Karl Bushby’s £100 meet-and-greet theatre show, documentary and book deal: ‘Hero’ adventurer cashes in after ’28 year’ walk…13 of which he spent not walking at all

Karl Bushby has returned to Hull after a 28-year expedition he says made him the first person to walk around the world. He is now planning a six-date live tour, £100 meet-and-greet tickets, speaking events, a second book and a documentary directed by Werner Herzog, prompting debate over how his achievement should be viewed.

Bushby, 57, left Britain in 1998 and spent about 15 years walking, with 13 years when he was not advancing the journey, including breaks and delays. He crossed routes including the Darién Gap, Bering Strait and Caspian Sea, always returning to the point he had last reached. He has acknowledged that his commitment came at a personal cost, saying he left his former wife to raise their son without financial support and describing his way of life as selfish.