Freeze The Fear With Wom Hof | Interview with Professor Green

Firmly established as one of the crossover superstars of British music, the Hackney born and raised rapper Professor Green, otherwise known as Stephen Manderson, has released two Top Three albums and amassed a career tally of over three million combined sales in the UK alone. 

Had you ever encountered Wim Hof before doing the show?

I had tried his breathing techniques a couple of times. I thought he was wild! He came across as the most energetic guy, to have all that energy at his age, I was getting tired just watching him!  He’s certainly an interesting chap.

As a rapper and mental health activist yourself, how did you cope with the really cold environment?

I took part because my mental health has not been at its best. I hit quite a low point last year and I just really wanted to reboot and get my energy back.  I knew that the cold-water swimming was perfect for that as it’s something I’ve used intermittently. I understand the benefits of cryotherapy [cold water therapy] but I wanted to do it properly – as it’s supposed to be done.

How did Wim gain your confidence in doing all these challenges?

Wim just has a brilliant way about him. He gets you to set your intention and lets you make your own decisions. It’s always completely up to you, he’s not coaxing you into something. 

Which part of the experience did you find the hardest overall and were there any parts of it that you thought you’d find difficult but actually weren’t in the end?

I was quite worried about the environment that we were in and not being able to choose my own bedtime because if I’m at home and I want to have an early night I will. I was worried about not getting enough sleep and the effect that would have on me and my ability to see through the tasks, but I actually slept quite well – and that was helped by the breathing exercises Wim did with us. You lie down, close your eyes and start off doing 3-4 rounds (we ended up doing 6) of 30-40, sometimes 50 breaths in and out, breathing in deep but not worrying about pushing all the air out. There’s no graceful way to do it – you’re spluttering sometimes because you’re trying to keep up. By the fifth or sixth round you begin to feel like you’re inhaling gas and air – I got hit by a car once and was given them and it actually mimics that.

But everyone had very different experiences.  Some people were impacted really deeply and saw relatives who had passed. The last time we did it I heard the most incredible ‘shhh’ noise and I don’t know how long it went on for, but I didn’t want it to stop.  People talk about having out of body experiences, but I felt very much like I had the opposite of that which is also quite profound.  It was a very inward body experience. Wim said, ‘follow the breath, go with the breath’ and I couldn’t tell you where I was in my body at that point: there was none of that normal nervous energy bouncing around, my mind was so still. Then all of a sudden, the noise stopped and I was back. 

It’s amazing to think that practising breathing for just 15-20 minutes a day can reduce inflammation in your body. Just think about the cumulative effects if you’re able to do that.  Everyone can find 20 minutes in the day – we just have to make it work. Going away and having a digital detox – not having my phone for the best part of three weeks – was hard because I couldn’t see my son or my partner.  But now I just don’t care about my phone anymore; I don’t have that addictive tendency to just sit and scroll. 

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

It reminded me that I can put myself in a situation which is completely abstract with a bunch of strangers and not only survive the experience but contribute. We all bonded with the very first challenge we did together. 

Which of the celebs in the group did you bond with the most?

I loved everyone, they’re a great bunch. I must say Gabby was amazing and I probably bonded most with her, Chelcee and Patrice – he’s the most gorgeous human being I think I have ever come across; really honest, good natured and kind with real strength.

Which then if any parts of the experience or anything that Wim’s taught you would you take forward in your everyday life?

I have cold showers every day now.  I don’t do the breathing as often as I should but even when I was feeling ill, I got into the shower looked at the hot water and thought ‘nope cold!’  Although we all like our creature comforts, we didn’t evolve that way.  Lovely as they are, they make us weak and don’t encourage us to use our bodies in the ways that we should, to take space and find peace of mind or to breathe how we should.  I wrote an article for a book called ‘Smart Phone, Stupid People’ about the fact that relying on phones literally robs you of your faculties. 

I think that these little moments of discomfort are good for you – just start small, say a sixty second cold shower, what is a minute out of your day?  You spend time feeling uncomfortable on a tube – so in the comfort of your own home why not have a cold shower when the rewards are huge?  Increase to two, three, four minutes – it’s a very small part of your day. I’ll never stop doing it now.

Have you got any funny anecdotes from filming?

That’s like asking someone which is their favourite album! There were so many funny moments.  Personally, I’d like to see a montage of how many times I walked into things or hit my head on something, I was the clumsiest person there, no shadow of a doubt!  I’d also like to see a montage of me saying: ‘I’m cold’ or ‘Oh it’s chilly!’