A reality TV contestant has had a pretty terrifying brush with death after being strangled by a python live on air.
38-year-old Craig Freeman was filming an episode of Deadliest Pets Down Under in Airlie Beach, Australia, when he was given the task of dealing with a 10ft python that had invaded someone’s home, reports the Daily Star.
But unfortunately for the dad-of-three from Solihull, Birmingham, he got more than he bargained for when handling the giant reptile.
Throughout the ordeal, Craig was accompanied by professional pest controller Kylie, but it’s fair to say things didn’t go quite according to plan.
Noticing the python is in ‘attack mode’ Craig exclaims: “It’s just gonna get angrier and angrier.”
However, under instruction from Kylie, he courageously perseveres, grabbing the head of the snake to prevent it from biting.
But it becomes apparent that it’s not bites Craig needs to worry about as the – now understandably pissed off snake – begins to wrap itself around his throat.
Craig – fast turning bright red – just about manages to scream as the snake attempts to suffocate him – and then to add insult to injury, shits on him.
Eventually – I’m not sure why she didn’t do something sooner – Kylie steps in and frees him from the snake’s tight grasp.
But she takes the opportunity for a dig, saying:
You made that look so much harder than it should have been. My five-year-old helps me with these.
But it didn’t end there for Craig, oh no. After eating fish and chips the hapless contestant suffered a major allergic reaction and went into anaphylactic shock.
After a nine hour stint in hospital, Craig said:
The [doctors] said the fish must have eaten something poisonous and then I ate it causing the reaction.
In spite of all this, Craig still enjoyed his experience, saying:
It was an amazing experience. I got to travel and do things that some people can only dream of doing. It was amazing.
Getting throttled, shat on and poisoned doesn’t sound like my idea of a good time, but it’s great that Craig enjoyed it!
