Ed takes on the parched bushveld of northern Namibia, in southern Africa. Dropped right at the end of a very long dry season, there are virtually no edible plants available to him. Undeterred, he makes base camp up a tree on the shores of a huge lake, spending each night on his home-made sleeping platform. He builds a huge fish corral which gives him a steady supply of small fish to eat, alongside a bird that he catches in a traditional bushman’s trap. But his obsession with trying to catch a warthog sees him take his eye off the ball. How will he survive?

Dropped deep in the foothills of the Andes, in Argentine Patagonia, Ed faces extreme exposure to both intense sunlight and freezing temperatures as the southern hemisphere unleashes a torrent of meteorological abuse. Making camp in a mountain river valley, he subsists on a diet of wild woodland salad, tadpoles and ant eggs before getting to grips with tickling trout in the fish-rich waters. In a final demonstration of thriving, he builds an automated fishing system and creates a living larder to keep his food source alive in preparation for a last evening mega-meal.

Ed is in The Philippines, on Coron Island, attempting to survive on a secluded beach. The seashore is covered in litter, potentially useful for survival but a depressing reminder of the state of our seas. Ed hasn’t been abandoned on an island since his ordeals on Naked and Marooned and, when he gets seriously ill, he starts to struggle with ghosts from the past. Lying on his sick bed of palm leaves, Ed realises that if he doesn’t push himself to find water and food quickly then his survival mission is over. Hemmed in by towering granite cliffs, he’s concerned there may be no fresh water to be found.

Ed heads for the Arctic Circle, and is dropped on top of a snow-covered mountain in the western fjords of Norway. This is the first time Marooned has ever been to a truly cold location. The conditions are so extreme that Ed is compelled to wear clothes, but as usual takes no food, tools or knife. Before entering isolation, Ed undergoes special ice training to prepare him for the dangers that lie ahead. He faces a new set of challenges, including having to build a shelter that will protect him from the inhospitable weather and keep his fire alight on the sodden ground. He’s under constant risk of hypothermia, and the rising spring tide threatens his home.