Sarah outwits ‘Hunters’ for TV win

22 June 2022

A Suffolk Police Federation member who outwitted the ‘Hunters’ and won the national TV show says she just wanted to make her two sons proud and has pledged to put her £50,000 winnings towards creating precious memories with her family.

PC Sarah Kibble was on the run as a ‘fugitive’ for 23 days, as part of Channel 4’s The Hunted, using the skills she has learned in the Force to help her beat 10 other contestants to the title.

Sarah (36), who has been with the Force for nine years and is a self-confessed ‘huge fan’ of the show, says she was ‘screaming and laughing’ after finding out she had been chosen as a contestant.

“I’ve watched every series and always loved to have done it but never thought about applying. It was my eldest son who encouraged me to apply and so I thought, ‘why not?’”, said mother-of-two Sarah, whose children were three and 10 when the show was filmed.

“The hardest thing for me was mentally keeping away from the kids, especially my youngest, who didn’t understand what was going on. But my partner was really supportive; he told me it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, so I should just go for it.”

Sarah says her experience in the police ‘100 per cent helped’ her think like the ‘Hunter’ team, which was led by Cleveland Police Assistant Chief Constable Lisa Theaker.

“I suppose other fugitives probably watched the show before and pick up on how the Hunters behave but, for me, everything I have ever learned is ingrained into my head. I felt comfortable pretty much all the time and never questioned the decisions I was making,” added Sarah.

She added: “Although towards the end, I was making so many little mistakes, leaving so many breadcrumbs for the Hunters but somehow, I still managed it.”

Sarah is pictured (third from left) during her time on the show.

During her time on the run, Sarah travelled across the country, moving around through London, Manchester, Brighton, York and Newcastle.

Sarah split the £100,000 prize pot with fellow fugitive and graphic designer Nathan Falcon after they both reached the extraction point in Scotland.

“It makes a change to be on the wrong side of the law,” she said.

“I loved the whole experience but every time the camera person asked me about my boys, I cried because I missed them. Actually, it was quite liberating being on the run, with no phone and no connection, just me, deciding where I go that day.”

During her time on the run, Sarah said she met so many ‘wonderful’ people, who went ‘above and beyond’ to help her.

“I was so fortunate to meet the people I did. One stranger even let me have his spare car for three days, I mean, who does that? I had somebody let me stay on their farm and another in their garden - in fact, the best night’s sleep I had was on somebody’s garden floor.”

With the show filmed in October, Sarah was contracted to keep the results a secret for around five months.

“When my colleagues found out, they were great. I received so many lovely messages from fellow officers telling me what a great job I did,” says Sarah.

“I think my son feels like a mini-celebrity at school now, it’s so lovely. He knew I’d won but didn’t know my journey on the show until it aired on TV and he was made up.”

Some of her winnings have been already spent on a holiday abroad, with the rest being put toward creating her ‘forever family home’, starting with an extension.