Hunted is arguably one of the most intense reality shows in the UK (a far cry from Bake Off), requiring both physical stamina and emotional resilience as fugitives evade capture from ex-police and military professionals for three weeks.
Nobody knows that better than the winner of series 8, which concluded on Monday. In an interview with Tech Advisor, they reveal just what you need to do to avoid being caught.
Spoilers for Hunted series 8 below
Shaq’s journey got off to a slightly rocky start. Along with his brother-in-law, Warren, the pair managed to break out of Stansted Airport. However, they first relied on their own home network, which meant that Chief Ray and his intelligence team at Hunted HQ were able to trace them and piece together their next steps.
The pair eventually left London for Kent, with Ground Hunters hot on their heels. While Warren was unfortunately caught, Shaq managed to evade them twice… just. After that, his entire game plan changed, and he started to traverse across the country, relying on the kindness of strangers, which ultimately led him to the biggest cash prize in the show’s history.
Pictured: Shaq Brown (left) and Warren George (right) stand arms crossed on tarmac at Stansted airport.
Channel 4/Endemol Shine
As he admits to Tech Advisor, “My map is South London. It’s nowhere else. To be able to travel to different parts of the UK was amazing because it’s like, I’ve never been here before, but it took a TV show to bring me here.”
Shaq took some time to sit down with me to reflect on what he did right and has some advice for any budding fugitives out there – if Channel 4 renews it, of course.
“…my stomach just turned and it said to me, ‘Do not do that, getting comfortable.’”
Don’t let the game play on your emotions
Every year, we see Hunted fugitives making the mistake of visiting family because they miss them or calling friends because they’re afraid to ask for help from strangers – it happened several times in series 8.
But ultimately, that’s what gets them caught, as the Hunters can tap into phones and social media accounts, and interrogate people in local areas that they suspect contestants are heading to for support.
Pictured: Ray Howard (front) presenting in front of Steve Hersee, Georgina Bradley, Giles Sarsah-Abban, Andy Maybury
Channel 4/Endemol Shine
After being split from Warren, Shaq reflected on everything that went wrong on paper and changed up his tactics in order to make his movements harder to track:
“…you have to be willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone at points where you don’t want to, and also when you get turned down by no help, you keep on pushing.”
While he admits that some strangers weren’t so forthcoming with their help, others were keen to muck in – providing transport, food, new connections and ultimately a way to keep on the move before the Hunters even arrive. As he puts it: “…it’s like I built a family whilst on the run”.
In fact, Shaq admits that he had no plans to go back to his network in London for the rest of the journey – only doing so because he had to collect extraction details for the final chase: “I would have never gone home.”
But despite all that, his family were ultimately what kept him going during the tough times:
“…the nerves kick in where you start to talk yourself out, but I had to reaffirm to myself: ‘Shaq, you got this. Keep going. Don’t give in’… Like just being an example for my son… or even my daughters — when your dad was in this situation, look how he pushed through”.
Channel 4/Endemol Shine
Be prepared to get physically uncomfortable
As mentioned earlier, Hunted is not for the weak. While your mentality must be rock solid, you must also be prepared to rough it – and I don’t just mean camping in a field for a night.
During the near-miss in Ashford, Shaq managed to hide in a pub kitchen when Hunter Steve came knocking at the door. In fact, he only evaded being caught by squeezing into a small gap by the fridge, literally feet away from his time on the run being over.
What the cameras didn’t show was the waiting game of this move, as Shaq reveals. “I was just in that corner for about 45 minutes.” The Hunter hung around the pub, waiting for him to reveal himself – requiring some serious patience. “… this space was so tight. I was down on my knees.”
“I was just sitting there, and I couldn’t move because the adrenaline, the shock, everything was just rushing through my body.”
Earlier that day, Shaq had also had a near miss by crawling into a bush – a more common tactic from other fugitives. Laying low is often very literal in this game, and the Hunters can typically only wait you out for so long.
Beyond contorting himself into teeny gaps, Shaq also got some advice that really pushed his boundaries when he was in Wolverhampton and received the offer to go to a dead drop at Birmingham Library and pick up an extra £10,000, which contestants would get to keep, even if they were caught.
It was certainly a risk, but after sleeping on it and realising he was so close to the location and wouldn’t need to rely on public transport, Shaq decided that the positives outweighed the negatives. But to try and confuse CCTV, he was advised by new associate (and ex-marine) Duncan to change his appearance – and not by just putting on a cheap wig or a big hat.
Duncan told Shaq: “Hide in plain sight and have a disguise.’ And I said, ‘What kind of disguise?’ He was like, ‘Clean off your beard.’
“I never wanted to cut my beard… But I said, ‘You have to take risks’”.
The Hunters barely recognised Shaq on CCTV as he entered Birmingham library, fresh-faced with glasses and a bandana. Ultimately, he was able to get in and out and grab a large injection of extra cash that he could use for a more comfortable night’s sleep (plus a luxurious and well-deserved trip to the spa) at the Lake District, and funding for taxis when he needed to.
“I was just sitting there, and I couldn’t move because the adrenaline, the shock, everything was just rushing through my body.”
Never let yourself get complacent
If you’re lucky enough to avoid the Hunters for a while, it’s easy to be lured into a false sense of security. Time and time again, we see fugitives cockily boast that they believe their whereabouts are top secret, and as such, they’d stay where they were. And it’s understandable, especially when facing sleep deprivation, physical challenges and being emotionally drained.
Channel 4/Endemol Shine
After just winning £10,000 at the dead drop, hightailing it from Birmingham all the way to the Lake District and staying in a picturesque hotel, Shaq could have easily fallen into this common trap. But in fact, he went against the grain: “I was pumped and everything and I said, ‘Yeah, now it’s time for me to go and hit the spa.’
“At that point, when I was walking to my room, my stomach just turned and it said to me, ‘Do not do that, getting comfortable.’”
He booked not just one, but two taxis out of the hotel under a false name, convincing the receptionist that he was never there – and it’s a good thing he did, as Hunter Pembe came around not long after. Despite pretending to be his girlfriend, she wasn’t able to get any information from the staff, and yet again, Shaq made a close getaway.
After that point, he laid low and continued to move, and ultimately this strategy got him all the way to the end in Folkestone at the Euro Tunnel, being the only fugitive to get to extraction and win the full £100,000. On top of the £10,000 he’d bagged earlier in the show, it’s the biggest cash prize in Hunted history.
So, what’s next for Shaq? Simple, he’s focusing on taking “…some time out to just sink in… Build my foundation for my family.”
Fans of the show will know that Shaq’s real passion is food, and the prize should help to turn those dreams into a reality. “…we’ve had a jerk seasoning recipe in our family for a very long time… So that will be coming to the market soon. The restaurant, that will be later on, but we’re going to get the jerk season out there so everyone can taste the flavours”.
While he couldn’t share the exact secret to seasoning, he did share this nugget: “You know, it’s not a recipe, it’s a process.”
There hasn’t been any official announcement about Hunted being renewed for series 9 yet. If it does, then you’ll be able to apply here. Just make sure you’re prepared to take on Shaq’s advice to the max if you really want to evade those pesky Hunters and grab £100k for yourself.
Hunted series 8 (and previous series, including the celebrity editions) are available to stream on the Channel 4 website now.
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