Meet the Scouser tackling The Summit - ITV's toughest reality TV challenge

Scouser Sean Heath flew halfway around the world and faced his own fears to tackle The Summit – ITV’s toughest reality TV adventure.

The series, which starts on February 10, sees 14 strangers taking on the daunting challenge of climbing a mountain in the Alps of New Zealand’s South Island as they compete for a share of a potential £200,000 prize.

Presented by Ben Shephard, the show isn’t just about physical strength, ultimately it’s a contest so there’s plenty of strategy, allegiances and betrayals on the way to the peak.

For 26-year-old Sean from Bootle, taking part was an opportunity of a lifetime to push himself beyond any normal limits.

He said:

“I do have a fear of heights, so that was one of the things I had to get past,” he says, “and I hadn’t really done any climbing before, only when I was about 13 and I went camping.

“I love walking but on flat surfaces, in the street with the dog or in the park, and I enjoy the outdoors, but that type of outdoors I was not expecting.

“For me, although the money was an incentive, it was more about pushing myself. I’ve always done a lot of things for other people so I wanted to do something for myself, to test myself, and this was the opposite end of the scale to sitting on the couch watching Real Housewives!”

As a fan of reality series, and a former performing arts student, Sean admits another attraction was the chance to be on screen.

“I did drama at school and college so I’ve always wanted to be on TV, and I also wanted a new experience that I could enjoy with other people.

“I do like to make people laugh, and I got on with most of the other contestants, but I think reality TV is like a melting pot.

“You’re all missing home, you’re all eating rations designed to give you the energy to climb a mountain, and being in those conditions and the treacherous terrain, you can’t help the way you feel. Your own values come into it too, so if I don’t like the way someone’s speaking to somebody else or the way they’ve gone about something, I will call things out and tell it like it is.”

Various challenges on The Summit that block their path to the peak – set by the mysterious Mountain’s Keeper – added to the tension, but Sean says that never got in the way of what was an overwhelmingly positive experience.

“The hardest part was probably leaving my family, and putting my phone down, that was really a big one. I’m on TikTok every single day so that was quite difficult but it was also good because you had to talk to everyone and get to know them, 13 wonderful people from all walks of life.

“And New Zealand was the most beautiful country I’ve ever been to. I got off the plane and couldn’t believe how picturesque it was so I’d definitely go back.”

Sean was encouraged by his nan Brenda to take part in The Summit. She sadly died after the show was filmed in November 2024, so won’t get to see him on screen, but he says it still gave them both some lovely memories.

“She was the reason I did the show, and she passed away in March last year,” he says. “Because we knew how ill she was in the February I explained everything so she died knowing I went and the outcome which was a nice memory for me to have with her.

“I’m sad she won’t see the show come out, but I know she’d be so proud of me and she’d be made up to know she was the only one who knew what happened!”

The Summit starts on Tuesday February 10 and Wednesday February 11 at 9pm on ITV1, ITVX, STV & STV Player.