Freeze The Fear With Wom Hof | Interview with Alfie Boe

Alfie Giovanni Roncallie Boe OBE is an English tenor and actor, notably performing in musical theatre.

Had you ever encountered Wim Hof prior to doing the show?

Funnily enough, I was at a dinner party with a couple of friends and I was telling them about this opportunity to go on this adventure, and one of them said that he’d employed a Wim Hof expert to come to his office to teach everybody his breathing techniques. I’d also done a bit of research on YouTube, so I had a good idea of how crazy he and his challenges were! 

How did Wim gain your confidence then when you were doing all these challenges? 

I think the sheer energy and positivity of Wim instils a certain confidence one needs when facing challenges. I have a huge amount of respect for him. It’s incredible what he’s managed to achieve in his own life and I wanted to try and embrace an element of that for the challenges we faced here and also in my life. Taking on board his persona and energy as much as possible really helped me through the experience. His encouraging words motivated me, I trusted him and he genuinely cared. I keep in touch with him, send him pictures and messages and we talk regularly. First and foremost I just wanted to be his friend. Having people like that in your life is the positive kind of energy you need.    

Which part of the experience did you find the hardest and were there any elements that you thought would be difficult but were actually fine in the end?

I actually thought that swimming under the ice would be quite challenging: it is quite a scary thing to swim in a thick frozen lake from one hole to another. But I absolutely embraced it and loved it! It was freezing but felt great, amazing thing to do. That was the second to last challenge and for me personally that was a moment where I felt like I’d achieved my goal. 

What surprised you most about doing these challenges and did you learn anything about yourself in the process?

I was surprised at how much I could take. The challenge I really wanted to master was staying in the lake for as long as possible. We were told to sit in it for 4 minutes but somehow I stayed there for 10. Wim tapped me on the shoulder and said ‘OK, come on Alfie – you’ve done it man, come on out!’ I told him‘Wim, that was for your wife – I did that for her’, because I wanted to be kind and to show him how much I respected him and everything he has gone through. What I learnt from the experience was how emotional each challenge was for me. I now realise that in the same way as you embrace the cold or acknowledge the fear, you have to acknowledge your own insecurities, your worries, your problems, your issues and once you embrace them, they’re easier to deal with.

Which of the celebs did you bond with the most?

Everyone in the group was amazing, but I guess I formed a particularly strong bond with Owain and Dianne. We really encouraged eachother throughout. I love those guys loads, but truly enjoyed my time with everyone.

Which parts of the experience would you take forward with you into your everyday life?

It’s funny you should say that!  I’ve been hiking in the hills here in Utah, trekking in shorts and trainers, just walking, embracing the cold whilst it’s snowing and I love it! The cold showers I could easily give up – I’d rather sit in a river or a frozen lake or walk barefoot in the show. It’s the cold challenges that really inspired me the most because they have that natural element to fight against and they have the fear element as well. 

Have you got any funny anecdotes from filming?

I’d say the thing I enjoyed doing most was when we were in the tent and Dianne gave me a dance lesson for when I apply to appear on Strictly! That was fun! She was an amazing teacher. One minute she turned round and said ‘Catch me Alfie’ and she just fell and I was like ‘OK I’ve got you!’. I feel like I’ve been taught by a master really – but I’m still rubbish. Who knows – if I do apply to do Strictly perhaps I’ll get Dianne as my partner.