The speaker for the Cornwall Business Awards 2022 has been announced, with Ben Fogle to take the reins for the event on June 30.

Fogle first burst onto the nation’s screens during one of the UK’s first reality TV shows ‘Castaway’.

Marooned on a remote Scottish island to build a self-sufficient community, the show was filmed and broadcast over a year in 2000 on BBC One. Fogle was the standout star, launching a career as that has seen him present programmes such as Countryfile, Animal Park and Crufts.

He has kept up his adventurer spirit climbing Mount Everest, rowing across the Atlantic, racing across Antarctica to the South Pole and crossing the deserts of the Empty Quarter in the Middle East.

He has written nine best-selling books, is United Nations Patron of the Wilderness and the Red Cross as well as being an ambassador to WWF and Hearing Dogs for the Deaf.

Fogle will have plenty of inspirational stories to tell from presenting documentaries on diverse subjects like Captain Scott in Antarctica and crocodiles in Botswana.

Kirsty Miles-Musgrave, operations manager for the Growth and Skills Hub said: “We are delighted to have Ben Fogle join us on June 30 to not only celebrate the successes of Cornish business, but to also share a few tales from his career along the way.

“For those businesses who wish to apply for an award it’s not too late, with entries open until Monday, March 21. There is an award category for everyone so jump online and get applying.”

The awards are completely free to enter, and businesses should register on the Cornwall Business Awards website. A full listing of award categories as well as tips and tricks on how to put together your application are also available there.