‘Running Wild’s Bear Grylls on ‘The Challenge’s Inspirational Celebrity Guests

I remember first  sitting down with Bear Grylls in 2007, when the rising star told me the hardest things in life for him were big cities, interviews, and cocktail parties where he didn’t know anyone: “Honestly, I find those scarier.”

Hardly the answer you’d expect from a guy who summited Everest, survived a parachuting accident that left his back broken in three places, and drank water he’d extracted from hand-squeezing elephant dung. After 15 years and umpteen more adventures, Grylls is still most comfortable outside.

Bear Grylls and Simu Liu (Credit: National Geographic/Ben Simms)

In this iteration of Running Wild, he continues taking celebrities into tough environments —in the series premeire, it’s Thor: Love and Thunder’s Natalie Portman (above, with Grylls) in the slot canyons of southern Utah — but now they must master survival skills and prove them in a high-stress situation. The Brit tells us more.

How do the stars perform when put to the test?

Bear Grylls: Whether it’s knots or navigation, ultimately the journey comes down to a point where it’s all on them. That pressure can be tough when you’re tired and a little afraid, but it’s amazing to see them overcome and succeed. Natalie has to start a signal fire in under two minutes for an emergency extraction, and she does brilliantly.

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What caused you the most stress?

Every episode has its moments. That’s the wild for you — it’s highly unpredictable. With Simu Liu [Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings], we went to the Canadian Rockies and had to trigger an avalanche to clear a path. This can be extremely dangerous. That journey [airing August 1] ended with us both in a frozen river in our underpants in zero degrees. But Simu was 100 percent up for the challenge.

Who had it the hardest?

Rob Riggle [Holey Moley] is a former U.S. Marine, but even he had a moment [in the Great Basin Desert, airing August 22] that took him to the edge. We all have our edges. I try to adapt each journey for the ambition and skill of the guest. Ashton Kutcher loves the jungle and wanted to be pushed beyond what most people would enjoy. He did amazingly [in Costa Rica, August 8]. This season feels like it has it all — jumping out of planes, eating crickets, crossing alligator-infested swamps — and the guests were truly inspirational for me to lead.

Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge, Series Premiere, Monday, July 25, 9/8c, National Geographic