Obama to appear on Running Wild reality show
Special episode airs later this year
Running Wild With Bear Grylls is about to get its biggest guest yet: President Barack Obama.
The show will feature the president in a special episode taped in Alaska later this year, NBC announced Monday. It’s a pretty big deal for Running Wild, which has already featured a slew of celebrities from Kate Winslet to Zac Efron to Channing Tatum. But if you’re not too familiar with the reality show, or its survival-expert host, we’ve outlined the five things you should know about Bear Grylls before you sit down to watch Obama trek through the Alaskan wilderness.
1. He’s a former soldier from the British Special Forces.
Grylls is more than just a survival expert. He spent three years in the British Special Forces. He was also the youngest man ever appointed Chief Scout in the United Kingdom, and was awarded an honorary commission as a commander in the Royal Navy and as a colonel in the Royal Marines Commandos.
2. He has reached the summit of Mount Everest.
He has major skills on and off the screen. Grylls is one of the youngest climbers ever to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
3. He used to host Discovery Channel’s Man vs. Wild.
Running Wild isn’t his first show. Grylls spent seven seasons as the host of Discovery Channel’s Man vs. Wild, which featured Grylls being dropped into crazy locations and showing viewers how to survive. He also has written 15 books, including best-seller Mud, Sweat, and Tears.
4. He has a habit of getting celebrities to do some pretty strange stuff.
Remember when Kate Hudson ate ants? Or when Michelle Rodriguez ate a mouse soaked in her own urine? Yup, it’s because they were Running Wild. Celebs have done all sorts of crazy things in the name of survival on the show. Grylls has even gotten serious with his guests, as when Efron opened up about addiction issues.
5. The show has had some close calls before.
Grylls definitely does some dangerous things on the show. He told USA Today last year about a close call he had on an episode with Tatum:
“On the last shot with Channing, I was busy clipping him in and didn’t even clip in myself. You’re tired and stuff happens. ... I grabbed the rope. Channing probably didn’t even notice it, but I thought, [shoot], that was close.”
Obama’s episode of Running Wild is set to film and air later this year on NBC, so we’ll just have to wait and see what Grylls and the president get themselves into.