A FORMER soldier has gone head to head with a formidable celebrity, undertaking physical and mental challenges for a television programme.

Athletic Nimo Ahmed, of Hale End Road, Walthamstow, was a contestant on ITV1 show ‘Beat the Star’, presented by Vernon Kay, in which he had to compete in seven rounds of extreme mental and physical games against the clock, in front of a live studio audience, and try to beat the celebrity.

Mr Ahmed, named “The Challenger” in show, only had seconds to prepare for each game and was competing to win a £50,000 prize.

The 38-year-old said: “It was really hard. In one challenge I had to play football for three minutes solid, which was tiring. And I had to do assault courses, climbing up logs while they were moving. It was a bit like the challenges on the programme ‘Fear Factory’.

“It was a tough, but it was an enjoyable experience because I had all my friends, family and members from my cricket club cheering me on in the audience.”

During his years serving with the Royal Irish Regiment Infantry of the British Army, Mr Ahmed, now a senior civil servant, went on tours to war-torn countries such as Kosovo, Sierra Leone and Georgia.

He says he has maintained his physical fitness since he left the army five years ago by running and playing for Enfield Cricket Club, and was encouraged by friends to appear on the programme because they thought he was up to the challenge.

However, the programme-makers are keeping tight-lipped about which celebrity Mr Ahmed went head to head with, or indeed whether or not he won, so all will be revealed when the programme is aired.

The new 10-week series began on March 29 and Mr Ahmed’s episode is expected to be screened in May.

- Enfield Cricket Club is looking for new members. If you are interested please contact the club at enfieldcc@yahoo.co.uk or for more information visit enfield.play-cricket.com/home/home.asp