Couple who won Alaska cabin on BBC2 reality TV show clash with owner after he changes his mind about giving it up
A COUPLE who won a cabin in Alaska on a BBC2 reality show have clashed with its owner after he changed his mind about giving it up.
Mark Warner and Emily Padfield caught their food and survived among bears to beat five pairs on Win The Wilderness.
Their prize was the solar-powered hideaway which Duane and Rena Ose spent 35 years building.
It sits on land known as Ose Mountain, is 100 miles from the nearest road, 300 miles from Fairbanks — site of the nearest hospital — and only accessible by plane.
Mark, 53, and Emily, 38, signed the deeds when they won in June 2019.
But Mark said: “Last month, a letter arrived from Duane saying he wanted it back. But legally it is mine. Now everything is in the air.”
He believes a new woman Duane met online after Rena died in May may have influenced the decision.
After the show ended, Mark and Emily, of Southam, Warks, spent a month in the cabin with the Oses.
The pandemic stopped them returning and they are now trying to contact Duane, who is not responding to emails or calls.
Mark added: “It’s a complete mess. We’ve had to shelve our plans, which has taken a great deal of pleasure away from the experience.
"We’ve always said Duane can come over whenever he wanted but we never expected this.
"I’m confident that if we can talk then we can find a way around this.”
Duane has told his Facebook followers that he had sent Mark and Emily documents to reclaim Ose Mountain “as per my rights”.
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In another post, he said: “Still waiting on the courts to get them off my back.”
TwoFour productions said it was in contact with Mark and Emily.
The BBC didn’t comment.
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