Survivor star Tinuke Oyediran has opened up about the grief that inspired her to sign up for the BBC show.
The professional roller skater is just one of 18 contestants marooned on a deserted location in the new reality show, which sees the group of castaways divided into two tribes and tasked with competing in a range of challenges in the hopes of eventually winning the title of Sole Survivor.
Chatting to HELLO! in an exclusive interview, Tinuke, 30, revealed that she lost her mum, dad and cousin within a short period of time when she was in her mid-20s.
Explaining how her experiences of grief have changed her outlook on life, she said: "If you look back at my history, I've went through quite a lot of loss and grief throughout my 20s. I think that's what fuels me to push myself to the limit of everything.
© BBC"I'm constantly challenging myself because I like to live life to the most extreme and the best that I can because I can see what it's like to lose life and that life can be quite fickle and short. I think that's my emotional reason for wanting to push myself to the limit all the time."
Expanding on her loss, Tinuke said: "I lost three of the most important people in my life. I lost my cousin, who was like a brother to me, in my early 20s. And then in a quite short succession, I lost my dad and my mum.
"I'm an only child so it just shook me and it made me realise how short life is. People deal with grief in different ways, but for me, it just has propelled me into action.
© BBC"I guess I'm doing it to prove to myself and to the world that I'm just a badass and can get over anything," she added.
It's not just Tinuke's personal history that influenced her decision to join the programme, however. As a three-time Guinness World Record holder, the London-born adventurer is always looking for her next thrill.
"I've always been up for challenges, especially physical challenges," she said. "It's just where I'm most comfortable. I've done three Guinness World Records before, all in roller skating. So I'm obsessed with levelling up."
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© BBCThe professional roller skater is also a longtime fan of the show, which the BBC rebooted after 20 years. "I've always loved it," she said. "I'm an adventurer, so I love being out in nature. So I knew it was right up my alley."
Despite her background in adventuring, Tinuke admitted that competing on the show was tough. "I expected it to be really, really hard and it was really, really hard," she said.
© BBCWhile the challenges were gruelling, Tinuke didn't give up when she reached her limit. "Many times I felt like I was at breaking point, and then you break that barrier and then there's just a whole new level of what you think you can achieve and what you can achieve," she revealed, adding: "That was what was so amazing.
"Every time you hit breaking point, boom, there's another layer of breaking point. You can keep going and just feel like a superwoman."
Survivor premieres on Saturday 28 October at at 8.25pm on BBC One and iPlayer. Episode two will air on Sunday 29 October from 8pm.
