BEAR GETS A GRYLLING
LOUIS thinks he’s landed in an episode of Thunderbirds within minutes of sighting Bear Grylls, who whizzes to meet him on a speed boat.
The survival expert takes Louis to his private island off the coast of North West Wales, where he spends a few weeks of the year with his wife Shara and three sons.
Louis wants to understand the real man behind the toughguy image.
It might take a while. They begin with Bear scampering down a cliff face to show Louis the place where he does 25 pull ups every morning. Of course he does.
Talking about his initial break into television, Bear says: “I remember there was a lot of danger in the early days with a lot of narrow escapes.
“Bitten by snakes, caught in the rapids, parachute failures, avalanches, you name it.”
There’s talk of drinking your own wee, eating disgusting bugs and his background in the SAS. But before long, Bear does open up, revealing a more vulnerable side.
He talks about being sent to boarding school when he was seven-years-old.
“I remember being left and seeing my parents bawling their eyes out as they drove away.”
There is emotion as he recounts the moment his father died suddenly after an operation, and he discusses his mother’s mental health issues.
And at an adventure festival, where he is the guest of honour, Bear admits that public speaking on stage and being hailed a hero is something he struggles with.
He says: “I feel I’m not as brave and strong as they might think.”