Bob and Alex Interview for Hunted S3

29 December 2017

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Why did you want to take part in Hunted?     

I saw this opportunity as a chance to get to know Alex in a way I hadn’t before. He suffered from horrendous bullying as a youngster and I knew nothing of this. I was shielded from all his problems.  I knew both Alex and I would have to communicate and talk about uncomfortable things that have happened in the past if I accompanied him. I needed to know more about Asperger’s syndrome, which Alex has. I didn’t understand the condition at all. Being on the run takes the TV and computer away from your life and you have to talk. I also knew that Alex had a terrible negative view of himself and he felt he was a failure. If we could do well or even win this, I knew it could change his view of himself forever. I also hoped if we could do well he would be in a position to inspire other people with the same condition.

What special skills or attributes made you think you would succeed in this?    

I knew I would never give in. I also knew this would be mentally challenging and hoped we would be able to work off each other’s qualities.  Alex is a very fit person and I felt he would keep me going when it got physically tough. He’s a very focused person.  I also knew with my outgoing personality we would be able to get help along the way. I have no problem approaching people and find talking to strangers very easy. We also take a fairly light hearted view on life and felt that if we didn’t take each other too seriously and tried to enjoy the experience it would put us in good stead.  I knew that it would be fairly easy for the Hunters to build a picture of me, whereas Alex would be far more difficult to profile and predict.

What did you think the experience would be like making the programme, and how did the reality match up with your experience? 

We were offered a once in a lifetime opportunity to just have a wonderful time. That is how I viewed the chance to go on the run with Alex. I knew it would be without doubt the hardest thing I have ever experienced both physically and mentally. Nothing however could have prepared me for the reality of how tough it is. You cannot prepare mentally, physically or emotionally for what awaits you.

Did I pick up any tips from the first two series? 

Alex was absolutely insistent we go technology free. I knew that technology was a dangerous game to play, so a smart phone was out of the question. I also learned from an earlier episode in Series 2 that the Royal Mail can be intercepted. A letter in the post to get help was not possible. Any communication had to be face to face or hand delivered.  I also learned to use Royal Mail to our advantage knowing letters would be intercepted if we did post them to friends and associates. The only time you want to use a phone is if you want the conversation overheard and acted on. Use the system to your advantage.  I also knew that bank cards give a location away immediately.  You try to imitate actions that people who were successful in previous series did. I also knew that we must keep on the move and be erratic in your behaviour. Watching previous episodes helped and I knew if we tried to be too smart and rub peoples face in our success we would be caught straight away. Do not jibe the Hunters. The lesson from previous episodes is keep low down and on the move. Only shop if absolutely necessary. Use farm shops and places that are rural if you can. CCTV will pick you up anywhere. I knew from my job in transport that most CCTV is not live feed and it’s recorded on disk in the event of an incident. You can therefore use rural buses but not train stations, as that is a live feed.

Did you go with detailed plans or did we go where fate took us? 

We had absolutely no plan whatsoever the day we went on the run. We did have a general plan that the getaway was mine doing and the middle bit was Alex. We tried to break it down into 3 parts with the extraction at the end but couldn’t really make any plans. We also felt that to make plans and try to get help sorted before we left would be against the spirit of the programme. We completely made it up as we went. We discussed ideas last thing at night for the next day by talking and figuring our next move and where we would like to head for. Our movement would often change many times throughout the day.  We knew we would be roughing it for our time on the run. We didn’t know where the release point was going to be so couldn’t make plans.  Everything depended on what help we could get on route and where people would be prepared to take us. The best plan you can have is don’t have a plan.

What was the toughest aspect of the whole experience?  

Walking between 10-15 miles each day. One day we walked 18 miles in the pouring rain. There were no shower or washing facilities on the run. My clothes were filthy as we could only take a small bag at release point. You prioritise what you take with you.  Living on a fraction of the calories recommended a day is incredibly hard. You have to ration what you’ve got as you don’t know when you will get anything more to eat. There was no fruit on the trees as it was too early.  On a couple of occasions I got a lift from people and inadvertently left our food in the boot of the car. You just try to cheer yourself up saying “we are still going” and be positive. We had half a dozen water bottles we tried to fill at every opportunity and these are heavy. Water is everything on the run. You also have to carry your whole world with you. One day it was absolutely awful weather and everything gets soaked whereas the next it was very warm so you take layers off but have to carry them. Sleeping on the floor is extremely uncomfortable. The real killer is surviving on very little sleep.  I lost nearly 2 ½ stone so for me the physical demand was very tough. You have no energy and the endless walking gets hard. You have absolutely no idea what is happening in the world. You just have to assume the Hunters are on your trail so you keep moving. You never know if the end is just round the corner. The mental strain is indescribable.

Did you become Paranoid? 

Yes I became terribly paranoid. You get to the stage where you trust no one. The normal everyday decisions that come easily are so much more difficult, because you think the Hunters are on you all the time.  The further you get into the process the worse it becomes.

Did you form bonds with people while you were away? Did you meet people who were a really big help to you?  

Dozens of people helped, some who I now view as the most wonderful people I ever met. The level of help I received was extraordinary. Every time I asked for help I got it. You have to get the instinct to ask the right people. You also have to weigh up the risk and reward strategy. Do you break cover and tell people you are on the run and ask for help?  The first thing you have to say to people is “I am on the run and need help”.   If they say no you have given the game away so it’s crucial to only ask if you really need help and are confident you have chosen right.  You are looking for body language all the time when you see a stranger and you ask yourself “can this person help me” and more importantly “do I need help at the moment”.

Were there any particular high or low points in the whole thing for you?  

We thought we made a fatal mistake in the very early stage that was very distressing. We managed to get away from that situation which resulted in an enormous high. The real low point for me was when Alex and I had a disagreement. We sat down and he told me more or less everything he had suffered as a youngster. I felt terrible that I didn’t know about these things. I felt I had really let him down as a dad. That was the stage I realised that to try to give the family financial stability was nowhere near as important as being there in person to share the difficult moments and try to deal with events as they happen. I felt I had let Alex down badly. Also my denial of his autism and my refusal to accept it made me realise what a fool I had been. That was the stage of the programme where many of my questions were answered and I didn’t like the fact that I had failed him in his early life. The fact that I was so tired and mentally in a bad place by this time, made it very hard to digest, but it was the best thing that could have happened. There was an enormous change after this discussion. There were many highs being on the run. Meeting the lovely people who helped us along the journey and getting to know my son was the best high that could possibly have happened. You go through ups and downs in the same day. Sometimes a lift of many miles only to give the advantage away being caught on CCTV, and knowing your location has probably been compromised. You have to learn very quickly from your mistakes and try your hardest to recognise when you have the advantage and keep hold of it.

What would you say you learned from the experience?   

I learned that Alex is quite capable of standing on his own two feet and doesn’t need me to look out for him. I also learned not to be the stupid overbearing know all that I have probably been guilty of for a large part of my life. I have learned to shut up and listen to other views.  If Asperger’s means you is one of the kindest and most considerate people I have ever met, then I view the condition as a quality he is blessed with. It’s who he is and what he is that makes Alex the person he is. I have priceless memories from our time on the run. I will never be the same after that experience. It was the greatest adventure I have ever had.  I also learned not to judge people by their station in life. The loveliest people are from across the whole social spectrum. I hope being on the run has made me a better person. I realised if you are unhappy in what you are doing then do something about it. I left my job of 16 years to do this with Alex. I now have a part-time job in a college working with young people and have never been happier. Being on the run was the best time of my life.