Bear Grylls: I Really Want A Girl!

Bear Grylls: I Really Want A Girl!
|

Adventurer and Chief Scout Bear Grylls is dad to Jesse, eight, Marmaduke, five, and Huckleberry, three. We caught up with the proud dad of three to talk life on the go with his boys, why his house is a heath and safety nightmare, and why he thinks a girl would fit right in...

Your three boys have pretty fabulous names, do they have nicknames like you (Bear's real name is Edward)?

i

Really they're just Jess, Chuck and Huck, like the Dukes of Hazzard, which I loved! I always say they might not necessarily get the job, but they would certainly get the job interview - who wouldn't want to meet three boys with those names?!

i

Are they following in your footsteps with a love of the outdoors?

Absolutely. They just adore being outside, getting fresh air and building dens and mucking around. They have no interest in computer games and sitting inside, so we don't have anything like that at home as they just love being out, which is great because so do I!

Do you worry about them hurting themselves?

A little, but god willing we haven't had any broken bones. I taught them to break fall from an early age as I could see them getting more and more adventurous, which has helped. We've have lots of bumps and scrapes but it's all part of the fun.

i

Our friends say our house is a health and safety nightmare as we're always up to something!

i

You've had a couple of near misses on your adventures, do you worry about looking after yourself more since you've had children?

I'm certainly more aware of it, and it is a constant juggle of doing a job I love that has a lot of risk, and being a father to my children, but I'm always very sensible with the crew when we're filming and listen to my inner voice if I think something might go wrong. If in doubt we'll always find an easier way down, or stop and re-assess instead of charging on.

Do you think the boys will follow your adventurous path when they grow up?

They certainly love the outdoors, but who knows. My dad always said "look after your friends and follow your dreams" which are the solid values we're all about as a family. We're very relaxed with them and what they want to do day to day so we'll have to wait and see.

Any tips for families to enjoy the outside if they're not necessarily based in the countryside with lots of space?

You absolutely don't need to be in the middle of nowhere to enjoy the outdoors and have adventures.

i

One of my boys' favourite things to do is build a den on the doorstep. They get inside and say, "Dad, we're on Everest!"

i

There is so much fun to be had outside, you just need to go for it. That's why I've created Persil's Top Ten Things To Do Before You're Ten list, to try and get kids outdoors and enjoy growing up.

Tell us about your involvement with the Scouts...

I'm Chief Scout to 28 million Scouts around the country. I get to help young people grow and enjoy their surroundings. It is fabulous, and I love it.

Bear in Chief Scout mode Picture: PA

There was a story going around that Jesse saved a girl's life a while ago - was that true?

That one grew and grew from something very small. A young girl fell out of a boat into a little stream, and although she could have got herself out, Jesse saw the opportunity to be a hero and pulled her out - before I knew it was like he'd scaled grade five rapids to rescue her! Something and nothing, but I was very proud of him.

Huckleberry was born on your house boat, tell us about that

It was a lovely relaxing home birth, on the boat which we all love. It was a fabulous experience, with just a little rocking...

Would you like more children?

i

I would love three more kids but my wife Shara isn't so sure. I think we need a girl! She would fit right in I'm sure.

i

There are so many girls joining the scouts and getting outside that I don't think she would feel left out in the slightest. Another boy would be equally as awesome. Perhaps one day...

Bear Grylls has teamed up with Persil small & mighty to create a handbook of the "The Top Ten Things To Do Before You're Ten". Visit Persil.co.uk/bear now to download the guide.