Resilience Under Pressure: Tierney’s Path to Self-Discovery on Tempting Fortunes

Imagine being dropped into the unforgiving heat and wild terrain of the Malaysian jungle, surrounded by strangers and stripped of every comfort—except temptation. Channel 4’s Tempting Fortune isn’t just another reality show; it’s a high-stakes experiment in desire and endurance, where every decision could cost you the chance at life-changing money.

With the series wrapping up last night, we sat down for an exclusive first interview with Tierney Cranmer to uncover what really happened in the jungle—and what it takes to survive when everything (and everyone) is on the line.

Last night, as the nation tuned in to watch the season finale of Tempting Fortune, what was it like for you to see everyone's reactions?

It's been so lovely, because I haven’t been able to tell anyone anything since we filmed it. It’s been this huge, amazing thing that I had to keep to myself.

I’m the kind of person who tells everybody everything—I get so excited! So when the series finally aired, and people could see what we’d all been through, it was just amazing. I sort of knew what to expect as the episodes rolled out, but seeing everyone’s reactions to me on television was unbelievable, especially my grandma. I really wanted her to see me on telly, and I’m so glad I got to make that dream come true.

So, yeah, it’s been an absolute blessing. I just hope that feeling stays.

As the name suggests, the show is all about resisting temptations. Do you consider yourself resilient when it comes to temptation, or do you find yourself giving in easily?

Oh, I’m very impulsive, honestly! If I feel like I deserve it, even the smallest inconvenience can have me asking, ‘What can I get to make myself feel better?’ It could be an extra-large Starbucks with all the pumpkin spice and cream—so basic—or a full sushi platter. I’m that person.

So being in the jungle, there was none of that. Then suddenly, these treats would appear—but for £500 or something wild! It was so tempting, especially when you’re stripped back to the absolute basics and can’t access any of your usual comforts unless they’re dangled right in front of you. It’s like putting a bone in front of a dog and telling them not to bite.

What encouraged you to get involved in the first place?

I absolutely love new experiences. I love challenging myself, and I believed this would really push me to my absolute limit. I didn’t want something easy or comfortable—I wanted to get completely out of my comfort zone. I’m very much a girly girl who loves her creature comforts.

I do love travelling, but I usually like going somewhere nice. The mudflats and mangroves were something else—absolutely horrendous! That’s part of why I did it, though; I’m terrified of what’s under the water. I’m terrified of snakes, spiders, creepy crawlies—anything that flies or crawls, really. If it’s unexpected, I’m guaranteed to scream. I think that added a bit of comedy to the whole thing too.

I thought, you know what, this is a chance for my real personality to come through. There are so many layers to me, and a situation like this brings them out. I dived in at the deep end, and I have absolutely no regrets—it’s been the time of my life.

Did you feel like because you were on this journey with the other contestants that your flight or fight response really kicked in?

Oh, 100%. You’ve probably seen me already—I can bring the attitude! I’m a Geordie girl from Newcastle—we’re not afraid to share our opinions. If someone’s talking behind your back, or about someone else, I’m the one who’ll speak up. Being starved, living on rice and beans three times a day, barely sleeping, trekking up five-kilometre super-steep hills in what feels like 98% humidity and 40-degree heat—it all adds up.

All of that wears you down over time. I think I kept it together for the first 48 hours, but my body just wasn’t acclimatised—and I’m dramatic about everything! So, yes, I definitely ruffled a few feathers. I’m sure there’s more of that to come.

There were so many times I thought, ‘Do you know what? I just want to quit.’ I’m pretty sure I told the rest of the cast before one of the first temptations: ‘I’m so done with this. I’m not built for it.’ If I’d rung my mum, she’d have told me to go home. I was so ready to back out—then I turned the corner, and there was Greggs! I said I wanted to go home, and suddenly part of my home appeared right in front of me.

I took it as a sign to stay. And do you know what? I have no regrets taking that steak bake and Coca-Cola—I needed them right then. If I hadn’t, I honestly think I would have gone home. So, yes, fight or flight was very real in the jungle.

When you are going through those challenges,  how important is it that you set your differences aside and focus on  an end goal of getting to the next camp?

I’m quite feisty anyway—small but fiery, which isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes, though, you’ve got to bite your tongue, because you’re spending 14 days with people you’ve never met before. You don’t know what anyone’s really like. There were calm personalities and fiery personalities—including mine—so there were some strong contrasts in camp.

