British actor Vinnie Jones says he had to go on a diet after spending time in New Zealand because he ate too many pies.
The former FA Cup football star has been in Aotearoa filming his new Warner Bros Discovery TV series Tracked. The series sees teams of two from around the world race through New Zealand landscapes to reach the evacuation zone and helicopter out - before they're caught by a group of elite trackers.
The cold, wet, and exhausted competitors will battle it out in the wilderness over eight episodes, Jones said, and all they're given are some coordinates to help them get to where they need to go.
Jones said he's always wanted to visit New Zealand - but ended up eating a few too many pies while he was here.
"I had to go on a diet the last month because of all the pie shops. We're stopping every 75 kilometres and getting a pie. You see the minced beef and onion and you think, 'Oh I'll go for the salad', and then there's a steak and cheese [next to it]," Jones told The Project on Tuesday.
"I've been hammering your pies, absolutely smashing them to bits."
Despite this, Jones said he hopes to be back in New Zealand soon.
He was inspired to visit Aotearoa thanks to his dad, who after visiting said that if he were a bit younger, he'd immigrate here.
"My favourite place in the world is Ireland, and I think I've found the same kind of place [here in New Zealand]," he said.
"There's been fantastic people where we've been, absolutely looked after me."
In his series Tracked, Jones said the competitors need a lot of endurance.
"They'll go for three days [in the bush]. They've got their backpacks on and they run like scared rabbits. And they've got to stay out there as well," Jones said.
"Obviously there's no lions or tigers to eat them, but they don't know, if I'm having a restless night I might turn up."
Watch Jones' appearance on The Project above.
