A DAREDEVIL who took on special forces training for a TV show says it was his colleagues at a children’s hospice who got him through.

Scott Roberts, of Grove Road, South Woodford, headed to the Ecuadorian jungle in May for a military-style adventure after just three and a half weeks’ training.

The 31-year-old PR manager at Haven House Children’s Hospice in Woodford Green got chosen for the TV show SAS: Who Dares Wins, which aired last night, at his boxing club.

He said: “It all happened so fast – they came to watch us train on the Thursday, they accepted me on the Friday and by Saturday I was having my first travel vaccinations.

“I had never really run before, so I had to start doing that, as well as crazy gym training like throwing tyres around.

“I go to my boxing club to do a bit of sparring – I’m not a real fighter or anything.”

When Mr Roberts arrived in Ecuador he and his 24 peers were taken to a remote jungle base where they had to carry out a series of gruelling SAS-style tasks.

He added: “I had never been to South America before, Ecuador was incredible.

“It’s really high above sea level and there was mist everywhere, it felt like being in Lord of the Rings.”

The team’s first task was jumping off a bridge into a fast-flowing river.

Despite the “scary” demonstration by their instructor, the Haven House manager got through the jump unscathed.

He said: “The bridge was pretty high.

“It was bizarre seeing all these Ecuadorian trying to get to work on their scooters when we were there waiting to jump off the bridge for a TV show.”

Much to his disappointment, Mr Roberts’ adventure came to an abrupt end as he broke his ankle carrying another contestant on his back.

He said: “I think I could have gone a lot further if I hadn’t got injured – I wasn’t ready to leave when I did.

“People have asked me whether I enjoyed it, but I’m not sure enjoyed is the right word – it was very tough.

“I didn’t do it to be on TV, I did it because it was an amazing opportunity.”

But at his lowest points during his two-day adventure, Mr Roberts said it was his colleagues back in Woodford Green that got him through.

He added: “I also did it because I had the support of my colleagues.

“When it got tough I thought of how impressed they would be back at Haven House.

“I got a round of applause when I came into work the night after the show aired, it was very sweet.”

To watch Scott Roberts in the first episode of SAS: Who Dares Wins, see the Channel 4 website.

http://www.channel4.com/programmes/sas-who-dares-wins