Bear Grylls

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 20062011 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 youngestever Chief Scout in the UK at age 35 Grylls was born in Donaghadee County Down Northern IrelandHe 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 cashforquestions 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 cardiotennis 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 parttime 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 Tudwals 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