Rob Beckett expected heat, humidity and plenty of drama when he took the reins as host of Tempting Fortune, but what he perhaps didn't expect was getting his lunch robbed by monkeys...

The comedian has taken over from Paddy McGuinness as host of the reality series, which sees contestants trek through an unforgiving terrain while attempting to protect a shared £300,000 prize pot.

While that might sound easy on paper, throughout the journey the contestants are offered irresistible temptations, from food and drink to home comforts and experiences – each carrying a price that comes out of their prize pot.

For Beckett, joining the show was somewhat of a no-brainer, having already been a fan.

"I’d seen the show, loved it, and it was my kind of show," he told Radio Times. "I love reality and that kind of stuff, and [it has] such a good premise."

Arriving in Langkawi, Malaysia, is a dream for many, except Beckett constantly found himself at odds with some particularly monkeys.

"I’ve never been bullied by anything non-human before," he joked, recalling how the monkeys would chase him when he returned carrying food from catering. His only option was to drop it and let them claim their meal.

Beckett explained that one day a monkey sat outside his door and hotel stag had to move it because whenever he approached, the monkey would bare its teeth. Unfortunately for Beckett, he discovered that showing your teeth back at a monkey can be seen as aggression.

"I’m essentially walking round Malaysia, squaring up some monkeys, going, 'Do you want some?'" he said.

Thankfully that was the only challenge Beckett faced in the jungle, while the contestants took on the brutal reality of the show.

By the time the contestants come across a temptation, they are already dehydrated, exhausted and hungry, which makes a potentially unnecessary luxury suddenly harder to resits.

"The beauty of the show is every single person has a different approach to their life," Beckett told . Some people prioritise money and long-term goals, while others "don’t care about money but just want to have good experiences".

Because of that, he argued, that there isn't a straight-forward and correct way to play, adding: "No one's right or wrong. Everyone has their own way of approaching life."

Nothing quite says Tempting Fortune like stumbling across a Gregg's in the middle of Malaysia.

"I turned the corner and I was blown away by it," Beckett said. "It looked so real, like it'd been picked up from Preston [and] dropped there."

Of course, this particular Gregg's isn't priced like one on the high-street, with a simple sausage roll costing hundreds. "There's 300 grand in the prize [pot]. Something's got to chip away at it," he said.

His own weakness, however, wouldn't necessarily be the food but rather a freezing cold drink after sweating through the jungle. "It's the ice cold drinks [that] would get me," he admitted. "You're so thirsty and you need that sugar, you need those electrolytes, you need that to liven you up."

As the series progresses, cliques form and contestants agree not to spend money, only for somebody to decide to anyway - and hunger has a way of changing principles.

"It's hard being in there," Beckett said. "If they've never had enough, or they've had a row, they're starving hungry. You make snap decisions..."

Tempting Fortune begins on Tuesday 22 September at 9:30pm on Channel 4.

Add Tempting Fortune to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more.

Check out more of our to find out what else is on. For more TV recommendations and reviews listen to .