Explorer Lucy Shepherd returns to Channel 4 with a three‑part series, Secret Africa: Into the Wild, produced by Shepherd and Larry Walford at Creation Content.
Self‑filmed over six weeks, the series follows an expedition on foot through one of Africa’s last great wildernesses, alongside a team of nomadic hunter‑gatherers.
The first episode documents Shepherd’s journey across Tanzania with indigenous Hadza and Akie tribesmen. They cross dense thorn forests and open savannah to the plains of the Serengeti and volcanic mountain ranges, in extreme heat, with no vehicles and limited supplies.
Team members Wines, Dalali, Julius, and Moses join Shepherd through territory shared with Africa’s wildlife. Hyenas circle camps at night, elephants emerge without warning, and prides of lions hunt across the same land the team must cross on foot.
Shepherd commented, “I experienced some of the scariest moments of my life filming this. It was hard and often dangerous, but utterly worth it. Many people come to Tanzania on safari, but we wanted to go beyond that and reveal the wild, majestic and truly untouched places that still exist. It’s only by learning to value our planet that we can begin to understand why it must be protected.”
Secret Africa: Into the Wild explores why preserving these remaining wildernesses is vital to the planet’s future. At a time when more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, the series highlights the fragile reality faced by the few communities that still live entirely by the land, and the accelerating loss of the territories they depend upon.
Jonah Weston, Commissioning Editor at Channel 4, said: “Lucy’s journeys are the real deal and her enthusiasm for the wild spots left on our crowded planet are inspiring and infectious. For anyone contemplating an adventure Lucy’s message is just do it!”
Secret Africa: Into the Wild is the first commission for Creation Content, co-produced with Lucy Shepherd. Larry Walford, Executive Producer at Creation Content, added: “When climate change, cultural loss and environmental instability are increasingly visible realities, a series like Secret Africa allows complex issues to be understood.”
Lucy Shepherd has led expeditions for the past 15 years, was made a fellow at the Royal Geographical Society at 23 and became the youngest ever member of the Scientific Exploration Society Council. She was awarded the Pioneer with Purpose Award by the Scientific Exploration Society in 2025. At only 29 years old, she took on a world-first Amazon expedition, considered to be one of the most remarkable journeys through jungle territory in recent years – and documented in her previous Channel 4 series, Secret Amazon: Into the Wild.
Secret Africa: Into the Wild is produced by Lucy Shepherd and Larry Walford at Creation Content. The series will air on Channel 4 and will be available to stream on demand.
Pippa Considine
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