Bear Grylls
Acting • Born 1974-06-07
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.
Filmography
75 credits
Finding Michael
Movie • 2023
Self
War Zone: Bear Grylls Meets President Zelenskyy
Movie • 2023
Self
Abenteuer Survival
Movie • 2010
Bear Grylls: Mission Everest
Movie • 2008
Self
The Coronation Concert
Movie • 2023
Self
Ranveer vs Wild with Bear Grylls
Movie • 2022
Self
With A Kite
Movie • 2015
(archive footage)
Arthur the King
Movie • 2024
Himself
Charlie Mackesy: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and Me
Movie • 2022
Self
Fine Dining With Bear Grylls
Movie • 2012
Man vs Wild - Extreme Moments Collection
Movie • 2011
Self
Bear Grylls: Man vs Everest
Movie • 2014
Self (Host)
Bear Grylls: Everest after the avalanche
Movie • 2014
Self
Animals on the Loose: A You vs. Wild Movie
Movie • 2021
Himself
A Day in the Life of Bear Grylls
Movie • 2012
You vs. Wild: Out Cold
Movie • 2021
Bear Grylls: Born Survivor - Patagonia
Movie • 2013
Self
The Mosaic Church
Movie • 2025
Narrator
Children of Shanghai
Movie • 2021
Narrator
Bear Grylls, Young Adventurer: Endangered
Movie
Self (voice)
Bear Grylls, Young Adventurer: Icebreaker
Movie
Self (voice)
Beyond Borders with Bear Grylls: Bahrain
Movie
Escape to the Legion
TV • 2005
Self
Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway
TV • 2002
Self
Absolute Wild China with Bear Grylls
TV • 2015
LIVE with Kelly and Mark
TV • 1988
Self - Guest
Man vs. Wild
TV • 2006
Self
The Jonathan Ross Show
TV • 2011
Self
Worst-Case Scenario
TV • 2010
Tamron Hall
TV • 2019
Self - Guest
Running Wild with Bear Grylls
TV • 2014
Self - Host
I Survived Bear Grylls
TV • 2023
Self - Host
Bear Grylls: Mission Survive
TV • 2015
Himself
Bear Grylls: Escape From Hell
TV • 2013
Himself - Host
The Island
TV • 2015
Himself - Host
Who Do You Think You Are?
TV • 2004
Get Out Alive with Bear Grylls
TV • 2013
Host
Made in Hollywood
TV • 2005
Self
Bear Grylls: Breaking Point
TV • 2015
Himself - Host
Celebrity Island with Bear Grylls
TV • 2016
Self - Host
Top Gear
TV • 2002
Self
Britain's Biggest Adventures with Bear Grylls
TV • 2015
Himself
The Island with Bear Grylls
TV • 2014
Himself
Bear Grylls Wild Adventure
TV • 2021
himself
Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge
TV • 2022
Self - Host
Man vs Wild with Bear Grylls & PM Modi
TV • 2019
Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen
TV • 2009
Self - Guest
Hot Ones
TV • 2015
Self
Bear's Wild Weekend with...
TV • 2011
Himself
The Michael McIntyre Chat Show
TV • 2014
Self - Guest
Hostile Planet
TV • 2019
Himself - Host / Narrator
Bear's Mission with...
TV • 2017
Himself - Presenter
You vs. Wild
TV • 2019
Himself
The Graham Norton Show
TV • 2007
Self
Louis Theroux Interviews
TV • 2022
Self
Michael McIntyre's The Wheel
TV • 2020
Self - Celebrity Contestant
Treasure Island with Bear Grylls
TV • 2019
Host
The Sidemen Show
TV • 2018
Self
Michael McIntyre's Big Show
TV • 2016
Self - Interviewed Guest
Man vs Wild with Sunny Leone
TV • 2018
Himself
8 Out of 10 Cats
TV • 2005
Self
Bear Grylls: Extreme Survival Caught on Camera
TV • 2014
Himself - Presenter
Voice
TV • 2012
Into the Wild with Bear Grylls & Akshay Kumar
TV • 2020
Into The Wild With Bear Grylls & Ajay Devgn
TV • 2021
Into the Wild with Bear Grylls & Rajinikanth
TV • 2020
Survivor Games with Bear Grylls
TV • 2015
World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji
TV • 2020
Self - Host
Celebrity Bear Hunt
TV • 2025
Self
Jesus: Refugee, Renegade, Redeemer with Bear Grylls
TV • 2025
Self
The One Show
TV • 2006
Self
My View with Lara Trump
TV • 2025
Self - Guest
Bear Grylls - Wild Reckoning
TV • 2026
Self - Presenter
Miracle
TV • 2025
Narrator/Self
Miracle
TV • 2025