Samantha Willett, 41, endeared herself to millions of Tempting Fortune viewers as she competed against fellow contestants in the Malaysian jungle on the popular show.
Before braving the jungles of South East Asia, Sam, from the Wirral, was a successful businesswoman and mother, balancing family life with leadership roles in hospitality and owning restaurants while landing supporting roles in soap operas such as Hollyoaks and Emmerdale.
Despite facing the challenges of a divorce, she has now finally fulfilled her dream of television stardom.
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Sam’s journey began with an application to The Dog Academy, as she hoped to gain assistance with her two Saint Bernards.
While she didn’t win actual dog training, her television journey was just beginning, as she didn’t realise The Dog Academy was in fact a show on Channel 4.
Sam said: “I thought I was winning free training for my two Saint Bernards, Bodhi and Bailey.
“They are so strong and a little naughty, so I applied for The Dog Academy because I wanted help with my dogs.
“I was very surprised when Channel 4 emailed, wanting me and my dogs on the show.”
Sam’s determination shone through as she resisted every temptation put in front of her, while the hardest part was being away from her children, having never been separated from them for more than a single night.
Despite battling a severe ear infection that caused double vision and balance issues, from day one she pushed through the demanding treks, embodying her self-proclaimed “moody ass, strong bitch” persona.
Sam said: “If I’d have been 100 per cent healthy, I still would have been the moody ass, strong bitch that you saw on the show.
“I’m a team player with old school morals, so being on a show with lots of backstabbing and deceit was very challenging.”
Since the show, Sam has maintained connections with fellow contestants Hugo and Tom, and will now be featured on The Bad Dog Academy on April 17.
Sam added: “I loved the jungle and to have that time away from life to reflect on things in my personal life was just what I needed.
“The politics and toxicity with these social dynamics on these type of shows can be very testing though and I really missed my kids.
“Now that I’m back I’m looking forward to kicking on and seeing what other opportunities are out there.”
