Freeze the Fear fans were left in tears after an action-packed finale that saw celebrities jump off a gigantic 500-foot bridge. HExtreme athlete Wim Hof has been putting celebrities in their stride and teaching them the benefits of breathing control in a series that has seen the likes of Gabe Logan, Owen Wayne Evans and Patrice Evra push their limits.
But Tuesday’s emotional finale saw the celebrity take on the most controversial challenge yet by jumping over a 500-foot bridge. Relief and victory were evident on the faces of Tamsin Othwaite and Diane Boswell after completing the challenge – it even left some fans in tears. You can get more celebrity news and other story updates by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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Dianne yells “I f*cking did that” after her jump, winning especially fans of the show who were happy.
And it wasn’t just about the celebrities who got plaudits, too—after six grueling weeks of ice-cold challenges (literally), there’s been plenty of love online for host Wim Hof, who has put the celebs in their stride.
Six weeks of cold rain, intense breathing techniques and icy cold challenges, they all piled up until the end of Freezing Fear. As the episode began, presenter Holly Willoughby described how “it all led to this” in an epic way.
And “epic” was certainly the word to describe this ending. As morning came, the group took one last cold shower, and Welsh weather presenter Owen Wayne Evans said, “I wasn’t a big fan of the feeling of a cold shower, but I think it helped,” before splashing cold water on Dianne Buswell of Come Dancing.
But does the group decide to jump or not? As they made their way to the bridge, EastEnders star Tamzin Othwaite said, “I’m at peace with my decision, I’m not jumping. I don’t have anything I need to give up and if I do, I’ll be cured,” but what will the others do?
(Photo: BBC)
Facing the sight of the gigantic bridge, Owen looked startled as he prepared to jump, from a distance of 500 feet that would swing under the bridge body. Diane was the first to take on the challenge and from the ground below, Owen claimed: “She’s terrified of that.” Meanwhile, as always, Iceman Wim Hof on the bridge was telling the stern star there was “one step between her and the future.”
“I can’t imagine myself jumping,” Diane said in tears, but she recognized the fact that she was facing her fears and would be able to live with the fact that she couldn’t jump.
Despite this, Wim encouraged her to “let go of the past” and face her fear. When she fell, she exclaimed: “I did it! I did it!” And the other stars looked on with pride. Diane then returns to Earth and tells the others that “Wim made her feel at peace with herself” and that she “never felt so happy.”
Tamzin, after seeing Diane jump, changed her mind and tried to jump higher. She greeted Wim at the top and told him she “couldn’t even think of it”. And with that – she fell, having also faced her fears. “I’m so glad I did, it really made me emotional,” Tamzin said when she got back to the others.
Stephen was next – emotionally deciding not to jump in, feeling outside of his “comfort zone”. Other celebrities praised him for his decision, saying he showed great strength not to do so. Then it was Chelsea’s turn, who faced her fear and jumped off the bridge. She was praised for her strength.
(Photo: BBC)
And then, the one we’ve all been waiting for – Owen. Welsh presenter Owen has come a long way since the series began, so naturally, the group was wondering if he’d take the leap. The emotional Owen used his breathing techniques and simply said “let’s go” as he jumped off the bridge. His trademark blew in the wind and Owen bravely returned to other celebrities.
Next was Patrice, who without hesitation jumped off the bridge. Gabby then gave it to her and then chose to drop off the bridge. Finally, Alfie was going up and down until he reached the bridge, not sure if he would jump. The singer had previously spoken about his battles with depression and how Wim’s coaching had a huge impact on him. There was a lot of riding on the jump as Alfie felt it would be a fresh start for him. “Inhale the past, breathe into the future,” Wim said as Alfie prepared to face the fall. He described how he was “scared” and looked down.
5 … 4 … 3 … 2 … 1 and he did. Swinging under the bridge, emotional Alfie exclaimed.
(Photo: BBC)
Wim described “human emotions as best,” and it’s safe to say that celebrities would definitely agree. I’ve tested them for the past six weeks, both emotionally and physically, and they’ve all reaped the benefits of immersion in cold water.
Watch all episodes of Freeze the Fear with Wim Hof on BBC iPlayer