Tyler West cries in Celebrity Race Across the World as he recalls seeing a horrific stabbing as a teen
He still struggles with the horrendous memory to this dayCelebrity Race Across the World star Tyler West breaks down tonight as he recalls how he witnessed a fatal stabbing as a teenager.
The TV and radio presenter talks about seeing the horrific murder unfold when he was just 14 years old.
Tyler, 29, and his 25-year-old girlfriend, Molly Rainford, are deep in the Costa Rican jungle in the BBC show when he becomes noticeably jumpy.
He tells Molly he is completely outside of his comfort zone, as he is not “in control”.
Hinting at the stabbing, Tyler admits: “If I can control it, I feel I can look after the situation the best I can.
“When I compare it to when I was a teenager, it was on another level. I was petrified of witnessing something that was completely out of my control.
“You want to put a stop to it and feel helpless. I don’t ever want to feel like that in my life ever again.”
Tyler West in tears over brutal stabbing
Tyler explains exactly what happened when he was 14 in a piece to camera. He says he saw a man murdered in the street as he looked out of his bedroom window.
“I was coming home from school one day and there were these three men having an argument outside my house,” Tyler says. “One of the two men threw a really weak punch to the man that was on his own.
“And then one of the men had a 12-inch kitchen knife in his hand. All of a sudden it was me, standing there at my bedroom window at 14 years old, seeing this man get stabbed to death.
“It was one of the most horrific moments of my life.”
Tyler goes on to reflect the fear he felt when he had to give evidence at The Old Bailey in London as the perpetrator stood trial for murder.
“I remember being at the Old Bailey just being petrified of so many factors,” Tyler says. “All these people… might they be able to see me? Will they know I’m testifying? I didn’t really know how to process it.
“It had such a knock on effect to my metal health. I was in doors for two years.”
Tyler’s voice breaks and he begins to cry. He adds: “It matured me really quick. It was just really hard.”
‘I had no control over what was happening’
Back in the jungle, Tyler admits the experience has made him want to “protect others” now he is older.
“For the last 14 years, I’ve been trying to embrace that control because it’s like a comfort blanket for me,” he says. “It’s had the reverse effect, I don’t want anyone else to be hurt now.”
Molly admits: “I always feel like you’re protective of me.” She then praises Tyler for stepping out of his comfort zone to take part in Celebrity Race Across the World.
She adds: “That 14 year old would never believe you are doing this. I am proud of you. This is fear-facing territory.”
Tyler was living on the notorious St Helier council estate in London when the murder happened.
The radio presenter previously opened up about the incident when competing in the 2022 series of Strictly Come Dancing. At the time, he told the Daily Mail: “I could have ended up a mess, unable to do anything. And because of where I grew up there was always the option of drugs, crime and gangs, which was the way a lot of kids I knew went.
“Everything about who I am today is because of that horrific incident and the boy I was then. I had no control over what was happening, I didn’t think I had a future until I finally realised it was down to me to make things as good as I possibly could for me and my family.”
Celebrity Race Across the World leaderboard
Tonight’s episode of Celebrity Race Across the World sees Tyler and Molly racing their competitors to the fourth checkpoint in Central America. They are all forced to fly to Costa Rica from Honduras after the BBC’s license to film in Nicaragua was rejected.
Last week, Molly and Tyler managed to triumph and are currently at the top of the leaderboard. This was a huge shock to the couple, as they had fallen badly ill with food poisoning on the way to their third checkpoint.
Bottom of the leaderboard is Roman Kemp and his sister Harleymoon. Anita Rani and her dad Bal are sitting in second, with Dylan llewellyn and his mum Jackie in third place.
But could all that be about to change?
