When ITV’s new adventure reality series, The Summit, first hit television screens on February 10, 2026, viewers were promised breathtaking landscapes, high drama, and a £200,000 prize resting atop a formidable mountain in New Zealand’s South Island. But as the show’s host, Ben Shephard, revealed in a candid interview on The One Show just a day before the premiere, the journey to the summit was anything but straightforward for its 14 contestants—and for Shephard himself, who left his familiar post on This Morning to take on the challenge.
For Sean Heath, a 26-year-old from Bootle, Merseyside, the decision to join The Summit was deeply personal. After years spent caring for his late grandmother, Brenda, Sean found himself at a crossroads. “The last thing she said to me before I left was that she wanted to see me happy and she was happy for me to go,” Sean told BBC News. Brenda, who passed away in March 2025, was the driving force behind Sean’s leap into the unknown. “I remember telling nan that I didn’t want to go, but she told me to go for it! She was very ‘jump-in-and-do-it’,” he recalled. Their close bond was evident in every step Sean took on the mountain, and a snippet of him speaking about her during filming is now a cherished keepsake.
The premise of The Summit is simple on paper but grueling in execution: 14 strangers must work together—and sometimes against each other—to carry their share of £200,000 to the mountain’s peak. The twist? Contestants can eliminate each other along the way, and all must face fiendish obstacles set by the enigmatic Mountain’s Keeper. “They’ll need a serious amount of grit, determination and strategy if they want to reach The Summit,” Shephard remarked, as reported by Everything Gossip. “Most people know how much I love exercise and adventure, but this is taking it to another level.”
According to Shephard, secrecy was paramount in the production. Contestants were kept in the dark about the true nature of the adventure until their plane touched down in New Zealand. “In fact, I wasn’t allowed to announce I was hosting it and leaving This Morning to go over there until we knew they were on the plane flying to New Zealand,” he told The One Show. The producers wanted to ensure no one could research the show’s format, which had previously aired in Australia, and thereby gain an unfair advantage.
Once in New Zealand, the contestants’ initial excitement was palpable. “It was great at the bottom! The sun was shining, and everyone was so full of hope and joy,” Shephard recounted. Each was handed a bag containing about £14,000—representing their share of the grand prize. The rules were clear: whatever cash made it to the top would be split among those who succeeded. “Everyone was so excited when we started, but it didn’t take very long for it to fall apart, though,” Shephard admitted, hinting at the inevitable tensions that would arise when money and ambition collide.
For Sean, the experience was transformative. “At the time we filmed it, life got really serious,” he confessed. Having spent years putting others first, he saw The Summit as an opportunity to do something for himself. “I did not go in with a game plan—and I was never motivated by the prize money,” he insisted to the BBC. Instead, it was the challenge, and perhaps a bit of his nan’s adventurous spirit, that spurred him on.
The physical and psychological demands of the climb left their mark. Sean described the ordeal as “terrifying but very rewarding,” crediting the show with helping him conquer his fear of heights. “I don’t experience vertigo when I climb up a ladder now!” he joked. But the challenges were not limited to the mountain’s slopes or the Mountain’s Keeper’s tricks. For Sean, one of the most daunting aspects was being cut off from his phone. “I was obsessed about the idea of not talking to her [Brenda]—we were more like husband and wife than nan and grandson!” he said. Yet, the digital detox proved unexpectedly liberating. “I didn’t need my phone. It was great to put the phone down and take time for myself. People need to do that—take the headphones out, talk to people. Communication is gone now. Kids aren’t talking; they’re chatting on Instagram. I loved talking to people up there.”
Upon returning home, Sean found himself craving the comforts of ordinary life. “It was a chippy tea—I think it was a special beef curry. And a glass of wine. I was dying for it!” he laughed, a reminder that even the most epic adventures end with simple pleasures.
While The Summit was making headlines for its high-stakes drama, another ITV show, Tipping Point, offered a different kind of thrill. Social media personality Ellie Millar, with 2.9 million TikTok followers, shared her behind-the-scenes experience after winning £2,100 on the game show. Ellie’s journey began with a surprise call from producers while she was working at Costa Coffee. After a series of interviews and general knowledge quizzes, she was selected to film in Bristol, with ITV covering her travel and accommodation. “The hotel wasn’t really really fancy, but it was nice. Also, the evening I got there they gave me a food voucher to go and get myself some food. It was a 10/10 experience,” she recounted.
Ellie was required to bring three outfits for filming, none of which could be blue, patterned, or branded. Ironically, all her choices were rejected, leaving her to wear the jumper she’d traveled in. The filming day was a blur, but meeting Ben Shephard stood out. “He was so so lovely and I was a bit starstruck,” she said. After triumphing over two opponents, Ellie chose to walk away with her winnings rather than gamble for the £10,000 jackpot. She received her prize money within a month, before the show aired, and was sworn to secrecy about the outcome. “The only rules I was told is that I couldn’t disclose to anyone what the outcome of the show was. I did tell my mum though, I’m not going to lie.”
Ben Shephard’s warmth and professionalism shine through in both The Summit and Tipping Point. Whether guiding contestants through the physical extremes of the New Zealand Alps or the mental gymnastics of a game show studio, Shephard’s presence is a steady one. Yet, as the drama of The Summit unfolds, it’s clear that no amount of hosting experience can prepare anyone—contestant or presenter—for the unpredictable mix of ambition, adversity, and human connection that reality television brings.
From the windswept peaks of New Zealand to the bright lights of a Bristol studio, ITV’s reality offerings remind us that whether the stakes are £2,100 or £200,000, it’s the journey—and the stories behind the faces—that truly captivate.