Estimated read time: 3-4 minutes
- Bear Grylls collaborates with "The Chosen" cast for a new wilderness show.
- The show will feature survival situations and personal stories from the cast.
- Grylls emphasizes faith and mindset as key to overcoming challenges in the wild.
SALT LAKE CITY — For the last couple of decades, Bear Grylls has been busy, climbing Mount Everest and exploring the coast of Antarctica. Whether it's getting Zac Efron to sleep in a cave or dropping into the ocean with Michael B. Jordan, Grylls is always down for some kind of adventure.
Seeing Grylls, who often appears in remote settings in extreme conditions, wearing jeans and sauntering around a convention center was a departure from his usual high-adventure settings. But he was there in October to announce a project — a collaboration with "The Chosen."
Hours before "The Chosen" Insiders Conference attendees viewed a montage of Grylls jumping out of planes and climbing tall peaks, he sat down with reporters and opened up more about what the new show would be like.
"The Chosen" creator Dallas Jenkins and cast members of the show are expected to go into extreme conditions with Grylls, the British survivalist who gained fame through his shows like "Man vs. Wild" and Running Wild with Bear Grylls," and open up not only about their characters in the popular program but also their own personal journey. They'll navigate survival situations on camera while embarking on these adventures.
It was one of a handful of shows announced this fall that mark "The Chosen" branching out.
Grylls, 50, said preparing "The Chosen" cast members to go with him into the middle of the wild doesn't actually require a lot of preparation. He said it's more of a state of mind than anything.
"You just need to be willing to give your all — go for it," said Grylls. He explained that you'll fall down, and "you might have to eat a few bugs and grubs along the way," but you just have to go for it.
Going into the wild will take a person into different situations, many of which are challenging, he said. It's his own faith that has helped Grylls along the way.
Calling his faith "a secret backbone" in his life, Grylls said his Christian faith has been quietly a part of his life for years. As a result of spending so much time in the wilderness, the adventurer said he quickly learned that on your own, you're not strong enough, and you need something more to help you pull through — "And faith has been that. Christ has been a light to a dark path, strength to a failing body."
He's excited to go into the wilderness with "The Chosen" cast, partially because they are not as well-known as other celebrities.
"They're from all different cultures, backgrounds, faith," said Grylls. He said their personal stories are powerful — not only that, but their time on "The Chosen" has been transformational for them. They are the kind of stories you can expect to hear on the show.
Still, going into the wild requires some stretching — and not just physically, he said.
It's the part of the job Grylls said he loves and sometimes takes for granted. He said hanging off a helicopter or even consuming a handful of grubs is somewhat normal for him, but "The Chosen" cast members hadn't really done that before.
Grylls said overcoming those kinds of things is "the only thing I'm good at in my life," and he particularly enjoys sharing the experiences with others.
There is no release date yet for "The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls."
