Adventurer and TV personality Bear Grylls has embarked on a new journey with Netflix. He is hunting a dozen celebrities down in the Costa Rican jungle including Mel B, Joe Thomas, and Boris Becker as part of survival show, Celebrity Bear Hunt.
Aside from his daring stunts on-screen, the star has a varied life away from the TV shows he fronts. So what more is there to know about the star?
He was born Edward Michael Grylls on June 7, 1974, in Donaghadee, Co Down, which makes him an Irish citizen, a heritage he proudly claims has been beneficial post-Brexit. He spent his early years in Northern Ireland before moving to the UK at the age of four.
Grylls views his mother, Sarah Ford, as "fully Irish" due to her upbringing by an Irish mother. His maternal grandmother, Patricia Ford, held the North Down constituency seat as an Ulster Unionist MP, becoming the first female MP from Northern Ireland. His father, Sir Michael Grylls, served as an MP for Surbiton, reports Surrey Live.
Bear earned his nickname from his older sister when he was just a week old, and the moniker stuck. He was educated at Eton College, where he co-founded a mountaineering club, and graduated with a degree in Spanish and German from the University of the West of England.
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We Love TV)He was part of the 21 SAS in the Territorial Army from 1994 to 1997, but his military journey came to an abrupt halt after a parachute malfunction during a fall from 16,000 feet led him to break three vertebrae. This incident is on record as one of the greatest falls ever survived without a working parachute.
Yet, he bounced back astonishingly, climbing Mount Everest at the age of 23 just 18 months post-accident, becoming one of its youngest conquerors. Prior to scaling new heights, Bear's personal life took a turn when he met his future wife, Shara Cannings Knight.
The encounter happened on New Year's Eve in 1998 in Scotland, quite memorably as he dashed naked along a beach to retrieve his clothes from the water, thinking it was the "worst timing in the world to fall in love".
The adventurous couple subsequently welcomed three sons: Jesse, Marmaduke, and Huckleberry, bringing them up initially on a houseboat moored on the River Thames, complete with outdoor bathing facilities, a sleeping hammock, and a canoe on deck. These days, though, the family splits their time between a swish penthouse at the reimagined Battersea Power Station and a secluded island off the coast of Wales.
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Getty Images)Back in 2001, Bear became the owner of Saint Tudwal's Island West, having bought it for £95,000. Located near the Llyn Peninsula and five miles from the shore, this 20-acre retreat features a rustic former lighthouse keepers cottage. Despite lacking mains electricity or running water, Bear has declared his affection for island life.
He reminisced: "We've made some amazing memories living there and spending time with the boys on the island over the years, and just being able to have that space and enjoy nature, has been really special."
Bear reflected on his posh pad in a chat with MailOnline back in 2015, saying: "As a family, we didn't just want a run-of-the-mill townhouse or riverside development, we were attracted to Battersea Power Station because it was a chance to own a bit of history that we could pass on down through the family."
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Netflix)"We have moored our houseboat barge in Battersea for many years, and are proud to keep that still, but to be able to buy within this landmark building and own that small slice of London history felt like a very special opportunity. It will make a very unique home."
Beyond the TV spotlight, Bear holds the title of honorary colonel of the Army Foundation College and took on the role of youngest Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas Territories starting in 2015 until 2024. His contributions extend to being an ambassador for The Prince's Trust and receiving an OBE in 2019.
Celebrity Bear Hunt is now streaming on Netflix
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