Hunted star's extreme back-to-school advice after heartbreaking admission about own childhood

Hunted star's extreme back-to-school advice after heartbreaking admission about own childhood EXCLUSIVE: September is the peak for pupil absenteeism, figures show, but Hunted star Jordan Wylie - who suffered his own troubled childhood - believes there's a way for children and parents to get back on track As millions of children head back to school this week, families and teachers are braced for the start of the autumn term - traditionally the peak period for pupil attendance problems. Department for Education data for 2025-26 shows that absences climbs in the autumn term, with a staggering 18.1% of pupils - equal to 1.29 million children - classed as persistently absent after missing at least 10pc of their classes, an increase of 10,000 from 2024-2025. Some 151,000 pupils were classed as severe absences, meaning they missed at least half of their term. Now, TV adventurer and Hunted star Jordan Wylie MBE warns that parental anxiety and screen addiction are compounding the crisis. Having grown up on a tough Blackpool council estate before joining the British Army and leading record-breaking expeditions, he understands the feelings of anxiety and isolation all too well. Calling himself a "little tearaway" from Grange Park - one of the biggest one of the biggest council estates in the country, he previously said: "I have seen, first hand, how coming from a challenging background you can easily end up on the wrong path because there are no other opportunities." He spent his 15th birthday in a police cell and left school with no qualifications before joining the army. In 2015 he suffered a mental breakdown after leaving military service but used his "spirit of adventure" to recover. And he warns that screen addiction and overprotective parenting are leaving teenagers ill-equipped for real-world stress As a former military intelligence officer who has spent weeks off-grid in extreme environments including climbing kilimanjaro bare foot, defending ships from pirates and exploring the Antarctic, Jordan has found solace in the extreme environments away from the hubbub of everyday life. "I've seen young people taking their own lives because of things that have happened on social media," Jordan told the Daily Mirror. "When I go out on an adventure into very remote places where there's often no signal or no connectivity, I can honestly say that my mental health is at its best than it ever has been. "There's a real challenge in society with young boys' mental health and well-being. When I look at how teenage girls use social media, there's this constant comparison culture where young men and women are being made to feel not good enough because of what they see online. The challenges that young people have today are a lot more difficult and complex than certainly what I had 20 years ago." Instead of letting pre-term anxiety isolate children at home, Jordan urges parents and pupils to reframe obstacles into opportunities. He is supporting Outward Bound - which has five centres across England, Scotland and Wales - as it launches its Big Shake-Up campaign to help support kids, parents and teachers with the major transition. "When you go back into the new school year, there are a lot of things that people are apprehensive about," Jordan said. "We're trying to encourage them to step into the unknown and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. "When we're given challenges in life, they are our best opportunities to grow. Instead of seeing the stumbling blocks, let's look for the stepping stones that are going to help us, not cause us more stress." Natalie Harling, Director of Business Development, The Outward Bound Trust, added: "We get more dropouts during the back-to-school period than at any other time of the year. "We believe young people grow when they step into the unfamiliar. Sometimes that happens on a mountain, a lake or a wild stretch of coastline - sometimes it starts with a different question in a classroom. "Pupils notice something new, talk to someone different, share an idea, support a classmate or reflect on a small moment of courage. It can take five minutes in class, registration or assembly, but it might open-up a conversation that lasts a little longer. Sixteen-year-old Lily, from Bristol, says applying that mindset changed her life. Suffering with anxiety, she had convinced herself to stay on at her school and study A-Levels there so she could stay with her friends. But after pushing herself through a two-week course in Cumbria - cliff jumping, rock climbing, and camping off-grid - meeting Jordan inspired her to break away from her comfort zone. "Before I went, I was very stuck and a big people pleaser," Lily told the Daily Mirror. "I wasn't thinking about myself. But then I then spent time talking to Jordan and meeting new people and seeing what's out there. "It completely changed everything. As soon as I got on the train to come home, I rang my mum and told her to apply for my place at Bath College for the paramedic course. "I spoke to Jordan, and he inspired me by talking about his past. He showed me I can now believe in myself to do something like that, and I'm just going to put myself out there." Lily echoed Jordan's fears about screen addiction amongst her peers. "There is so much more than just what's on social media," she said. "I've seen so much of the world. There's a lot of people in my age range and below who are always on their phones and missing out on the things that are actually around them. "They're very addicted to social media these days, and I think it's quite a heartbreaking thing." Jordan stresses that parental anxiety often filters down to children, as he warns mums and dads to watch how they talk about school at home. As someone that didn't enjoy school, or pass any GCSE exams, he tries not to speak negatively about education to his children. "When you speak about school as a parent, speak about it positively. Remind them of the importance of kindness, especially when going into a new year." His top advice for families battling pre-term jitters this weekend is simple: turn off the tech and get outside. "Put all your digital devices down, close the laptop, switch off the iPad, turn your phone off for a for a few hours and get in the outdoors," he urged. "Pretty much everyone in the UK is within an hour of a national park or the coast. It allows us to reset as humans. Let's disconnect our technology to reconnect with our family." And for kids terrified of the first day back? Jordan says it's all about reframing the feeling. "Often when I speak to young children, they often talk about about nervous or being scared or fearful. When we're nervous, that's the exact same feeling as when we are excited," he told Daily Mirror. "If I think of all the times I would say I'm nervous, whether I'm climbing one of the biggest mountains in the world, or about to go on stage in, I am nervous, but if I look at that differently, I'm actually really excited to go and do that thing. "The Big Shake-Up for me is about being curious, it's about embracing discomfort, it's about working as a team, and it's about enjoying the journey and the way I do that is to incorporate that adventure mindset." - Check the Big Shake-Up Playbook here