Channel 4's hit show 'Hunted' returns to TV screens this week as a new batch of contestants attempt to evade the hunters and stay hidden for 25 days.

Each contestant will be bidding to win a share of the £100,000 winners' pot.

And among them will be Basildon's Loren Hannon.

 

The 26-year-old personal banker will be hoping to evade expert hunters, all of whom have police, military and special services backgrounds, as well as a few psychologists and hackers.

In an interview with Channel 4 ahead of the series launch on Thursday, Loren said it's not all about the money for her.

What do you think the experience of going on the run will actually feel like?

I’m not naïve, it is going to be hard. Being away from home, personally I am going to find difficult. Others might not be the same, but that is the thing that I am going to find the hardest.

But, I actually think it is going to be so much fun, because you are doing something that you have never done before. The exciting part for me is who I’m going to meet on the way, who is going to help me, what situations I’m going to be in, where am I going to go, what am I going to see.

Echo:

So, I’m not going to let it be a negative experience, I am just going to make the most of it. I think that it is going to be good.

Do you think that you have what it takes to get to the end?

I think that I have what it takes in the sense of my mental side of things. I can see the positive, I can get through and embrace it.

I won’t let it get ahead of me too much. I really do think that I can do it, but everyone that goes on the show thinks that they can do it, and they get caught. So I don’t want to push my luck saying ‘yeah I can do this’, then all of a sudden karma comes and bites me for being too cocky.

But I have the right frame of mind, I am going in with the right frame of mind.

How will you succeed at Hunted? Is there anything that you have seen in past series that you are going to give, a go, or avoid?

I know that I am going to get homesick, because I have never spent any time away from my mum, my nan and grandad. So it is more that I have no contact. But I am going to try my hardest not to let that trip me up.

And for me, because I am very easy going, I will take it as it comes, I kind of like, wing life. So, with this, the thing that I am going to do every step that I take, is not get cocky and think before I act, because that could be my downfall.

Echo:

So, why did you want to do Hunted?

I wanted to challenge myself, I am always with people, always around people, doing things for others. I wanted to see how I would do on my own. I would not have done it with anyone else. So I just wanted to see, can I do this. Can I be proud? If I get to the end then it is like, I have done it.

Another thing that I like about it, because everyone now… we are so obsessed with computers and Facebook, and Instagram. I love outdoors, nature. So I am looking forward to fending for myself. No social media, just me, and meeting loads of random people, which is what I like.

Is the money a factor at all?

The money is a good incentive, don’t get me wrong, because the money could really change your life. But if I got to day 25 and I got caught, I would be absolutely devastated, because I didn’t win. But I would be happy because 25 days is a good amount of time to really have the full experience and to have a good routine and change your perception of things.