You just try to keep it together through everything, because this was the toughest thing I’ve ever done. I didn’t think I’d survive it—and I don’t think many of us thought we’d make it to the end. I certainly didn’t. I wanted to, though, so we persevered. Keeping it together to get to the next stage was key, because you never knew what was coming next.

I think some of my choices ruffled feathers—like when I took the Champagne Temptation, the Spa Temptation. It was unbelievable. Honestly, I’ve told my friends and family I needed that more than anything—even more than the Greggs!

I needed that Champagne Spa Temptation. It really got me through—especially after the mangroves, because I was exhausted and absolutely stinking! But after taking a temptation, you have to try and keep the peace—you don’t want to rile people up more than they already are. They could hear us giggling in that hot tub at the spa, and I thought, ‘Oh God, all hell’s going to break loose here.’

Part of you thinks, ‘Oh my God, they’re going to absolutely rinse us with the next temptation.’ You panic—if I’ve spent the money, are they going to spend even more? I think it’s going to open a lot of eyes. People definitely do get pissed off. People get angry, people get cranky, and sometimes people act out of spite.

What's the whole experience taught you about when and when not to listen to the little devil on your shoulder?

I’ve always travelled a lot, but I’ve also been quite sheltered. I never thought I’d have to push my body that far—or keep pushing and pushing like I did out there. When you’re in there, all you want are the temptations, because you’re stripped of everything. But as time goes on, what becomes clear is how much you miss your family and friends—you really do.

Ultimately, it taught me that friends and family come first—over any material thing, over any comfort you think you need to get through another day. In the end, it’s your family and friends who matter most.

When you’re around them all the time, your family can annoy you or get on your nerves. But in the jungle, so far from home, you just miss them—that’s who you turn to when things get tough. If I need to talk, vent, or get some good gossip, I go to my mum, grandma, or best friend.

When your out there, you can’t just pick up the phone—you have no contact at all. I'm only 25, and I do lean on my family and my friends a lot to get me through things. And they lean on me, which I love. Not having that support was daunting—it made me realise that maybe one day I won’t have them there. Feeling that so intensely at my age really shocked me, but it also got me through. I wanted to do this for them. But in everyday life—I’ll be honest—I’m sitting at Starbucks right now, and I had McDonald’s last night.

So when it comes to that little devil on my shoulder, she hasn’t gone away—but I think maybe the angel’s started to join in a bit more.

So what do you think you've learned about yourself through being part of Tempting Fortune?

I’ve definitely learned that I’m tougher than I thought—a real tough cookie. I’ve learned to look at things from many different angles. Sometimes you’re the mediator, and sometimes you’re the one starting the argument—especially if you have an opinion and people are talking behind others’ backs. I want to bring things out into the open.

I think it’s taught me to be less impulsive—though, let’s be honest, I didn’t exactly manage that in the jungle! I took the catamaran, the shampoos, the Greggs—oh God. But coming out of it, I now know what matters most. It’s something I really didn’t have in the jungle, and it was never a temptation.  I think it’s definitely given me more resilience. I’ve even told my friends and family that I feel like my third eye—or, you know, my frontal lobe—has developed!

I feel like that developed while I was in the jungle. When I got out, I thought, ‘Oh my God, I actually feel like an adult—like how an adult should feel taking on life.’ Now I’ve got this much clearer mindset about what I want to do next with my life. For me, it’s things like getting my own flat or starting a new job.

It’s given me a real thirst for life, like, ‘You know what? I’m better than I ever thought I could be—I’ve proved it to myself.’ Sometimes I look back and think, if I could survive those mudflats—sinking in horrendous, muddy, wet, crab-filled sand for nearly two miles, crawling on my hands and knees with what felt like 15 kg on my back—then I can handle anything.

(Well, it felt like 15 kg—probably wasn’t, but still!) I was screaming and crying. If I can get through that and push to the end—because honestly, I thought I was going to die and I didn’t—then things in everyday life aren’t so bad, and maybe not as dramatic as I once thought. I’ve learned to step back, take a breath, and think: ‘If I can get through the mudflats, I can get through anything.’

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Related to that, do you feel as a result of going through Tempting Fortunes, you've come out of it a better person?

Yeah, 100%. I’m more resilient, more grown up. I know what I want out of life now, and I know when to take a break. I’ve learned to really listen to my body—because in that situation, the only person you can truly rely on is yourself. You worry that people will try to sabotage or backstab you, so you really learn to trust your gut. It’s about doing what’s best for you—listening to your body, listening to your mind.

When you’re starving in there, you can’t just grab a snack or do something to feel better like you would at home. So you have to ask, what can I do to make things easier for myself in such a foreign situation? And that’s something I’ve carried into everyday life.

