After starring in the UK and US versions of the show, former British military sniper Ben Owen has loaned his expertise to Hunted Australia.

Ben appeared in multiple seasons of the UK version, serving as both the Deputy Chief and Chief, as well as working as a Senior Analyst in the American iteration.

The hunter told 10Play that Hunted Australia was the “best game of high-tech hide and seek someone will ever watch”.

How Does Hunted Australia Stack Up Against the UK and US Versions?

According to the 41-year-old, Hunted Australia has the most fugitives that he’s ever had to track down.

With many contestants proving to be “quite a handful”, Ben added that the Australian series also has the shortest time limit for capture. However, it seems like he’s up for the challenge!

“I’ve lost sleep, I’ve gone nearly completely grey. They really tested us,” he said of trying to capture all 18 fugitives. “The odds are stacked against us.”

The former soldier admitted that the Australian fugitives “didn’t tend to make too many mistakes“, compared to the UK and US versions.

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Ben believed “the odds [were] stacked against” the hunters. Source: Ten.

Despite this, Ben thought that having more international personnel at Hunted HQ would be the key to their success.

According to the experienced operative, he didn’t think any fugitives would make it through to the end.

What Is Hunted Australia Deputy Officer Ben Owen’s Background?

Off-screen, Ben is an internationally recognised expert in covert operations, surveillance and online investigations.

He has over 17 years of experience working at the very height of national security in the UK, in military operations, and in the private sector.

Before joining Hunted UK in 2015, Ben was a British Intelligence Officer and served in the Royal Air Force as a “Gunner”. It was here that he specialised in combat tactics, weaponry, force protection and fieldcraft (whatever that means!).

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Off-screen, Ben is an internationally recognised expert in covert operations, surveillance and online investigations. Source: Ten.

In 2006, Ben was involved in “Operation Overt”, which saw the highly-publicised capture of the East London bomb makers, according to Radio Times. So, in short, the dude has quite the resume.

With that background, it’s clear his career goals weren’t initially focused on getting on TV.

“If someone said ‘TV’ I’d probably run in the other direction having spent 10 years as a spy behind cameras, not going near a camera,” Ben confessed. And we don’t blame him!

When he’s not filming Hunted Australia, Ben works as a cybersecurity and intelligence expert and consults across the globe. Plus, he even dabbles in keynote speaking!

Want even more goss? Listen to episode 203 of the So Dramatic! podcast with Megan Pustetto below!

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