TODAY’S Rob’s wild time with Bear S

HOUT Y action man Bear Grylls took heavyweight boxing champ Anthony Joshua on a tough survival mission last week. This all made perfect sense.

This week it’s more surprising, and therefore more enjoyable. Bear is joined by Rob Brydon, the mild-mannered Welsh comedian, often affectionately mocked by his peers for his short stature. Certainly no action hero, but thank goodness his wit and comic timing is here to balance out Bear’s incessant yelling. Plus he’s the everyman, he’s us. Normal people do not abseil into sink holes or climb up treacherous mine shafts (as they do here).

As 52-year-old Rob waits for Bear to arrive for their trip into the Welsh mountains, he reveals : “This reminds me of when I was about six. I joined the Cubs for a week and I left because it was too rough. So there is a fear of bottling it.”

Bear arrives by helicopter – of course he does – and immediately makes Rob leap out of it and into a lake. “When you hit the water, don’t gasp. That’s how people drown,” he bellows helpfully.

Bear has obviously been briefed to use these expeditions as a way to coax revelations from celebrities. He says : “I want to strip him back to his roots and reveal more about the man behind the smile.”

What does he want to do, make Rob cry? Fortunately, although Rob does open up about his life while sitting round a camp fire – and this makes for some interesting anecdotes – he also manages to retain his humour throughout.

“Is there a National Trust stair way? “Is there a gift shop?” All very admirable considering what Bear puts him through – namely a rather bleak, cold and often heart-stopping journey through the Welsh wilderness.

But Rob takes it on with gusto.