Ben Fogle lives in Henley near London with his wife Marina and their two children Ludovic and Iona. The New Lives in the Wild star doesn't make any secret of the fact he likes an adventure, but did you know that he almost bought his own private island?
The presenter shot to fame when he appeared in the reality show, Castaway 2000, where he was left on an island called Taransay in Scotland for a whole year with a bunch of strangers for a unique social experiment. Then, 11 years after the show, he got very close to buying the island where it was filmed.
In a heartfelt feature for The Telegraph at the time, he explained his plans: "I have long dreamed of buying Taransay myself. The £2million-pound price tag may sound high, but this is an iconic island with incredible potential for those with vision and passion."
He continued: "With Tansaray on the market, I have been in contact with a number of individuals to look into the possibility of a consortium buying the island. It could be transformed into a wildlife reserve, with sustainable lodges for guests. This could finally pay for its maintenance and upkeep, while also providing some much needed local employment."
© PA Images via Getty ImagesBen even honeymooned on the island! "I have returned to Taransay several times since the end of the project – once, for the wedding of a fellow castaway, Tanya Cheadle and her fiancé Paul Overton, a producer of the series; and then for my own honeymoon, during which it poured with rain for a week. But even that didn’t dampen my love of this unique island," he wrote.
© Getty ImagesBen has such an affiliation with Scotland he also revealed that his daughter's name, Iona, is also after an island in the Outer Hebrides.
Sadly, the star's dreams did not come to fruition and the island was sold to someone else, but Ben hasn't spoken out about this.
© Getty Images for BAFTAIsland plans
Adam and Cathra Kelliher were the lucky buyers of the island in 2011, and they have teamed up with an adventure holiday company to bring in tourism, however, they are also looking to restore its former natural beauty.
"It would’ve once been forested. It would’ve been rich in flora and fauna. Unfortunately, that’s all gone now and so we would like to recreate it," Adam told the BBC last year.
Not as exotic, but still a business venture no less, Ben also had a property in London which he now rents out for a hefty £26,000 per month.
© InstagramIn pictures via the MailOnline, the five-bedroom residence is seen to have eclectic décor throughout and a writing hut tucked away in the garden.
Back in Henley, the family's sprawling country estate is every family's dream with 1.3 acres of land, a tennis court, a swimming pool and a pond.
© InstagramThere are also plans to totally overhaul his main residence, transforming an existing garage and workshop into a podcast and yoga studio.