Instead of listening to everyone else, I need to listen to myself—ground myself, find that resilience, and keep going, just like I did in the jungle. It’s definitely taught me resilience and willpower and to cherish the people around you—never take a single thing for granted, because you never know when it might be gone.

Has this experience given you a greater appreciation for money? For example, with things like Greggs costing nearly £500 for a pasty or the champagne bar being around £1,000, did it change your perspective on living within your means versus living beyond them?

Well, I don't think I've ever lived within my means, to be quite honest. I’ve always had this mindset—‘money will come, it’s fine.’ But in the camp, because I really wanted to leave with something, I could be quite harsh on the others at times. I think we all were, because everyone wanted a piece of the pie.

​But then I have to reflect and think—hang on, I spent nearly £400 on Greggs! I still go to Greggs every day, but now I look at it and think, ‘£4 for a pastry—or £6 for a meal deal?’

There’s no Greggs app to save you!

Yeah, exactly. But honestly, in that situation, I have no regrets about what I spent on Greggs. If I were in that position again, I’d spend it all over—I needed it then. In everyday life, do I need a £6 Greggs? Probably not. It really puts things into perspective.

Do you think you would ever go back and do it again then?

I’ve thought about this a lot, actually—and yes, I would do it again, because now I know I can. I think when I did it on Tempting Fortunes, it was to push myself, to surprise myself, to go, can I actually do this? And that question was always there in my brain because my mum was saying, bloody hell, darling, what are you doing? You cannot do this. You're scared of spiders. She was like, you won't even go camping.

How was I going to sleep under a mosquito net on a bit of board? I told her, ‘All right, Mum, I’ll manage.’ But now I know I really can do it—and that surprised me most of all. If you want to grow mentally and really test your limits, I’d say go for it—because I didn’t realise my own strength until I did this. It’s more mental than physical; if your brain’s not in it, you won’t push your body. I’d do it again because now I know I can. If I did it again—would I take those temptations? Of course I would! If I hadn’t, I’d have been out after 48 hours. Simple as that.

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As a young woman navigating today's world, what advice would you offer to other young women about embracing who they are and not being afraid to be themselves?

My advice would be: get out of your comfort zone—even your ‘girly’ zone, if you’re like me. There’s something beautiful in embracing your femininity, but every woman should also see the strength she has beyond that.

Women have so much more strength than we often realise. I think every woman should challenge her resilience, push her limits, and discover what she’s truly capable of. We do this every day, even if we don’t always see it. Women give birth every day—we put our bodies through so much. If I could give advice to girls, I’d say: challenge yourself, so you can build an even better future for yourself, both mentally and physically.

If you do this at a young age, you’ll have the mental and physical strength to endure so much more throughout your life. It’s like life giving you lemons—you’ll learn how to make lemonade a lot faster. Women have so much mental strength. Sometimes we might not feel physically strong—I’m only little myself—but mental strength can carry you through. I even surprised myself with my physical strength—carrying that massive bag around (it was honestly bigger than me!).

Going through severe heat, humidity, and barely eating—you learn you can make it through on so little, and surprise yourself. It sets you up for life, because those big inconveniences you worried about before suddenly don’t seem so bad. You realise: I’ve been through worse; I can do it again. So my advice? Just go for it.

Push yourself to the extremes—whether it’s in the jungle or somewhere else. Women and girls, we do hold back sometimes, but we shouldn’t—because we have all the strength in the world. We’re as strong as anyone; I mean, giving birth takes more strength than most men could imagine. I’ve talked to men about this, and they’ll say, ‘I could never do that!’

They’ll say they could never give birth, but if you ask if they’d go in the jungle, they’re all, ‘Yeah, no problem.’ But if you’re a woman who can do both, that’s real strength—you have all the strength you need within you.

So don’t let being a girl stop you—let it push you further. You can do things others can’t, and you can take on any challenge, just like anyone else. Even if you’re a young girl, you can absolutely do it—I thought I couldn’t, and I did. So, yes—fantastic.

To everyone who’s supported and cheered you during this season, what would you like to say to them?

Thank you so much for watching and for the support—sticking by us means everything. I already have such a good group of friends and family, so having even more support means the world.

Getting even more support—especially from the Northeast, but honestly, from anywhere—means so much to me. If you support me, I’ll support you right back.

Thank you so much for speaking to us Tierney—congratulations again!

To catch up on the latest season you can now stream Tempting Fortune now on Channel 4

Article By Thushara Chandrasiri