Bear Grylls' life off-screen - real name, famous wife and huge net worth

Bear Grylls has enjoyed a fascinating career - and naturally lives a pretty interesting life behind the scenes.

The former British SAS trooper has made a name for himself as the TV expert on all things survival - putting himself through hair-raising situations fans could never imagine trying. Meanwhile, as The Scout Association's Chief Scout, the 49-year-old has inspired countless youngsters to get outdoors and seek their own adventures.

Although fans know plenty about Bear's passion for high adrenalin activities, there's a lot they won't be aware of when it comes to his personal life - including the much more formal name he was given at birth. Here, the Mirror takes a look at the real life of Bear Grylls, including his memorable naked proposal...

'Bear' is undoubtedly a fantastic name for a survival expert who spends much of his time out in the wilderness - but it wasn't the one he was given at birth. Born Edward Michael 'Bear' Grylls to Tory politician Sir Michael Grylls and Lady Sarah 'Sally' Grylls (née Ford), the nickname 'Bear' came about in a very sweet way.

During a 2011 interview with The Guardian, Bear revealed: "I was christened Edward. My sister gave me the name Bear when I was a week old and it has stuck."

The name turned out to be extremely fitting for such an adventurous child, who threw himself into outdoorsy pursuits such as climbing, sailing, and mountaineering from a young age. Writing for the Mail Online in 2011, Bear looked back on his wild childhood, remembering how he once attempted an ascent of the 120ft-high school library dome during his days at the prestigious Eton College.

Fearless Bear recalled: "The night was clear and the sky bright with stars. A series of rooftops, then drainpipes, put me within 15ft of the library roof, at which point the dome started. The lightning conductor held my weight and I clambered into the lead-lined bell tower, silhouetted under the moonlight, and carved the initials BG alongside the existing RF."

Bear is married to author Shara Cannings Knight, whom he met a few short months before becoming the youngest Brit to climb Everest on May 16, 1998, at the age of just 23. Opening up about their typically all-natural first meeting during a 2014 episode of Piers Morgan's Life Stories, Bear revealed that the first time Shara clapped eyes on him, he was running around a beach in Scotland - completely starkers.

Super-active Bear shared: "It was freezing on the north coast, and a wave came and took my clothes. I was running around naked, trying to find my trousers." He added: "It was the worst timing in the world to fall in love because I was up in Scotland. It was the new year, I was training, staying with a friend, and climbing everyday."

Thankfully, Shara didn't mind her future husband bear-ing all, and when the time came to propose, Bear knew exactly what to do. Bear told Piers that he popped the question during a skinny dipping session, confessing: "I pulled out the ring from my butt cheeks."

The happy couple said 'I do' in 2000, but their newlywed bliss was sorely tested by a heartbreaking double grief mere months later, with both Bear and Shara losing their fathers within 12 weeks of each other. Speaking candidly with The Times in 2019, Bear confessed that the two agonising blows almost shattered their brand-new marriage and that they were both in a 'bad way'.

Thankfully, they were helped through their bereavement by a 'very good' therapist, and came out the other side even stronger. Bear told the publication: "For a young couple, a shared crisis can really make or break you. It certainly made us."

Having weathered a stormy time together, the rock-solid couple went on to welcome three sons together - Jesse born 2003, Marmaduke born 2006, and Huckleberry born 2009.

It would appear Shara has been greatly inspired by married life, as she's since written two books on the subject. Her first book Marriage Matters was published in 2006, and is described as a 'sparkling collection of wise and witty sayings on marriage'. Her second book, Never Stop Holding Hands, was released six years later, and is filled with words of wisdom and advice on how to keep a marriage strong through good times and bad.

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Bear has accumulated a whopping estimated net worth of $25 million (£20.5 million). This is perhaps unsurprising when you consider his various successes, including a best-selling autobiography, Mud, Sweat, and Tears, and a number of hit TV shows including Man vs Wild - for which he earned approximately $30,000 (£24,600) per episode.

It's perhaps also unsurprising that Bear takes an outdoorsy approach when it comes to splashing his cash. As well as a garage filled with adventure-ready 4x4s, the survivalist purchased Saint Tudwal's Island West in 2001 for a reported £95,000 in 2001.

The 20-acre island, located off the coast of Wales, comes complete with a lighthouse, with plenty of grey seals, bottle-nosed dolphins, and otters populating the bay. In an interview with Vanity Fair, Bear enthused: "Our small, private island hideaway is 20 acres and five miles offshore with no mains, electricity, or running water. It has a little lighthouse beside our house and is surrounded by amazing sea cliffs, seals, and dolphins. It is my favourite place on the planet!"

You can catch Louis Theroux Interviews - Bear Grylls this evening (April 23) at 9.45 pm on BBC Two. Follow Mirror Celebs on Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Threads.

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