Bear Grylls

Biography

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

Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen

The Graham Norton Show

Top Gear

Hot Ones

LIVE with Kelly and Mark

The One Show

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno

Tamron Hall

All Movies (22)

• The Mosaic Church2025 · as Narrator
• Arthur the King2024 · as Himself
• The Coronation Concert2023 · as Self
• War Zone: Bear Grylls Meets President Zelenskyy2023 · as Self
• Finding Michael2023 · as Self
• Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and Me2022 · as Self
• Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls2022 · as Self
• You vs. Wild: Out Cold2021
• Children of Shanghai2021 · as Narrator
• Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Movie2021 · as Himself
• With A Kite2015 · as (archive footage)
• Bear Grylls: Everest after the avalanche2014 · as Self
• Bear Grylls: Man vs Everest2014 · as Self (Host)
• Bear Grylls: Born Survivor - Patagonia2013 · as Self
• Fine Dining With Bear Grylls2012
• A Day in the Life of Bear Grylls2012
• Man vs Wild - Extreme Moments Collection2011 · as Self
• Abenteuer Survival2010
• Bear Grylls: Mission Everest2008 · as Self
• Bear Grylls, Young Adventurer: Endangered— · as Self (voice)
• Bear Grylls, Young Adventurer: Icebreaker— · as Self (voice)
• Beyond Borders with Bear Grylls: Bahrain—

All TV Shows (56)

• Bear Grylls is Running Wild2026 · as Self - Presenter
• Bear Grylls - Wild Reckoning2026 · as Self - Presenter
• Miracle2025 · as Narrator/Self
• Miracle2025
• My View with Lara Trump2025 · as Self - Guest
• Celebrity Bear Hunt2025 · as Self
• Jesus: Refugee, Renegade, Redeemer with Bear Grylls2025 · as Self
• I Survived Bear Grylls2023 · as Self - Host
• Louis Theroux Interviews2022 · as Self
• Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge2022 · as Self - Host
• Into The Wild With Bear Grylls & Ajay Devgn2021
• Bear Grylls Wild Adventure2021 · as himself
• Michael McIntyre's The Wheel2020 · as Self - Celebrity Contestant
• Into the Wild with Bear Grylls & Akshay Kumar2020
• World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji2020 · as Self - Host
• Into the Wild with Bear Grylls & Rajinikanth2020
• Tamron Hall2019 · as Self - Guest
• Treasure Island with Bear Grylls2019 · as Host
• Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls & PM Modi2019
• You vs. Wild2019 · as Himself
• Hostile Planet2019 · as Himself - Host / Narrator
• Man vs Wild with Sunny Leone2018 · as Himself
• The Sidemen Show2018 · as Self
• Bear's Mission with...2017 · as Himself - Presenter
• Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls2016 · as Self - Host
• Michael McIntyre's Big Show2016 · as Self - Interviewed Guest
• Absolute Wild China with Bear Grylls2015
• Survivor Games with Bear Grylls2015
• Britain's Biggest Adventures with Bear Grylls2015 · as Himself
• The Island2015 · as Himself - Host
• Hot Ones2015 · as Self
• Bear Grylls: Breaking Point2015 · as Himself - Host
• Bear Grylls: Mission Survive2015 · as Himself
• Running Wild with Bear Grylls2014 · as Self - Host
• The Island with Bear Grylls2014 · as Himself
• The Michael McIntyre Chat Show2014 · as Self - Guest
• Bear Grylls: Extreme Survival Caught on Camera2014 · as Himself - Presenter
• Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell2013 · as Himself - Host
• Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls2013 · as Host
• Voice2012
• Bear's Wild Weekend with...2011 · as Himself
• The Jonathan Ross Show2011 · as Self
• Worst-Case Scenario2010
• Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen2009 · as Self - Guest
• The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien2009 · as Self - Guest
• The Graham Norton Show2007 · as Self
• Man vs. Wild2006 · as Self
• The One Show2006 · as Self
• Made in Hollywood2005 · as Self
• 8 Out of 10 Cats2005 · as Self
• Escape to the Legion2005 · as Self
• Who Do You Think You Are?2004
• Top Gear2002 · as Self
• Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway2002 · as Self
• The Tonight Show with Jay Leno1992 · as Self - Guest
• LIVE with Kelly and Mark1988 · as Self - Guest