Man takes part in TV show after listening to nan's advice

A contestant on a new adventure reality television show said his late grandmother's encouragement had helped him to take on the toughest mountain challenges.

Sean Heath, 26, cared for his late nan Brenda and said she had urged him to apply for a place on ITV's The Summit.

The series sees 14 contestants attempt to climb to the peak of a mountain in the Alps of New Zealand's South Island, competing for a share of a potential £200,000 prize.

"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," said Sean, from Bootle on Merseyside.

The Ben Shephard-fronted show gives contestants two weeks to reach the summit while facing challenges set by "the Mountain's Keeper".

They can also eliminate each other along the way, meaning strategy plays a key part in the competition.

Sean, however, said he did not go in with a game plan - and insisted he was never motivated by the prize money.

Instead, he explained that he had wanted to do something purely for himself after years of helping others.

"At the time we filmed it, life got really serious," Sean said.

Brenda died in March 2025, just months after The Summit was filmed in November 2024.

He revealed that his grandmother had been the one who had pushed him to take part.

"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'.

"It was really hard to leave and I was obsessed about the idea of not talking to her - we were more like husband and wife than nan and grandson!

"I've got a little bit of film from it - there's a bit of me talking about her - and I'll hold on to that for ever."

Fun-loving Sean said he found the experience "terrifying but very rewarding", and that the challenges had even helped him to overcome a fear of heights.

He joked: "I don't experience vertigo when I climb up a ladder now!"

Sean said he had also been anxious about being separated from his phone, but admitted going without it had been 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.

"Now when I take my dog for a walk, I leave my phone at home. I love just chatting to people from the area."

When he finally returned, one thing was already on his mind.

"It was a chippy tea - I think it was a special beef curry. And a glass of wine. I was dying for it!"

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