Rugby star Peter Stringer has admitted that participating in RTE’s Ultimate Hell Week was "worse than I imagined".
The Munster and Ireland legend was used to pushing himself to the limit on the pitch but he wasn’t prepared for what was thrown at him while filming on Spike Island.
The Corkman was joined on the show alongside professional athletes such as Andrew Trimble, Barry Murphy, Valerie Mulcahy and Stephanie Roche and he was shocked to see such experienced people falling during the tough challenges.
Peter told the Irish Mirror: “It was a lot worse than I imagined it would be.
“I watched the first two seasons and I don’t know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, having seen what people went through.
“But I wanted to prepare myself as much as I could. What amazed me the most was really fit people falling at different hurdles.
“You can prepare as much as you think you can, but you will never know until you get in there and experience it. It was one of the toughest things I have ever done, without a doubt.”
Peter couldn’t get close to any of the other 17 castmembers because he needed to look after himself in order to survive.
He said: “You don’t have time to get to know anyone because you are so in it for yourself. I know that sounds selfish but that’s the way you have to be mentally. You have to be focused and organised.
“As a group, there was a really good bond there and we all helped each other out. Rory O’Connor was always motivating people and so was Marc O’Neill.”
The father-of-two confessed that he underestimated some of the girls at the beginning but he soon learned how incredible they were.
He said: “When I saw Niamh Cullen and Laura Nolan come in first, they were very angelic and pretty girls, but they surprised me.”
