Ben Miller ‘woke up in fear’ while on Hamza Yassin’s Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness

Death in Paradise star Ben Miller, 55, was put through his paces when he took part in Hamza Yassin’s Channel 4 wildlife series, Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness. Hamza is best known as a presenter and cameraman for Countryfile, Springwatch and Animal Park.

Hamza’s latest show saw him take four celebrities out of their comfort zone on an expedition across the Scottish Highlands.

Ben, who plays DI Richard Poole on the detective drama, was sent to Bamff in Perthshire.

He stayed in an off-grid cabin in the middle of a forest with no running water.

When the show premiered in October, Ben told Radio Times Travel that he thought the experience was “terrifying”.

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The actor explained that it was particularly “terrifying at night” because of all the “strange animal noises” he could hear in the forest.

In an exclusive interview with Express.co.uk, presenter Hamza said that the only reason Ben was scared was because he was seeing things “from the animals’ point of view”.

He said: “In that split second of him waking up in fear, it taught him how animals feel on a daily basis.

“Ben Miller got a very, very small glimpse of it and I’m so glad that he said it out loud…. Would you like to be woken up in the middle of the night being scared? No!”

“Usually when we see celebrities they are in their prime, at their best.  

“In reality, if you take them out of their comfort zone, i.e., put them in a tent and get them to feed animals they don’t like, when you have spent three days with them you get to experience and know them as a human, as themselves.”

This weekend, Hamza is taking part in the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch and has filmed a special episode of his podcast, Get Birding, to encourage the public to get involved.

On why he thinks it is important, Hamza explained: “Birds for me is like the gateway into mother nature. It is the best way to start.

“When you sit for that hour just looking at birds, it gives you the chance to look, see and relax.

“You don’t need binoculars, you don’t need tripods, all you need is a window that looks outside.”

The special episode of Get Birding will feature celebrity guests including Winterwatch’s Chris Packham, All Creatures Great and Small’s Samuel West and TV presenter Miranda Krestovnikoff.

Get Birding: RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch Special is out this Friday wherever you get your podcasts.
 
All episodes of Scotland: Escape to the Wilderness are available to watch on 4od.