Bear Grylls

Bear Grylls

Bear Grylls was born 7 June 1974. He is a British adventurer, writer and television presenter. He served in the British Special Air Services (SAS). He is best known for his television series Man vs. Wild, known as Born Survivor in the United Kingdom.

He was educated at Eaton House, Ludgrove School and Eton College from where he helped start its first mountaineering club and Birkbeck, University of London School of Continuing Education (aka the Faculty of Lifelong Learning), where he graduated with a degree, obtained part-time in Hispanic studies in 2002. In 2004 he was awarded the honorary rank of Lieutenant Commander in the Royal Naval Reserve for services to charity and human endeavour. He filmed a four-part TV show in 2005, called Escape to the Legion.

In 2006 he hosts a series titled Born Survivor: Bear Grylls for the British Channel 4 and broadcast as Man vs. Wild in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, India, and the U.S.A., and as Ultimate Survival on the Discovery Channel in Europe, Asia, and Africa. The series features him dropped into inhospitable places and showing viewers how to survive. Man vs. Wilddebuted in 2006 and it’s success led to a subsequent three seasons over the next two years.

On why he craves adventure

"I love it. From a young age, I'd climb with my dad when I was about 5 or 6. At that age, it was the same deal. I didn't necessarily like being cold and scared up a rock face, but I loved hanging out with my dad. And I think I developed a belief that the wild brings people together. And I've always loved that. I love the small team we film with. We've had the same small crew of four of us for seven seasons of the show. They're best buddies. And I have the same dynamic with them that I had with my small team of SAS soldiers when I served with the British special forces. You're in difficult places. You're under pressure. But you need to look after each other and you create real strong bonds."