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“Man vs. Wild” star Bear Grylls said writing about Jesus was the “hardest thing” he’s ever done, harder than climbing Mount Everest or sailing across the frozen sea, he told Fox News.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but also the best thing,” Grills told “My View with Lara Trump.” “Throughout so many adventures my faith has always been a calming, empowering presence.”
The British-born survivalist’s book “The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Eyewitness Account,” released in June, details the life of Jesus in what he describes as a compelling, faith-filled thriller.
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He said, “The real story of Jesus is so fascinating. It’s a story of true courage, true friendship, true love and I thought no one has ever written this as a thriller, I’m just going to write this story.”
Bear Grylls pictured during the filming of episode 302 of ‘Running Wild with Bear Grylls’. (Ben Sims/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
Grylls said that his curiosity and desire to find a true version of the story inspired the project.
“I never really grew up knowing the real story of Jesus,” the survivalist explained. “I always grew up with such a sanitized version of it, I didn’t really like it.”
Grylls, who has hosted more than a dozen survival shows since 2006 — many of them on the Discovery Channel — said he contacted him after his successful climb of Mount Everest.
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He said, “Everest will always be in my heart because climbers lost their lives there. Two died of cold, two fell and I think that mountain shaped the future of my life a lot. It was through that that the Discovery Channel finally contacted me and we watched ‘Man vs Wild’ and that went on to become ‘Running Wild’ and all these shows.”
Courageous said that the response to his book has been greater than any response he has experienced in television.
“I think I’ve gotten more of a reaction to this book than anything else, any TV show, I’ve ever done,” he said.
Bear Grylls attends a screening of his Netflix series “Celebrity Bear Hunt” on February 4, 2025 in London, England. (Jeff Spicer/Getty Images)
Beyond his career and faith, Grylls also talked about the importance of coming out.
“For me, the outdoors has always been a beautiful, therapeutic, grounding place,” Grylls said. “This is where I go to reconnect.”
He is worried that modern life has distanced people from nature.
“I think everyone’s afraid of the sun these days,” he said.
“Try and be disciplined about your time on your screen. Not that it’s bad, but try and exercise some control over yourself,” Grylls recommended.
Bear Grylls sits around a bonfire with NBA legend Shaquille O’Neal during the filming of ‘Running Wild with Bear Grylls’. (Photo Credit: Ben Sims/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images)
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For Grylls, adventure is not always about the thrill of achievement, but about living with intention.
“It doesn’t have to be the tallest mountain in the world,” he said. “It depends on how you live, how you approach risk, relationships, family, business and everything.”
And it’s a life, he admitted, that he has no plans to change.
“I’ve burned a lot of bridges in my life,” he reflected. “I have no other choice but to do what I do – and I love it.”
