Bear Grylls
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- Jun 7, 1974 (age 52)
- Place of birth
- Donaghadee, County Down, Northern Ireland, UK
- Credits
- 79
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
Filmography
The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls
2026TV
Self
Bear Grylls is Running Wild
2026TV
Self - Presenter
Bear Grylls - Wild Reckoning
2026TV
Self - Presenter
Miracle
2025TV
Narrator/Self
Miracle
2025TV
The Mosaic Church
2025Movie
Narrator
My View with Lara Trump
2025TV
Self
Celebrity Bear Hunt
2025TV
Self
Jesus: Refugee, Renegade, Redeemer with Bear Grylls
2025TV
Self
Arthur the King
2024Movie
Himself
I Survived Bear Grylls
2023TV
Self - Host
The Coronation Concert
2023Movie
Self
War Zone: Bear Grylls Meets President Zelenskyy
2023Movie
Self
Finding Michael
2023Movie
Self
Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and Me
2022Movie
Self
Louis Theroux Interviews
2022TV
Self
Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge
2022TV
Self - Host
Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls
2022Movie
Self
Into The Wild With Bear Grylls & Ajay Devgn
2021TV
You vs. Wild: Out Cold
2021Movie
Children of Shanghai
2021Movie
Narrator
Bear Grylls Wild Adventure
2021TV
himself
Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Movie
2021Movie
Himself
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel
2020TV
Self - Celebrity Contestant
Into the Wild with Bear Grylls & Akshay Kumar
2020TV
World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji
2020TV
Self - Host
Into the Wild with Bear Grylls & Rajinikanth
2020TV
The Tamron Hall Show
2019TV
Self - Guest
Treasure Island with Bear Grylls
2019TV
Host
Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls & PM Modi
2019TV
You vs. Wild
2019TV
Himself
Hostile Planet
2019TV
Self - Host / Narrator
Man vs Wild with Sunny Leone
2018TV
Himself
The Sidemen Show
2018TV
Self
Bear's Mission with...
2017TV
Himself - Presenter
Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls
2016TV
Self - Host
Michael McIntyre's Big Show
2016TV
Self - Interviewed Guest
Absolute Wild China with Bear Grylls
2015TV
Survivor Games with Bear Grylls
2015TV
Britain's Biggest Adventures with Bear Grylls
2015TV
Himself
The Island
2015TV
Himself - Host
With A Kite
2015Movie
(archive footage)
Hot Ones
2015TV
Self
Bear Grylls: Breaking Point
2015TV
Himself - Host
Bear Grylls: Mission Survive
2015TV
Himself
Running Wild with Bear Grylls
2014TV
Self - Host
The Island with Bear Grylls
2014TV
Himself
Bear Grylls: Everest after the avalanche
2014Movie
Self
Bear Grylls: Man vs Everest
2014Movie
Self (Host)
The Michael McIntyre Chat Show
2014TV
Self - Guest
Bear Grylls: Extreme Survival Caught on Camera
2014TV
Himself - Presenter
Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell
2013TV
Himself - Host
Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls
2013TV
Host
Bear Grylls: Born Survivor - Patagonia
2013Movie
Self
Fine Dining With Bear Grylls
2012Movie
A Day in the Life of Bear Grylls
2012Movie
Voice
2012TV
Bear's Wild Weekend with...
2011TV
Himself
The Jonathan Ross Show
2011TV
Self
Man vs Wild - Extreme Moments Collection
2011Movie
Self
Abenteuer Survival
2010Movie
Worst-Case Scenario
2010TV
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
2009TV
Self - Guest
The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien
2009TV
Self - Guest
Bear Grylls: Mission Everest
2008Movie
Self
The Graham Norton Show
2007TV
Self
Man vs. Wild
2006TV
Self
The One Show
2006TV
Self
Made in Hollywood
2005TV
Self
8 Out of 10 Cats
2005TV
Self
Escape to the Legion
2005TV
Self
Who Do You Think You Are?
2004TV
Top Gear
2002TV
Self
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
2002TV
Self
The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
1992TV
Self - Guest
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
1988TV
Self - Guest
Bear Grylls, Young Adventurer: Endangered
Movie
Self (voice)
Bear Grylls, Young Adventurer: Icebreaker
Movie
Self (voice)
Beyond Borders with Bear Grylls: Bahrain
Movie