What a TV Survival Expert Actually Does: Lessons from Naked and Afraid

By Steven Kelly (Survival Ste)

People watch survival television and see the fires, shelters, wildlife and arguments. Fair enough. That's what makes the programme worth watching. But there's another side to the job, and it's where having genuine survival experience counts.

I've completed 56 days on Discovery's Naked and Afraid franchise, appeared on Naked, Alone and Racing to Get Home with my wife Jenny and been on the BBC's Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning. Before any of that I spent 23 years in the British Army, including with 29 Commando Regiment Royal Artillery.

So when somebody asks what a television survival expert does, my answer isn't just “light a fire on camera”. It's knowing what you're doing, explaining it clearly and adapting when the original plan no longer fits.

First, you need skills that work outside a studio

There are no easy shortcuts when you're cold, wet or hungry. You need to understand fire, shelter, water, navigation and basic risk management. More importantly, you need to decide what comes first.

Colombia was a wet, tropical 21-day challenge. South Africa was a longer, 35-day group challenge on Naked and Afraid: Apocalypse. Same franchise, completely different problems. Different terrain, resources, weather and people.

Being able to demonstrate one impressive skill isn't enough. A useful survival professional has to adapt to the conditions in front of them.

On camera, the decision matters as much as the technique

A TV audience doesn't need a lecture on every knot or type of tinder. It needs to understand why you're doing something.

Why put the shelter there? Why stop travelling? Why is water more important than food at that moment? If I can explain the reasoning in plain English, the viewer learns something and the programme gets a better sequence.

That's different from a weekend course where I can slow things down and let everyone practise. On camera, you've got to be accurate without making every explanation last half an hour.

The human side is a huge part of survival television

People focus on the big survival moments, but getting on with your partner or your group can be just as difficult. Hungry people are short-tempered. Tired people communicate badly. Tiny disagreements can feel enormous after a few weeks with almost nothing.

I've seen that first-hand. I've also seen how quickly people work well together when there's a clear job to do. You can't judge somebody's ability from a few seconds of an argument in an edited programme.

An expert helping contributors has to read the people as well as the environment. Knowing how to teach without embarrassing someone is a skill in itself.

What a survival consultant brings to a production

Production teams want a strong story, but the environment still has the final say. Weather, ground conditions, access, water, equipment, communications and contributor fitness all matter.

A practical consultant can help make a challenge realistic, explain which techniques will work, help prepare contributors and flag problems early. Productions still need their own safety plans, specialist staff and proper approvals. An expert is there to make the programme better informed, not pretend to replace that team.

My military background in navigation, fieldcraft and instruction gives me a useful way of looking at these jobs. I'd rather say a sequence needs changing at the planning stage than have everybody find out when they're already on location.

Is survival television real?

It's television. There are cameras, producers and an edit. But that doesn't mean the discomfort stops being real. On Apocalypse we went for long stretches with very little food, and there was wildlife close to where we were living. In Colombia the rain and the need to manage water and shelter didn't stop when someone lowered a camera.

I've written more about that in my honest account of Naked and Afraid.

Being a contestant doesn't automatically make you an expert

Completing a survival challenge gives you experience. It doesn't automatically mean you can teach, present or advise a television crew. Some superb bushcraft people would hate being on camera. Some good presenters would struggle to navigate across Dartmoor. They are different jobs.

I've spent years instructing through South West Survival. That is as important to my work as the TV credits. If I can do a job properly in the field and explain why it works, I stand a better chance of explaining it properly to an audience too.

The programmes I've worked on

• Naked and Afraid, Season 17: 21 days in Colombia.
• Naked and Afraid: Apocalypse: 35 days in South Africa.
• Naked, Alone and Racing to Get Home: a challenge with my wife Jenny.
• Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning: BBC appearance.
• No Time To Lose: Insight TV appearance.

The TV and media credits page covers the details, while my TV survival expert page has the showreel and production enquiry form.

Who are Britain's best-known TV survivalists?

Britain has people from very different backgrounds in this industry. Ray Mears is known for traditional bushcraft teaching. Bear Grylls brought survival entertainment to a huge audience. Ed Stafford has tested himself on major expeditions and isolation challenges. John Hudson brings serious military survival experience.

They're not all doing the same job, which is the point. I've put together a personal guide to 20 UK survival experts if you want a wider view. It's my selection, not an official ranking.

Working with me on television or media

I'm based in Plymouth and available for suitable factual entertainment, on-camera survival demonstrations, contributor preparation, practical challenges, interviews, expert commentary and production input across the UK and internationally.

If you've got a programme in development, tell me what you're making, where you plan to film and what you need. I would rather have a sensible conversation early than turn up to a brief that doesn't match the ground.

Get in touch about a production or interview, or watch my TV showreel.

Quick questions

What does a television survival expert actually do?

Depending on the production, they can demonstrate skills, prepare contributors, develop realistic activities, explain decisions and advise on fieldcraft or outdoor challenges. Responsibilities are agreed with the production team.

Is Steven Kelly available for television work?

Yes. I'm available for suitable presenting, survival consultancy, interviews and expert contributor opportunities. My showreel and enquiry details are on the TV survival expert page.