Levison Wood

Levison Wood's tips for budding explorers

Levison Wood crossing the Caucuses (Credit: Simon Buxton)

You can’t just get up one morning and decide to be an explorer.

Well, you can, but you’re not going to get on television with that attitude. You’ve got to jump through lots of hoops to get there and it’s not just a case of how many countries you’ve been to. You don’t have to join the Army to get into TV, but I think it’s good to have some level of expertise or niche knowledge. Once you’re an expert in anything, in any industry, people will come to you. That’s where you want to be.

Levison Wood: "I’m done with walking"

Levison Wood walks through Central America (Credit: Simon Buxton / Channel 4)

In 2014 he walked the length of the Nile, and the following year trekked from Afghanistan to Bhutan across the Himalayas. He’s just returned from his latest expedition, a four month walk through Central America from Mexico to Colombia, passing through the notorious Darien Gap.

“I’m pretty lucky because I’ve kind of got everything that I could ever have dreamed of in terms of my career,” says Wood during a break between recording voice overs for his new series Walking the Americas.

Levison Wood explores the Americas for Channel 4

Levison Wood in the Himalayas (Credit: Channel 4)

The former army officer will begin his 1700 mile journey in the north-eastern tip of Mexico, heading through eight Central American countries before reaching the Darien Gap where he hopes to pass into Colombia and South America.

The Darien Gap has long been a pull for explorers.  The 10,000-square-mile expanse of wild tropical forest stretches from Panama to Colombia and is a refuge for outlaws and dangerous wildlife.

Wood has previously lived in Mexico and trained with the British Army in Belize, but the rest of the trip will see him visit new territory.

Sunday's top TV

Timothy Spall stars as Fungus the Bogeyman

Fungus the Bogeyman

Sky 1

6pm

The Hobbit star Andy Serkis narrates Raymond Briggs’ beloved tale of Fungus the Bogeyman and his life in Bogeydom. Timothy Spall plays Fungus, who’s been given the CGI treatment by Serkis’ Imaginariam Studios. Fun for all the family, the story follows Fungus, his wife Mildew ad son Mould, as they leave their safe but grimy world of Bogeydom for life Up Top, where the humans (or ‘Drycleaners’) dwell.

Grierson Trust unveils British Documentary Awards nominees

The shortlist for The Grierson Trust 2015 British Documentary Awards has been announced.

The BBC and Channel 4 dominate the list, with 34 and 25 entries respectively.

Channel 5 features in the list for the first time since 2009, with nods for GPs: Behind Closed Doors and Can’t Pay? Final Demand Special.

First-time nominees include Vice for The Islamic State, BBC iPlayer with Adam Curtis’ Bitter Lake, CNN for Extreme Antibiotics and, in a children’s first, CBBC with Mr Alzheimers and Me.