Karl Bushby, the British man walking around the world, is almost home. The former paratrooper set off from Chile in 1998. He walked through the Americas, crossed the frozen ocean from Alaska to Russia, and last year became the first person to swim the Caspian Sea between Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. These are all huge achievements in their own right but for Bushby they were just sections he had to complete to finish his epic journey.

Originally scheduled to finish in 2006, Bushby is now 56 and still going. Geopolitics has played its part, with Russian and Iranian visa rejections some of the main causes of delay.

He arrived in Budapest last month and with the English Channel being the only obvious remaining obstacle to navigate, he should be back in Humberside by this time next year.

Stephen Smith finds out who he is and what's kept him going for so long.

Contributors Jonny Beardsall - Journalist and milliner Keith Bushby - Dad Genevieve Gil - Friend Dimitri Kieffer - Crossed the Bering Strait with Bushby Angela Maxwell - Swam the Caspian Sea with Bushby Art Mortvedt - Friend Damaris Mortvedt - Friend Kevin Shoesmith - Journalist

Production Presenter: Stephen Smith Producers: Ben Crighton, Alex Loftus and Mhairi MacKenzie Production Coordinator: Maria Ogundele Editor: Nick Holland Sound: Gareth Jones