The winner of Channel 4’s reality show Alone was finally crowned on Sunday (September 10) after a suspenseful finale.
The last contender standing received £100,000, after experiencing countless endurance challenges and surviving isolation in the Canadian wilderness. The competitors are required to provide their own food, construct their own shelter, and maintain mental stimulation.
It was a stressful finale as numerous finalists made the painful decision to go. Ultimately, Tom Williams, a 39-year-old company director and Elise, a 32-year-old London PR executive, were the only two left.
Who won Alone 2023?
After spending 34 days in the great outdoors, Williams triumphed in the grand finale, winning the £100,000 grand prize when Elise left and Naomi failed at fishing.
When informed that he had won the contest, Williams’s immediate reaction was shock: “What? No! My heart is pounding out of its chest. It feels like a dream.”
Williams beat fellow contestants Naomi, Elise, and Alan.
Williams’ struggle to obtain food was depicted in the final episode, and in an effort to stay alive and escape starvation, the daring adventurer chose to eat a nearby mouse that had broken into his tent.
It turned out the mouse had been Williams’s worst nightmare for the past few nights of the challenge, so deciding to trap and eat the animal wasn’t too difficult a choice.
Williams claims he’s an “avid” fan of the American version, having “watched 10 seasons of it”.
“I was resolutely there for 60 days in my mind. Then, suddenly, it was done. It was a real shift in my brain, and it was quite hard to comprehend.”
When questioned afterwards about how winning made him feel, Williams responded, “On the one hand, I felt immensely joyful and proud of myself and surprised! It was an incredible rush and I was excited to be returning to the comforts of civilisation and food that you do fantasise about.”
Things are looking better now that he is back in bustling Lisbon with his wife Eleanor and son Ed, age six: “I want to slow down, without a doubt.”
How can I go back and watch?
Episodes can be streamed for free on My4, the place to catch up on Channel 4 shows.
I’m already missing reality TV, when is my next fix?
My Mum, Your Dad (September 11)
The first of 10 episodes of the new dating series, hosted by Davina McCall, will premiere on ITV1 and ITVX tonight at 9pm.
The programme is known as “Love Island for grown-ups” and, according to its host, it is “heartwarming, hilarious, and heartbreaking” all at once.
Celebrity Race Across the World (September 13)
In the series, competitors team up and compete to reach a finish line thousands of miles away without the use of air transport or any other contemporary conveniences.
The epic trek will span 24 nations and more than 10,000 kilometres, beginning in Marrakech, Morocco, the most northwesterly country in Africa, and concluding in Troms, Norway, famed as the capital of the Arctic.
It will be shown on Wednesday, September 13, at 9pm, on BBC One.
Strictly Come Dancing (September 16)
Strictly’s next 2023 season is now only a few days away. Along with Craig Revel Horwood, Motsi Mabuse, and Anton Du Beke, Shirley Ballas will return to the panel as the top judge for the upcoming season.
This year’s contestants include soap star Adam Thomas, the show’s first-ever Love Island contestant Zara McDermott, actress Amanda Abbington, former EastEnders actor Nigel Harman, tennis star Annabel Croft, and comedian Les Dennis.
It is due to be broadcast on Saturday, September 16, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer, at 6.35pm.
Married At First Sight (September 18)
MAFS UK is back for 2023 on E4.
The 16 brides and grooms in the new season boldly get ready to walk down the aisle after Melanie Schilling, Paul C Brunson, and Charlene Douglas match them.
The new series will kick off on E4 at 9pm on Monday, September 18.
Love is Blind US (September 22)
Some might say Love is Blind is as good as Love Island, or even better.
With a new season situated in Houston, Texas, the popular reality TV programme that gave the term “love goggles” a whole new meaning is returning. You know the routine: singles hoping to find love exchange sweet nothings and secrets without ever meeting or seeing each other — until there is a marriage proposal.
The new season will be available on Netflix.
The Kardashians (September 28)
Is there anything the Kardashian-Jenner family could possibly throw our way that wouldn't surprise us, especially after pregnancy announcements, relationship rumours, and classic sibling rivalry?
The new season will be available on Disney +.
Big Brother
ITV is yet to confirm a return date for Big Brother, but it is expected in the upcoming weeks.
The programme, one of the most popular reality TV shows ever, was first discontinued by Channel 4 in 2010 and then by Channel 5 in 2018.
It will be screened on ITV2 and ITVX, with new hosts AJ Odudu and Will Best.
The Great British Bake Off
Although the premiere date for Bake Off 2023 has not yet been disclosed by Channel 4, the popular cooking programme has traditionally aired in September.
In previous years, the show premiered on September 13 in 2022, September 21 in 2021, and September 22 in 2020.
