Bear Grylls
Born
June 7, 1974 (51 years old)
Known For
Acting
Place of Birth
Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland, UK
Edward Michael "Bear" Grylls (born 7 June 1974) is a British adventurer, writer and television presenter. He is widely known for his television series Man vs. Wild (2006–2011), originally titled Born Survivor: Bear Grylls in the United Kingdom.
Grylls is also involved in a number of wilderness survival television series in the UK and US. In July 2009, Grylls was appointed the youngest-ever Chief Scout in the UK at age 35.
Grylls was born in Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland.He grew up in Donaghadee until the age of four, when his family moved to Bembridge on the Isle of Wight.
He is the son of Conservative politician Sir Michael Grylls, who was implicated in the cash-for-questions affair, and Lady Sarah Grylls. Lady Grylls is the daughter of politician Patricia Ford, briefly an Ulster Unionist Party MP, and cricketer and businessman Neville Ford. Grylls has one sibling, an elder sister, Lara Fawcett, a cardio-tennis coach, who gave him the nickname 'Bear' when he was a week old.
Grylls was educated at Ludgrove School and Eton College, where he helped start its first mountaineering club, and Birkbeck, University of London, where he graduated with a degree, obtained part-time, in Hispanic studies in 2002. He graduated from the University of West of England.
From an early age, he learned to climb and sail with his father, who was a member of the prestigious Royal Yacht Squadron. As a teenager, he learned to skydive and earned a second dan black belt in Shotokan karate. At age eight he became a Cub Scout. He speaks English, Spanish, and French. He is a Christian, and has described his faith as the "backbone" in his life.
Grylls married Shara Cannings Knight in 2000. They have three sons. In August 2015, it was reported that Grylls had deserted his young son, Jesse, on Saint Tudwal's Island along the North Wales coast, as the tide approached, leaving him to be rescued by the RNLI. The RNLI later criticised him for the stunt, saying its crew "had not appreciated" that a child would be involved.
Known For
The Mosaic Church
Narrator
2025
Celebrity Bear Hunt
Self · (8 episodes)
2025
Jesus: Refugee, Renegade, Redeemer with Bear Grylls
Self · (4 episodes)
2025
Arthur the King
Bear Grylls
2024
I Survived Bear Grylls
Self - Host · (8 episodes)
2023
The Coronation Concert
Self
2023
War Zone: Bear Grylls Meets President Zelenskyy
Self
2023
Finding Michael
Self
2023
Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and Me
Self
2022
Louis Theroux Interviews
Self · (1 episode)
2022
Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge
Self - Host · (14 episodes)
2022
Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls
Self
2022
Into The Wild With Bear Grylls & Ajay Devgn
(1 episode)
2021
You vs. Wild: Out Cold
2021
Children of Shanghai
Narrator
2021
Bear Grylls Wild Adventure
himself · (2 episodes)
2021
Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Movie
Himself
2021
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel
Celebrity Contestant · (1 episode)
2020
Into the Wild with Bear Grylls & Akshay Kumar
(1 episode)
2020
World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji
Self - Host · (10 episodes)
2020
Into the Wild with Bear Grylls & Rajinikanth
(1 episode)
2020
Tamron Hall
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2019
Treasure Island with Bear Grylls
Host · (6 episodes)
2019
Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls & PM Modi
(1 episode)
2019
You vs. Wild
Himself · (8 episodes)
2019
Hostile Planet
Himself - Host / Narrator · (6 episodes)
2019
Man vs Wild with Sunny Leone
Himself · (41 episodes)
2018
The Sidemen Show
Self · (1 episode)
2018
Bear's Mission with...
Himself - Presenter · (5 episodes)
2017
Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls
Self - Host · (21 episodes)
2016
Michael McIntyre's Big Show
Self - Interviewed Guest · (1 episode)
2016
Absolute Wild China with Bear Grylls
(22 episodes)
2015
Survivor Games with Bear Grylls
(12 episodes)
2015
Britain's Biggest Adventures with Bear Grylls
Himself · (3 episodes)
2015
The Island
Himself - Host · (6 episodes)
2015
With A Kite
(archive footage)
2015
Hot Ones
Self · (1 episode)
2015
Bear Grylls: Breaking Point
Himself - Host · (6 episodes)
2015
Bear Grylls: Mission Survive
Himself · (12 episodes)
2015
Running Wild with Bear Grylls
Self - Host · (51 episodes)
2014
The Island with Bear Grylls
Himself · (38 episodes)
2014
Bear Grylls: Everest after the avalanche
Self
2014
Bear Grylls: Man vs Everest
2014
Bear Grylls: Man vs Everest
(1 episode)
2014
The Michael McIntyre Chat Show
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2014
Bear Grylls: Extreme Survival Caught on Camera
Himself - Presenter · (8 episodes)
2014
Bear Grylls: Born Survivor - Patagonia
Self
2013
Fine Dining With Bear Grylls
2012
A Day in the Life of Bear Grylls
2012
Voice
(1 episode)
2012
Bear's Wild Weekend with...
Himself · (4 episodes)
2011
Man vs Wild - Extreme Moments Collection
Self
2011
Abenteuer Survival
2010
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
2009
Bear Grylls: Mission Everest
Self
2008
Bear Grylls, Young Adventurer: Endangered
Self (voice)
Bear Grylls, Young Adventurer: Icebreaker
Self (voice)
Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell
Himself - Host · (6 episodes)
2013
Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls
Host · (8 episodes)
2013
The Jonathan Ross Show
Self · (1 episode)
2011
Worst-Case Scenario
(12 episodes)
2010
The Graham Norton Show
Self · (2 episodes)
2007
Man vs. Wild
Self · (66 episodes)
2006
The One Show
Self · (1 episode)
2006
Made in Hollywood
Self · (1 episode)
2005
8 Out of 10 Cats
Self · (1 episode)
2005
Escape to the Legion
Self · (4 episodes)
2005
Who Do You Think You Are?
(1 episode)
2004
Top Gear
Self · (1 episode)
2002
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
Self · (1 episode)
2002
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
Self - Guest · (1 episode)
1988