Explorer Ed Stafford was adopted as a baby after being born to a teenage mum and dad, and says his life could easily have spiralled out of control had he not discovered a love for adventures in the wild. In early adulthood, he was a “loose cannon” who would get into fights whenever he got drunk . But after joining the Army when he was 22, he discovered a love for the outdoors, which not only saved him but led him to adventures around the globe that were the perfect preparation for becoming a dad.
And that is why for his new Channel 4 series, Into the Jungle with Ed Stafford, he is taking a group of six dads and their children on an expedition to the jungle in Central America to help them build a better bond. Speaking to the Mirror , Ed, 48, says: “I don’t think I’d be able to be a dad if I hadn’t done the expeditions. I would go that far.
I was emotionally all over the place. I was a bit of a loose cannon. If I went out and got drunk, I was getting into fights, I was aggressive.
“A lot of people have gone through some sort of trauma in their lives. Mine happened to be going through foster care and then being adopted. It’s not like it didn’t all work out for me, it really did.
But I do think things that have happened in the past affect the way you’re made up, especially if they happen at a young age. It forms the basis of your character and therefore it’s important to work on yourself.” It is why he is so passionate about his latest TV series.
It introd.