The contestant spoke out in a video after tensions brewed amongst the contestants.
He was left hanging as the other competitors carried on(Image: ITV)
ITV’s The Summit contestant Tom Gray has spoken out following his elimination as the first participant to exit the reality show.
The London-based tour guide was competing in the high-octane challenge, presented by This Morning’s Ben Shephard. The programme tracks 14 challengers as they attempt to conquer a mountain summit in New Zealand’s South Island Alps, with £200,000 up for grabs.
The line-up includes ex-Gladiator Ace and Gillian McKeith’s daughter, and within a single episode, friction has already emerged, particularly when a savage twist was unveiled.
Whilst not everyone will reach the finale, the participants weren’t prepared to be told they must vote off one player whilst suspended on ropes above a steep drop.
Tom was the initial contestant to depart the competition, and was left dangling from the mountainside as his fellow players continued their journey without him, reports Wales Online.
He’s now spoken about his departure, which was championed by military man Dockers and sparked heated debates amongst the group.
In footage posted online, Tom remarked: “I think I was targeted because there was an insecure little child on the other side of the bridge and he didn’t like the fact that people seemed to respect the judgement calls that I was making. I wasn’t trying to be loud, I was just trying to me quietly confident.
“Given the chance, I wouldn’t do a single goddamn thing differently. I enjoyed the fact that I was at the front and I really enjoyed helping other people and I felt that I actually gave something to the team.”
He continued: “The one bit of advice I would give to myself if I was going to do this again, don’t treat everybody as if they have the same characteristics and personality as you do. Don’t trust them. You’re going to get stabbed in the back.”
He proceeded to brand Dockers a “petulant little child”, declaring: “He’s not going to serve anybody in the group. He’s just going to cause divides, rifts, and I want people to be happy whilst they make their way up to The Summit.”
Fans rallied behind Tom with messages of support, with one posting: “Well said Tom! And so sorry to see you 1st out! Brilliant attitude though!” Another commented: “You was so likeable,” whilst a third added: “so gutted you were first to go.”
During his brief stint on the programme, Tom disclosed a moment from his history that prompted viewers to hail him a hero, revealing he was amongst the members of the public who stepped in during the 2019 London Bridge terror attack.
He had been nearby when a man fatally stabbed two people, and was one of the multiple bystanders that attempted to stop the attacker. Tom had stamped on the terrorist’s wrist in an effort to force him to drop one of his knives.
Speaking on The Summit, he recalled: “I was driving over the London Bridge. Seemed like a standard day at work for me. I realised that I’d stumbled onto a terrorist attack. Three chaps had chased the terrorist out of the Fishmongers’ Hall and pinned him to the ground.
“And so I tried to be as useful as I possibly could. Kicked one of the knives out of the terrorist’s hands. Armed police turned up. And we then were told that he had a bomb vest on. Turns out it was a hoax.”
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“That was something that really made me think life can change in an instant,” he went on to reflect.
“Don’t always try and plan for the future because the future might not actually come for you. So when this opportunity landed in front of me, I’ve got to take it with my hands.”
The Summit continues on Tuesday at 9pm on ITV1 and ITVX.