DESPITE all of his many accomplishments, survival expert Bear Grylls is perhaps best known for being “that guy who drinks his own pee.”
The ex-man of war taunted a live fish, a zebra, bear poop, raw goat testicles and drank the blood of a turtle.
But even he couldn’t bear to watch Barack Obama reverse his own grimace.
So when the producers tried to push the former US president to do just that on Bear Running Wild’s extreme outdoor show in 2015, he felt they were taking the p ***.
Bear, 46, said: “One of our team’s last questions to Obama was, ‘Sir, what would it take for Bear to get you to drink your own urine?’
“I jumped in and said ‘Guys, we’re done. I’m not asking him to do that. We move on ”.”
When you see Bear exposed to the elements on TV – with a wide-eyed, pearly-toothed A-lister in tow – it’s easy to imagine that the wilderness around them is about as real as Jurassic Park.
Are they really sleeping in the makeshift shelter they just built from leaves and cobwebs? Or are they heading to the nearest five-star hotel as soon as the director yells “cut”?
While celebrities may insist that reality shows aren’t actually real life, the former SAS soldier is adamant that there is nothing wrong with his programming.
And even an entourage of lawyers, agents and insurers cannot tell what the weather will be like.
Bear said, “Things can go wrong. I remember when we did our very first Running Wild with Will Ferrell. His agents and managers were so nervous in advance. I was on a conference call with all the lawyers and insurers.
“They said, ‘Can you give us a 100% guarantee that he will be safe?’ I said no. We don’t have a studio where you can control everything. We are in nature and things are happening ”.”
Bear knows all too well the dangers that lie ahead as an explorer. He broke his back in 1996 while serving in the SAS after his parachute tore during a parachute jump at nearly 16,000 feet
And in 2019, while filming the Channel 4 survival series Treasure Island, he suffered fatal anaphylactic shock after a bee stung his face.
But when he has actors like Julia Roberts, Channing Tatum and Kate Winslet, or tennis ace Roger Federer taking part in his outdoor antics, he has to make sure they don’t turn into dead meat.
He said: “We know where we’re going to start the trips and we know where we’re going to end, but we intentionally keep it pretty loose in between. It allows me to adapt and moderate what we do.
“But danger is obviously part of it, although we pride ourselves on being very careful and managing the risk. I’ll find another way down or through something. ”
Former England rugby ace Jonny Wilkinson is the latest star to gear up and take on the great outdoors for a show airing tomorrow on ITV.
Bear says, “Jonny was easy in the sense that he’s physical and likes a challenge. He is not afraid of bad weather, wind, rain and mud. And he has a habit of doing uncomfortable and scary things.
While it’s no surprise that the badass takes any challenge with aplomb, Bear explained that viewers will see a more vulnerable side of the athlete who suffers deeply from his mental health.
Revealing how Jonny lived “in a constant state of fear and neurosis,” the TV host said: “I didn’t realize how focused he was from an early age.
“He wanted to be the most famous and successful rugby player in history, but I didn’t know how much it affected him mentally. Jonny has experienced so few moments of calm and happiness in his life until very recently. He was still in control and had to be so buttoned up. It was bad for his sanity.
“He lived in this constant state of fear and neurosis. But I think he said: “I come on this trip with a total open mind, I trust you”. “
Heartbreakingly, Jonny also admitted to Bear while filming the series that he had only felt three seconds of true happiness in his athletic career – after his World Cup-winning drop-goal for England in 2003.
Bear recalled, “The pressure drove him to greatness, but it took its toll. The most powerful for me with Jonny was that he said he had three real seconds of total bliss and that wasn’t when that kick came through.
“It was actually right after that, when the ball was kicked in touch and he saw the referee reach into his pocket for the whistle and he knew it was full time. He knew he had won but it hadn’t happened yet.
“The adulation thereafter was a difficult time for him. He’s learned the hard way that fame doesn’t solve anything – it only amplifies things, both good and bad.
“I think people come on these shows now ready to talk and wanting to talk. But it was definitely intimate for him to share some of those things he had never shared before. My job is always to listen to them and accompany them throughout their journey.
“But I think nature does the rest. Adventure, nature, it’s a naturally rejuvenating place. And I think we’ve all been through a bit of that in our lives.
Fans of the athletic duo will be delighted to see them strip down to their underwear on the show. Bear has revealed that he and Jonny will be removing their kit for a scene where they jump into a frozen river, filmed on Dartmoor last month.
But will it compete with Myleene Klass’ white bikini shower moment on I’m A Celebrity in 2006 as one of the sexiest moments in television history?
Bear said with a laugh, “I’ll take this. But I’m not sure. It was interesting. We are almost done on the trip. It was cold, it was February, minus anything.
“We were crossing this river, I knew we were close to the end. It was the last push and we would be out of there by then. I was just talking with him and I said, “As a rugby player you must have these epic ice baths? Everything was legendary, wasn’t it? England’s ice baths after the matches ”.
“He said, ‘I used to dread them. In fact, I didn’t. The alternative was that we could always get on an exercise bike if we didn’t want to do the ice baths. I was always the only one who chose to ride an exercise bike while everyone was in the ice bath. I hate that “.
“So I said, ‘Go on, do you want to do it now? Should we do it? Nature’s ice bath here. Five minutes later?
“He said ‘Oh my God, no!’ But he did and he was so proud of himself in the end. It was a great moment. The great moments in all of our lives are always little snippets, aren’t they?
“They are also often shrouded in discomfort and pain. But it was special. I’m going to look back and actually think, for those of us who know, love and admire Jonny, doing this with him, especially when he’s eager to do it, it’s going to be special.
Bear once had a head of state on his show. Surely an heir to the throne would be an obvious next guest to have?
After Prince Harry’s talks with James Corden and Oprah Winfrey, a getaway with Bear away from Tinseltown would give him the chance to reconnect with his military roots.
Although Bear says he can’t comment on future guests, he hasn’t ruled out a show with the Duke of Sussex. He said, “I’m sure it would be great to have in the wild. He’s a good guy.
- Bear And Jonny Wilkinson’s Wild Adventure is on ITV tomorrow at 8 p.m. ET.
The One Show’s Alex Jones cuts Bear Grylls interview after story of him eating elephant poop
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