"I thought we'd break up for sure, but we had so much fun" - Meet the Wolverhampton couple set to star in the new series of Channel 4's 'HUNTED'
A newly engaged couple from Wolverhampton are set to star in front of the nation's TV screens on the new series of Channel 4's 'HUNTED' this weekend.
Cameron Westwood, a 27-year-old decorator, and his fiancé Simran Mall, a 28-year-old social media manager discussed their 'life-changing' experience on HUNTED, a reality TV show where ordinary people go on the run across the UK while a team of expert hunters uses surveillance, tracking, and investigative techniques to try and catch them within a set time limit.
The couple, who if successful say they will spend the show's £100,000 prize money on their dream wedding, have known each other since childhood having grown up in Wolverhampton together, but only reconnected three years ago.
And having lived their lives on the run, the pair reflected on a 'chaotic and enjoyable' experience with the Express and Star.
"The best word I can use is chaos," Cameron began. "When you're interacting with people who are in the real world and they don't know you aren't it's crazy.
"I've been very slow and withdrawn from the progression of technology. I still use cash, only in the last two years have I started to use social media, so I thought it was going to be so much easier, but even with that it was still incredibly hard.
"Having experienced this I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to be 'off-grid.'"
Their task was made harder by the expert hunting team, whose ability to track the 'fugitives' down forced Cameron and Simran to think on their feet during their time on the run.
"Our one strategy was to not come home," Simran said. "As easy at it would have been to call one of our connections in Wolverhampton that felt like the easiest way we'd be caught. It's the most tempting thing to do, but it felt like a trap really.
"We kept saying that if we don't have a plan and we don't know where we're going, how can they possibly plan for where we're going? That was our motto.
"You feel like an actual fugitive, and it definitely raises all your senses. Honestly, after a while you start to genuinely question whether you're a criminal or not. It feels like all of the rules of society are different.
"I don't even know what the pin is on my card. Whenever my Apple Pay doesn't work and it asks me to insert my card I'm done. I never use cash or cashpoints so it was really difficult.
"If you asked me for directions to Dudley or Merry Hill I'd be bless, but when they dropped us in London I didn't know where I was!"
The pair run a shared TikTok page @simandcam which they credit as a driver for making it onto the show, and both hope to provide viewers with stories and lessons from their experiences, which they describe as 'life-changing.'
"It's been life changing," Simran said. "In the real world you always get a chance to decompress, whereas on the run you don't and you can't stop.
"It teaches a different kind of resilience, and since it's ended I've found that I've been able to pus through different challenges, because what's harder than having no money and no food?
"I think we were hilarious on the show, and we had a real laugh.
"I thought we'd break up for sure, but we had so much fun and we got really creative with it."
Cameron added: "The biggest thing I learned was that it's practically impossible to cover your tracks, but you can use the gift of the gab to get pretty much anywhere.
"In the real world we're reluctant to ask people for things, but in that situation it forces you to be brave and we found people to be so generous with their time and money. Off the back of being on the show now I'm more inclined to help somebody else if they need it.
"We were crafty, we used so many different modes of transport and we covered a lot of miles. It was amazing."
The new episode of HUNTED will air on Channel 4 this Sunday at 9pm.
