“Americans are cool; if you show just a chink of vulnerability, they respond so much. They'll pat you on the arm and say, 'Hey kid, you're all right.' Brits will respond but they are much more cynical.”

“I come from a line of self-motivated, determined folk - not grand, not high society, but no-nonsense, family-minded go-getters.”

“I try and eat really healthy when I'm home, but I certainly don't eat worms and snakes.”

“Survival requires us to leave our prejudices at home. It's about doing whatever it takes - and ultimately those with the biggest heart will win.”

“The rules of survival never change, whether you're in a desert or in an arena.”

“In the British Special Air Service, combat fitness is all about running.”

“And Jesus, the heart of the Christian faith is the wildest, most radical guy you'd ever come across.”

“Faith is personal if it's to be real.”

“Some of the greatest survivors have been women. Look at the courage so many women have shown after surviving earthquakes in the rubble for days on end.”

“As for my diet, I try to eat lean, clean and healthy - nothing too surprising. And I avoid too much meat or dairy because they slow you down.”

“You're not human if you don't feel fear. But I've learnt to treat fear as an emotion that sharpens me. It's there to give me that edge for what I have to do.”