Bear Grylls and wifes shared family tragedies nearly broke their marriage Fri 16 June

May 2024 · 3 minute read

Bear Grylls previously opened up about how two family tragedies months after his wedding to his wife Shara Grylls nearly broke their marriage.

The British presenter has been a staple face on our screens for over 15 years after becoming globally known with the success of his television series Man vs. Wild.

The adventurer and media personality rarely opens up about his family life with his wife Shara Grylls and their sons due to the huge media interest surrounding him.

The star’s marriage was on the rocks months after he tied the knot due to a double devastating tragedy that hit their family.

How did Bear Grylls and wife Shara meet?

Bear’s romance with his wife, Shara Cannings Knight, began in the most unusual way for most couples but in true Bear Grylls style hence his passion for outdoor adventures.

Bear was about to go swimming in Scotland after a morning jog on the morning of New Year’s Eve in 1998 when he met his future wife.

He was trying to find his clothes after the freezing swim when Shara appeared and offered to help him. Bear decided to propose the same way as they first laid eyes on each other and popped the question during a skinny dipping session.

Bear’s romantic outdoor proposal was months after the adventurer climbed Mount Everest in 1998. At the age of 23, he became one of the youngest people in the world to climb the peak.

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They suffered two family deaths after their wedding

Bear and Shara married in 2000 but two heartbreaking family tragedies nearly broke their marriage months after they tied the knot.

Shara’s father passed away a couple of months after their wedding, while Bear’s father died three months after Shara’s dad died.

The presenter got candid about the heartbreaking losses and told The Times in 2019: “I didn’t really have a job – and that was a worry – and then her father died. Twelve weeks later my father died.

“We were living on this rusty barge on the Thames and the boiler was broken. I felt overwhelmed. I couldn’t talk to Shara because I felt I had to be strong for her.”

Bear said that the tragedies nearly had a toll on their relationship but the pair made it through couple’s therapy. “For a young couple, a shared crisis can really make or break you. It certainly made us,” Bear added in the interview.

Bear and Shara welcomed three sons

While Bear and Shara’s marriage endured a number of challenges over the years, they are proud parents of three sons – Marmaduke, 17, Jesse, 20, and Huckleberry, 13.

They raised their children on a boat on the River Thames and recently purchased a luxury flat at the redesigned Battersea Power Station.

In a post on May 5, 2023, Bear shared a throwback picture of Shara with one of their sons, followed by the caption: “Family is everything. Where is your happy place?”

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