Blackpool's extreme adventurer Jordan Wylie to climb Ben Nevis with Kay Burley and friends - ahead of mega attempt in October

Fresh from appearing on TV show Hunted, where he met Kay, and following a “torturous” marathon in Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan last year, Jordan Wylie will tackle Britain’s highest mountain later this month.

The ‘magnificent seven’ hope to raise £5,000, which will be split equally between Frontline Children, a charity helping children in conflict and war zones, and St Dominic’s Sixth Form College in Harrow, which is fundraising for new sports equipment.

It comes after the deaths of two climbers in recent weeks – with Jordan telling The Gazette: “I can certainly say accidents happen in this climate. Climbing in the winter is a lot different from climbing in the summer.

“We will do a risk assessment when we get up there. There’s several routes to take and it will be safety first. It depends on the climate.”

As well as being joined by Kay, Jordan will climb alongside French diplomat Aurelie Bonal, Sky News’ deputy political editor Beth Rigby, and three others from the world of media and TV. They will make their attempt on Friday, January 25.

For Jordan, an ex-soldier from Blackpool who has also written a book about his time tackling pirates off the coast of Africa, it will precede a far more dangerous attempt in October, when he will try to become the first to row across the Gulf of Aden – the stretch of water between Somalia and Yemen – unaided. That, he said, will be done to raise £250,000.

He added: “If you are going to make an impact and raise money, you have to grab the public’s imagination.”

To donate to the online fundraising page for the Ben Nevis climb, go to www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bennevis2019