Andrew Evans, from Shelby County appears on ‘Naked and Afraid,’ surviving Zambia’s harsh terrain and hoping his journey inspires others back home.
TYLER, Texas — A man from Shelby County, Texas, is taking his survival skills from the Piney Woods to the wild landscapes of Zambia.
Sunday, Andrew Evans will appear on the Discovery Channel’s survival series Naked and Afraid, where contestants face extreme conditions with nothing but their wits and basic skills.
“Once I got that phone call, I was kind of like — no way. I’m just little old Andrew. We got one stoplight in my town,” Evans said. “Even now watching it, and they’re sending out clips and stuff on social media and on TV… it still feels unreal.”
Growing up in East Texas, Evans developed a love for the outdoors, fishing, hiking, and learning survival basics from his family. He said that mindset prepared him more than physical strength for the challenges ahead.
“You don’t realize what it feels like to have the sun hit places it never touches… or a thorn scrape parts of your body that have never felt that before,” Evans said. “A lot of people think it’s physical but it’s really 90 percent mental.”
Naked and Afraid tests both individual skill and teamwork, forcing contestants to navigate life-threatening environments while managing hunger, dehydration, and exposure.
Evans said the experience reinforced lessons that extend beyond survival television.
“We think we hit our limit but there’s so much more to each individual person than we realize,” he said. “You’d be amazed how much you can actually do if you just try.”
For Evans, the show also offered a chance to represent East Texas on a national platform.
“I want to make this area proud. If somebody from here can do it, anybody can,” he said.
Evans’ episode airs Sunday at 7 p.m. Central on Discovery and will later be available on Discovery+ and HBO Max.