Meet the former Royal Marine from Sunderland set to star in survival TV show Treasure Island with Bear Grylls

Marco Damian, 30, will star in Channel 4 show Treasure Island with Bear Grylls, which hits the small screen on Sunday, September 8, at 9pm.

The series sees 12 ordinary Brits marooned for 35 days on a remote tropical island, battling for their survival and the chance to win £100,000.

The show is a spin-off of the original hit series called The Island with Bear Grylls, with the twist being that contestants will not only have to survive the forces of nature – but will be pushed to their limits as they endeavour to find the money dropped across the island.

But only those who make it to the very end of the five weeks, can keep their share of any money they find.

Sunderland contestant Marco, spent six years in the military and has now set up his own wedding photography and graphic design business, Marco Damian Photography.

The huge cash prize was the driving force behind him applying for the show.

Marco said: “I wanted to do the show for the money.

“As soon as they said the money was going to be on the island, that caught my attention.

“I wasn’t bothered about the survival side of things because as someone who has just left the military, I was used to all that kind of stuff, it’s second nature to me, I always knew I could survive.”

Marco’s time in the Marines saw him complete training exercises during severe weather conditions in the likes of the Mojave Desert in California, the Scottish mountains and Welsh hills – giving him a distinct advantage on the island.

He decided to leave the military shortly after his dad died in 2016 – but has maintained his fitness levels and says he felt confident flying out to the remote island.

Marco added: “Bear is probably one of the reasons I joined the marines.

“He inspires you to want to get outside, inspires you to want to challenge yourself and put yourself in discomfort.”