Ben Fogle issues update on New Lives in the Wild as Channel 5 viewers devastated

Ben Fogle issued an update about the latest series of New Lives in the Wild, leaving Channel 5 viewers devastated. The presenter, 51, recently returned with three new episodes of the documentary series, which sees him travel to remote corners of the globe to experience extreme lifestyles with those who have turned their backs on modern comforts. The third episode aired on Thursday (September 4) evening and followed Ben as he visited Yidan, a woman who left China to start a new life in rural Thailand.

Yidan swapped her glamorous city job to start a farm, revealing to Ben that hard work and the kindness of others has made it a huge success. The episode featured Ben as joined Yidan in her daily tasks including rice planting, clay sculpting, and bamboo building, where he discovered how childhood memories shaped her path.

Ben also discovered that a new generation of young peopleare being inspired to pursue off-grid living in Thailand, thanks to the influence of Yidan.

Ahead of the episode airing, Ben announced it would be the final instalment of the latest series. Taking to Instagram, he wrote: "New Lives in the Wild is back tomorrow for the final episode of the series. It is the story of Yidan who left China to start a new wild life in Thailand."

However, fans were left disappointed by the series' swift conclusion, taking to the comments to share their sadness.

"Ah gutted it's such a short series this time around," one wrote as another gutted fan penned: "What? It's over already?? What was that, 3 eps?"

A third said: "Last in the series! This only the third episode isn't it?"

A fourth chimed in: "We need more episodes of new lives in the wild."

Another pleaded: "That's a short series... we need more Ben."

Ben Fogle: New Lives in the Wild first aired in 2013, featuring episodes set in locations such as the Himalayan Foothills of India, French Polynesia, Sri Lanka, and Bulgaria. The adventurer also fronted a spin-off series, New Lives in the Wild UK, which focused on remote locations closer to home, including Wales, Suffolk, and the Scottish Hebrides.

The show returned for its 20th season in August, with the first and second episode focusing on a Norwegian model who lives in the deserts of Botswana and a Brit named Rupert who moved to a traditional home in the mountains of Japan.