Ben Shephard has revealed the unexpected reason filming for his new ITV show, The Summit, faced delays, in an exclusive chat with Entertainment Daily.
The adventure series, which debuts next Tuesday (February 10), follows 14 strangers tackling New Zealand’s rugged mountain terrain over 14 days.
Contestants face grueling physical and strategic challenges, aiming to reach the summit for a share of up to £200,000, while battling harsh conditions and making tough choices — including voting competitors out.
Ben Shephard on new ITV show The Summit
Ahead of the show’s launch, ED! sat down with Ben to discuss the exciting new series. Filmed in 2024, the show is as much about the contestants as the challenges themselves.
“I’m most excited for the audience to meet the contestants. The format itself is incredible — it’s already a huge success around the world — so I know viewers will fall in love with it regardless. But this show is really made by these extraordinary 14 people,” he said.
“They come from completely different walks of life, with a wide range of physical abilities, backgrounds, and life experiences, and they’re all willing to put themselves into this intense scenario. That’s what excites me most. I’ve stayed in touch with many of them, and they’ve been waiting for such a long time for this moment. As soon as the trailer came out, they’re so excited — because they’ve lived it. Trying to explain that experience to someone who hasn’t seen it is incredibly hard.
“It’s only when you actually see the challenges — crossing a rope bridge and having to cut it, navigating a ravine with just two ropes, being chased by a helicopter just yards behind them, or dealing with crampons and ice axes — that you really understand what they went through. It sounds like a dream and a nightmare all at once.”
‘We were definitely terrorised’
Ben also revealed that filming was repeatedly delayed due to unexpected wildlife — specifically New Zealand’s native kea birds.
“There were these native birds on the mountain that we couldn’t interfere with in any way. They’re mythical, legendary birds, and they’re protected. If they’re flying around, you can’t film,” he explained.
The inquisitive birds caused chaos on set. “They’re also incredibly inquisitive. If you leave anything out, they’ll go straight for it, unpick it, tear it open, break it, and even eat it, and there’s nothing you can do about it,” Ben said.
He added: “One of the toughest things was that we had drones and helicopters flying, so if the kea were in the air, we had to shut everything down out of respect for the environment we were in. They’re mischievous and curious, and because hardly anyone is up there, they’ll come right up to you — into your bags, undoing zips, picking at ropes, literally untying things.
“We even had Portaloos flown in by helicopter — the whole production was like a TV studio dropped onto a mountain. Everything was flown up, including the toilets, which were pinned down and tied. One day, while we were filming, the kea got on top of one and unpicked it until it came loose. It was one of those things you just can’t plan for. Suddenly, it’s, ‘Where are the kea today?’ because if they showed up, that had a huge impact.”
Ben joked that the crew were “definitely terrorised” by the birds, who “constantly accompanied and occasionally thwarted” production. The longest any kea held up filming was around 30 to 45 minutes.
Read more: This Morning host Ben Shephard forced to issue apology
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