Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild

Lore & Background

The series premiered in 2013 and has continued through multiple series, including a 2024 installment. In each episode, Fogle immerses himself in the lives of people living in tough and harsh conditions in the wild, exploring their motivations and highs and lows. A spin-off series in 2015 called New Lives in the Wild UK featured families in British locations, while 2020's Ben Fogle: Make a New Life in the Country followed a similar premise.

Reader's Guide

As of 2022, the UK-based programmes and Return to the Wild spin-offs have been brought under the main New Lives in the Wild name in the press, on EPGs, and on video-on-demand service My5, with these episodes not being part of a separate series. Episodes have also been hosted on BBC Earth under the name Where Wild Men Are with Ben Fogle. The series documents individuals who have given up the rat race to live simpler lives in remote locations, often without modern amenities, and has become a notable entry in the genre of alternative lifestyle documentaries.

Did You Know?

• The series is produced by Motion Content Group and Renegade Pictures.
• A spin-off titled New Lives in the Wild UK aired in 2015.
• Episodes have been hosted on BBC Earth under the name Where Wild Men Are with Ben Fogle.
• As of 2022, UK-based programmes and Return to the Wild spin-offs are grouped under the main series name on My5.

The Core Premise

The series follows Ben Fogle as he encounters individuals who have deliberately stepped away from conventional, urban existence to embrace what might be called a more elemental way of living. These are people situated in some of the most isolated and remote stretches of the planet, often stripped of the modern conveniences most viewers take for granted. In each self-contained episode, Fogle does not merely observe from a distance; he plunges himself into the daily rhythms of these households, enduring the same tough and harsh environmental conditions they face. His role is to probe the deeper motivations behind their choices while also documenting both the rewards and the difficulties of such a life. The format is deliberately episodic and unconnected, meaning each installment stands alone as a fresh encounter with a new family or individual in a new corner of the world.

Production and Broadcast Landscape

The series is produced by Motion Content Group in partnership with Renegade Pictures and has aired on Channel 5 since its 2013 debut. Over the years, the franchise expanded well beyond its original format. In 2015, a spin-off titled New Lives in the Wild UK brought the concept closer to home, following families in British locations rather than international ones. A 2020 programme, Ben Fogle: Make a New Life in the Country, pursued a similar premise. By 2022, the various UK-based programmes and the multiple Return to the Wild iterations had been folded under the umbrella of the main New Lives in the Wild title in press coverage, electronic programme guides, and the My5 video-on-demand platform, effectively treating them as part of one continuous series rather than separate shows. Additionally, episodes have been made available on BBC Earth under the distinct title Where Wild Men Are with Ben Fogle, broadening the audience reach across different streaming and broadcast channels.

A Remarkable Run of Series

What distinguishes New Lives in the Wild from many reality or documentary series is its extraordinary longevity. Launched in 2013 with its first season, the programme has continued to produce new episodes year after year, reaching Series 19 and 20 in 2025, with Series 21 already slated for 2026. That spans well over a decade of continuous output. The franchise has also generated multiple Return to the Wild entries in 2018, 2020, 2021, and 2024, suggesting that the format resonates strongly enough with audiences to warrant dedicated spin-off seasons. The pace of production has been notably rapid in certain years, with three full series in 2019 alone and multiple series in 2021, indicating sustained demand from Channel 5 and its viewers. This kind of endurance is uncommon for a programme built around unconnected, location-driven episodes, and it speaks to the enduring appeal of watching real people navigate life far from the comforts of modern society.

The Human Story at the Heart of the Format

At its core, the series is less about exotic scenery and more about the people who have made a radical, personal decision to abandon what the show's premise calls the rat race. Fogle's role in each episode is to immerse himself in the household's routine, getting to know the individuals behind their unconventional choices. He explores not just the romantic or adventurous aspects of off-grid living but also the genuine highs and lows that come with it. The fact that each episode is unconnected and self-contained means the emotional arc is built entirely within a single encounter; there is no ongoing narrative to lean on, so the depth of each story must come from the people themselves and the raw conditions of their environment. Fogle's background as an English adventurer lends credibility to his presence in these harsh settings, and his willingness to live alongside his subjects in tough, wild conditions rather than simply filming them from the outside gives the programme a grounded, respectful tone that distinguishes it from more sensationalist formats.