Russian boxer Denis Lebedev is a former world heavyweight champion and the owner of a memorable brutal appearance. Several years ago he retired from professional boxing, and recently took part in the reality show “New Stars in Africa” on TNT.
How does Lebedev describe the experience of survival in Africa?
On the project, the stars underwent tough tests: in the African jungle they fought for food and a place on the team. Lebedev assures that there was no deception in the footage — they lived in Spartan conditions. The boxer admitted that he lost 11 kg during filming, although he has no regrets — he came to the project overweight.
This happened due to constant hunger — the participants ate if they won. Without coins they starved, and Lebedev calls beans without salt the most terrible dish. However, there was a lot of water, and this is the most important thing in the heat.
Lebedev ate cockroaches — they look like chicken pate
As for the tests, Lebedev admitted that it was difficult. On camera, the participants ate various nasty things — the boxer considers fermented eggs to be the most terrible. He couldn’t swallow them — they were springy in his throat, so he had to chew.
Lebedev considers unleavened marmalade with cockroaches to be the most tolerable delicacy. He called the dish unpleasant, but the first time it tasted like chicken pate. But the second time the cockroach was disgusting, but the boxer didn’t have to try it again.
“I was lucky that the first one was like pate, but the second one was unpleasant. Didn’t show it. Felt like something was stuck. I take it out, and there’s a leg,” Lebedev said.