August 13th 2023.
Naomi Aldwyn-Allsworth, a 27-year-old fashion designer from London, decided to take on a wild challenge for the Channel 4 series Alone. She was one of ten 'ordinary' Brits who were dropped in the middle of the Dehcho region of Northwest Territories, Canada, with no contact from the outside world.
Each person had to survive as long as they could by hunting for their own food and building makeshift homes, with the winner of the series taking home a life-changing £100,000.
At first, Naomi thought she would be completely alone, but soon discovered that she had a few unexpected neighbours. Bears visited her camp almost every night and, although scary at first, she quickly got used to them.
Naomi was given safety training on how to handle animal encounters and came up with her own methods to scare them away. She was also given a foghorn and pepper spray, but was told to use them sparingly as they were in limited supply.
Naomi soon realised that the bears seemed to be particularly attracted to one part of her camp - her laundry line. She was relieved to find that her knickers were still there in the morning, but admitted to feeling a bit offended.
Although she was scared of the bears, Naomi grew fond of other wildlife and found joy in watching the squirrels. She opted not to hunt them, instead turning to her newfound fishing skills for sustenance.
At times, Naomi found herself so hungry that she considered eating her own bogies. But she pushed through and eventually managed to catch enough food to keep her going.
Naomi is a mum to Barnaby, four, which is part of the reason she wanted to take part in the show. It was a tough experience, but she's glad she did it and is looking forward to returning to her normal life.
Naomi Aldwyn-Allsworth, a 27 year old fashion designer from London, had a life-changing experience when she joined the cast of Alone, a Channel 4 series where 10 ordinary Brits are dumped in the middle of the Canadian wilderness with no contact from the outside world. The person who is able to last it out the longest wins a life-changing £100,000.
Naomi quickly realized that she was not alone in her journey and had to face a few unwelcome neighbours. She recalled, “Bears came to visit me almost every night. They would be metres away, It was frightening at first but then you kind of get used to it. Before the experience began I thought if I saw a bear then I’d instantly tap out but I surprised myself with how brave I am.” Naomi had to plan for dangerous situations and was given a foghorn and pepper spray for protection.
Naomi’s camp became a popular spot for the bears. She explained, “One day, I washed my knickers in the river and put them on a line that I made. When I went to bed I could hear the bear huffing and puffing. They were attracted to the scent. I remember thinking: ‘Please don’t take my knickers, I only have two pairs’. When I went outside in the morning I saw they were still there. I was grateful, but then also a bit offended.”
Naomi also found herself becoming fond of the other wildlife she encountered. She shared, “I used to like watching the squirrels. I knew how to kill and cook them, but I think I got more joy from watching them. I don’t think the small bit of nutrition they’d have given me was worth taking a life.”
For food, Naomi took to fishing. She said, “I found it so satisfying to eat a meal I’d caught with a net I’d made.” However, food collection didn’t always go to plan. She admitted, “Sometimes I’d just be eating bugs and I shouldn’t even admit this, but there were times I would consider eating my own bogies as I was so hungry. A lot of the stuff I ate was vile. The starvation got so much that it felt like my muscles were being eaten away by bugs underneath my skin.”
Naomi wanted to go back to her normal life and be a healthy mother for her four year old son Barnaby. She said, “At night, I’d have such vivid dreams that I was in the supermarket putting food into my basket. It was painful to wake up and for it not to be true. There were points where I thought, ‘Is this safe?’ I want to go back to my normal life, and be a healthy mum after this.”
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