So at night, I tried to make sure that my team were in the hammocks by the time it got properly black.”
But this was the time when they would want to go out and hunt, she revealed, leaving her vulnerable and alone in the dark.
“If we were near a river, they would want to go out hunting, shining with their torches, like use the bow and arrow to kill things.
“And I was like we cannot do that because it’s dark.”
As a result she said she feared the nights the most, and she slept so ‘animalistically’ hearing every sound.
She revealed that at times she felt so far away from home, in the middle of the mighty Amazon rainforest.
She said: “At some points on the expedition, it would have taken two weeks to rescue us. If you’re by a river, something happens, it will just be a few days because someone can come get down that river.
“But as soon as you’re a few weeks into the jungle, it isn’t as easy for helicopters with winches to come and get you.”
Often it felt like he was with me, and that he was testing us
Lucy Shepherd
Lucy also spoke about how just few months before the expedition, her mentor Ian Craddock suddenly died.
“It was like, well is this even more foolish to do this, or should we go ahead and do it in his name.”
They went ahead were joined by friends who thought it would be a great way to remember his legacy.
She confided: “Often it felt like he was with me, and that he was testing us.”
In one episode, she capsized into a boat which was captured on cameras.
The series is currently streaming on Channel 4 and airs on Channel 4. The first two episodes are available now.
