TV personality who is sympathetic (and I’m not just being kind, Ben)

LOCAL celebrity Ben Fogle is a man of many talents.

He is very well known as a television presenter, so it was a treat to see him, not on a screen, but live on stage at the Kenton Theatre’s fundraising event.

In conversation with Sophie van Brugen, Ben reflected on a lifetime of extreme exploits and, most importantly, the “life lessons” he gained from his adventures.

He described his career as accidental and suggested to the audience that saying “yes” to suggestions is a good way of keeping an open mind and doing something different.

Ben’s television career began when he answered an ad to join the participants of Castaway, an early experiment in reality television, in 2000. The castaways lived together for a year on Taransay in the Outer Hebrides. Back home and shy by nature, Ben developed the personal armour necessary to succeed in the world of television but he also yearned to travel.

He described to a captivated, hushed audience his experiences in the gruelling Marathon des Sables, a trek across the Sahara, the Atlantic Rowing Race with James Cracknell and his race to the South Pole, again with Cracknell.

He explained the psychological challenges as well as the physical ones and the real dangers he encountered.

He is an enthusiastic advocate for the outdoors and is remarkably modest and unassuming for a man who has climbed Everest.

The second part of the evening was a question and answer session, with questions submitted by the audience.

In answering the queries, Ben ranged across a number of topics. He talked about his many television programmes, especially those focused on people choosing to live an alternative lifestyle. According to Ben, it’s possible to find inspiration in unexpected places.

The son of a vet, he talked about his love of dogs and his support for animal charities. After a lifetime of travel, he reflected on his favourite places, of which Henley is one, of course. His least favourite locations are tropical jungles.

He paid tribute to the support of his wife and family.

On environmental issues, he encouraged people to do what they can, while acknowledging that his worldwide travel gives him a carbon footprint larger than some.

And what would he tell his eight-year-old self? To be more confident and refuse to accept the limitations other people sometimes try to impose.

Throughout the event, Ben showed himself to be deeply respectful of other people, their ideas and perspectives.

He is naturally articulate and comes across as genuine and sympathetic, with a simple message: Be kind.

The evening concluded with a fundraising auction. Lots had been donated by generous local sponsors and were bid for enthusiastically by members of the audience keen to support the Kenton. This was a very successful and enjoyable
occasion.

Susan Creed