By Lauren Morris

Published: Monday, 11 April 2022 at 12:00 am

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Starting this week on BBC One is Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof – a brand new show in which eight celebrities are tasked with enduring freezing cold temperatures in the Italian mountains.

Hosted by Holly Willoughby and Lee Mack, the series will follow the group of famous faces as they’re guided through several cold challenges by extreme athlete Wim Hof, who’s best known for his ability to withstand icy conditions.

From sports presenters and a musical theatre star, to footballers and dancers, there are all sorts of celebrities embracing the chilly trials in Freeze the Fear, but who are they?

Here’s everything you need to know about the celebrity line-up featured in Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof.

Alfie Boe

Age: 48
Job: Singer and actor
Instagram: @mralfieboe
Twitter: @AlfieBoe

Musical theatre actor and tenor Alfie Boe is best known for starring as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables on the West End. He has also performed in musicals such as La bohème, Finding Neverland and Kismet, and at the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace.

As for TV, he has appeared in episodes of Mr Selfridge and Ant & Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway as well as Ball & Boe: One Night Only and Ball & Boe Back Together alongside Michael Ball.

Speaking about his experience on Freeze the Fear, Boe said that he was surprised by how much of the gruelling challenges he could take.

“What I learnt from the experience was how emotional each challenge was for me,” he said. “I now realise that in the same way as you embrace the cold or acknowledge the fear, you have to acknowledge your own insecurities, your worries, your problems, your issues and once you embrace them, they’re easier to deal with.”

Chelcee Grimes

Age: 29
Job: Footballer and singer-songwriter
Instagram: @chelceegrimes
Twitter: @ChelceeGrimes

Chelcee Grimes is a singer-songwriter, footballer and television presenter who has written songs for Dua Lipa, Kylie Minogue, Kesha, Olly Murs, the Saturdays and Blackpink.

As a footballer, Grimes has played for Fulham, Everton, Tranmere Rovers and Merseyrail Ladies FC, where she currently plays, and she co-presents BBC Two’s Match of the Day spin-off MOTDx as well as BBC Sounds podcast Building Queertopia.

Speaking about her time on Freeze the Fear, Grimes said that she found “letting go” the hardest part of the experience, explaining: “Patrice [Evra] and I struggled with the breathing exercise – I thought I was quite connected to my emotions being a writer, but obviously there was a block somewhere and trauma that I still had underlying which was magical to find and release.”

Dianne Buswell

Age: 32
Job: Professional dancer
Instagram: @diannebuswell

Dianne Buswell is a professional dancer, best known for appearing on BBC One’s Strictly Come Dancing. She was previously a cast member on Australia’s Dancing with the Stars before joining Strictly in 2017.

She has since launched her own YouTube channel and regularly appears in the vlogs of her former Strictly Come Dancing partner and now-boyfriend Joe Sugg.

On taking part in Freeze the Fear, Buswell said she had “never experience cold like it” being from Australia. “When I was growing up, going to a cold place wasn’t really an option because it was so far away from us,” she said. “I’ve only seen snow in the last few years – this was so, so different from anything I’m used to.”

Gabby Logan

Age: 48
Job: TV presenter and former gymnast
Instagram: @gabbylogan
Twitter: @GabbyLogan

TV presenter and former athlete Gabby Logan is best known for hosting BBC Two’s The Premier League Show, Match of the Day, The One Show and Splash! as well as coverage of the London Marathon, BBC Sports Personality of the Year and the Premier League.

She is a former international gymnast, representing Wales in rhythmic gymnastics at the 1990 Commonwealth Games, before moving into broadcasting and joining Sky Sports.

Speaking about her time on Freeze the Fear, Logan said that she found the challenge involving heights the toughest, adding: “The first forward abseil was something I never thought I could achieve, but after that I became much more confident with what I could do, and I trusted the process.”

Owain Wyn Evans

Age: 38
Job: Weather presenter
Instagram: @owainwynevans
Twitter: @OwainWynEvans

Owain Wyn Evans is a Welsh journalist and broadcaster who currently presents the weather for BBC North West Tonight. He regularly appears on The One Show and has appeared on Michael McIntyre’s The Wheel, BBC’s New Year’s Eve and BBC Breakfast, while many know him as the drumming weatherman after a video of him drumming along to the BBC News theme went viral and led to his epic 24-hour drumathon for Children in Need.

Speaking about his time on Freeze the Fear, Evans said that he learned a lot, adding: “I did learn that I can make decisions for myself more and I can be more independent in the things that I need to do for myself because I do rely a lot on other people for emotional support.”

Patrice Evra 

Age: 40
Job: Former professional footballer
Twitter: @Evra

Patrice Evra is a French football coach and former professional footballer who has played for Manchester United, West Ham, France, Monaco and Nice over his 20-year career. After retiring from playing in 2019, he returned to Manchester United as a trainee coach at the club’s academy.

Speaking about what he learnt from his time on Freeze the Fear, Evra said: “I think I need to take part. I mean, sometimes I need to take care of myself instead of taking care of everybody else, that is what I learned from this experience.”

Professor Green

Age: 38
Job: Rapper and TV personality
Instagram: @professorgreen
Twitter: @professorgreen

Professor Green, whose real name is Stephen Manderson, is best known as a rapper, TV personality and mental health activist. He rose to fame with the release of his debut album, Alive Till I’m Dead, which made it to number two on the UK charts, as well as his singles I Need You Tonight, Just Be Good to Green, Monster, Read All About It and Lullaby.

He has also hosted several documentaries including Professor Green: Suicide and Me, Professor Green: Hidden and Homeless, Professor Green: Dangerous Dogs, Professor Green: Living in Poverty, and has made appearances on Murder in Successville, Tipping Point: Lucky Stars and Top Gear. He is also the patron of anti-suicide charity CALM.

Speaking about his time on the show, Professor Green said: “I took part because my mental health has not been at its best. I hit quite a low point last year and I just really wanted to reboot and get my energy back. I knew that the cold-water swimming was perfect for that as it’s something I’ve used intermittently. I understand the benefits of cryotherapy [cold water therapy] but I wanted to do it properly – as it’s supposed to be done.”

Tamzin Outhwaite

Age: 51
Job: Actress and presenter
Instagram: @glamzin
Twitter: @mouthwaite

Tamzin Outhwaite is best known for playing Mel Owen in EastEnders and for starring in Red Cap and New Tricks.

She has also appeared in Death in Paradise, Ridley Road, Midsomer Murders, Inside No. 9, Doctor Who, Silent Witness and The Fixer, while last year, she competed as Scarecrow on The Masked Dancer.

Speaking about her time on the extreme reality show, Outhwaite said: “We laughed a lot, we cried, we talked a lot, and our levels of being were so high because we were waking up in the morning and you’re walking really far in the cold or you’re swimming somewhere freezing so you’re constantly stimulated. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.”

Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof premieres at 9pm on Tuesday 12th April 2022 on BBC One. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.

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