How rich is Celebrity Bear Hunt's frontrunner Bear Grylls? Net worth explored

Edward Michael Grylls, aka Bear Grylls, is a British adventurer and survival expert best known for his TV show Man vs. Wild, which aired from 2006 to 2011. His net worth is estimated at $25 million, mainly from his survival shows like Running Wild with Bear Grylls and The Island with Bear Grylls, along with his business ventures and sponsorships, as per Celebrity Net Worth.

Born on June 7, 1974, in Donaghadee, Northern Ireland, his sister Lara nicknamed him Bear when he was just a week old, and the name stuck.

Before becoming widely known for showcasing his survival skills in TV shows, Bear served in the British Army reserves from 1994 to 1997, ranked as a Trooper trained in unarmed combat.

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Bear Grylls' television career explored

Grylls had to leave the British Army after a free-fall parachuting accident in Kenya in 1996, where he broke three vertebrae after surviving a fall of 16,000 feet, as reported by The Mirror in June 2023. His fall is one of the highest ever to be survived without a functional parachute.

Later, Grylls entered television work and starred in various advertisements, including the army's anti-drugs campaign and a deodorant advert that featured his ascent of Mount Everest. He caught his first break in 2005 when he filmed the show called Escape to the Legion, which followed Grylls and other participants taking part in desert training in the Sahara.

In 2006, he started hosting the popular series Man vs. Wild, which is known as Born Survivor in the UK. It debuted in 2006 and featured him dropping into various jungles and other inhospitable places where he showcased his survival skills to the viewers. Man vs. Wild was a success which led to the network ordering 7 more seasons of the show.

Despite ending the series in 2012 because of a reported contractual dispute with Discovery Channel, Grylls has worked with them again for special episodes of Man vs. Wild including episodes featuring Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh in 2019.

From 2010, Grylls hosted several survival TV shows which contributed significantly to his $25 million fortune. His other notable works include Worst Case Scenario (2010), Escape from Hell (2013), Running Wild with Bear Grylls (2014 -), You vs Wild (2019), and I Survived Bear Grylls (2023)

Furthermore, Grylls started working with big streamers like Amazon Prime and Netflix. His latest reality competition series comes from Netflix titled Celebrity Bear Hunt, where a group of British celebrities get trained by Grylls before dropping into the Central American jungle to survive. The show will be released in February 2025.

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Bear Grylls: Additional ventures and income

As per Celebrity Net Worth, Bear Grylls is also an accomplished author with over 15 books to his name. His books range from survival guides, autobiographies, and children's adventure series. His latest book was released in 2023 titled How to be a Scout. The sales from these books significantly bolster his income.

Bear Grylls has endorsement deals with brands like Gerber, which makes survival gear. In real estate, his investments include a private island in Wales, known for having no electricity or running water.

Grylls also owns several business ventures such as, "Be Military Fit with Bear Grylls", an outdoor fitness program, and his own digital network, "The Bear Grylls Digital Network", aimed at young adventure enthusiasts.

Personal Life

Grylls married Shara Cannings Knight in 2000 and shares two sons with her: Marmaduke and Huckleberry Grylls.

In 2024, Grylls became the second longest-serving Chief Scout after being appointed in 2009, as the youngest-ever Chief Scout of the United Kingdom and Overseas territories at the age of 35. He held the post until September 2024.

He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2019 for services to young people, the media, and charity. He also served as an ambassador for The Prince's Trust.

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Fans can follow Bear on Instagram @beargrylls to get updates about his personal and professional life. Viewers can also catch him in a new reality competition series Celebrity Bear Hunt, which premieres on February 5 on Netflix.