Shipwrecked - where it all began

Hey anyone who's reading this,

So, I'm going back in time a little bit here, OK 3 and a half years, but this is where my new life all began.

Over 100,000 people applied to be on Shipwrecked Battle of the Islands 2007, and I was 1 of an extremely fortunate group of about 31 (something like that) that were given the opportunity to participate on this show. After a somewhat short audition process I was some what rushed through and told I had under 2 weeks till I was going to be on the show! You can imagine my ridiculously excited response to all this, leading to me getting on the wrong train home that night from London! Who cared though! Not me!

During the audition process I happened to speak a lot to a girl who also was told shes going on the show! This was unheard of! We weren't suppose to be talking but knowing that she was going to be there a week before me certainly helped put my mind at ease. And as the first contestant I knew, its ironic that she is the main 1 person I still speak to on a regular basis and consider as one of my best friends! (those who know me probably would never have thought this a few years back, a girl best friend, but its very true).

After a days travelling to get me to the Cook Islands, I didn't suffer any jet lag and after a day and night in a hotel (well a little shack) I was this nervous grinning 22 year old BOY with blond highlights in, thinking I was the nuts on this boat heading to 2 random islands that seemed in the middle of no where! That feeling will never leave me as I edged closer and closer to these islands and seeing these people on the beach! The words scared, excited, nervous, happy, you name it was there, complete mixed emotions!!!

First things I notice when I get off the boat, these big tanned lads dressed in war paints and looking rather scary, and on the other side girls in bikinis looking hot, a scouser dressed as a Scotsman in a kilt and a Scotsman dressed as a scouser! My thoughts were "what the hell have I got myself into!"

So was I a Tiger or Shark!

Well a Tiger of course.

A week being looked after, entertained and met people I thought I would live happiest with and also to let my personality out and shine more was why I decided on the Tigers. The island was amazing, the work they had put in to it, the fact we were all building out own little village on this tiny remote desert island was incredible. We built:

Huts (the hugging hut and the Big Bear)
A nightclub (Maracas)
An amplatheatre (McAmplatheatre)
Tree House
Gym
Bar (Rafters - made after a Raft we built)
Baywatch Tower
1 off nightclub on a beach (Chezzers)

Im sure theres many I have forgotten, but it was absolutely amazing. The greatest experience of my entire life, competitive, life changing, developing completely new skills that I never thought I had.

I seriously could be here all day chatting about this part of my life because so much happened during those 3 months I was out there, so much good and some bad of course but thats how we learn the most in life.

if you wanted to hear more or had any questions feel free to post a comment.

James