Bear Grylls takes celebrities off the grid in new FOX series: ‘You get to see the real people’

LOS ANGELES - What happens when fame is taken out of its comfort zone?

That’s the question at the heart of "Bear Grylls is Running Wild," a new series premiering Tuesday on FOX. 

‘Bear Grylls is Running Wild’ to premiere on FOX

Big picture view:

Hosted by renowned survival expert Bear Grylls, the show drops well-known figures into remote wilderness for 48 hours — no phones, no teams and no shortcuts.

"I think people aren't used to not having their cell phones with them. Often these stars are not used to having no entourage with them," Grylls told FOX Local ahead of the premiere "But I think that's part of the magic of ‘Running Wild.’ You get to see the real people unguarded on their own, talking about the battles of life along the way in their journey."

Matthew McConaughey runs wild with Bear Grylls

Dig deeper:

Each episode pairs Grylls with a different celebrity, pushing them through tough terrain and uncomfortable conditions. 

In the premiere, the 51-year-old travels to the wilderness of Norway with Matthew McConaughey, where the two face cold weather, wet conditions and physical strain. 

Still, Grylls said McConaughey embraced the challenge.

"He really wanted that challenge. He said, ‘Give me the full experience, turn it up to 10.’ So it was fun for me to be able to kind of push that a little bit," Grylls said. "He did great. He should be really proud of himself."

Grylls, a former British Special Forces soldier and one of the youngest climbers to reach Mount Everest, sees the wilderness as more than just a setting. For him, it’s a teacher.

"The wild is a real star of it actually, in the sense that it challenges us all, and it pushes us, and it keeps us out of that comfort zone," he continued. "You're gonna end up with a few scrapes and scars and bruises and mud and hungry and cold and all of that. But at the end of it, you're going to be fired up with a light in your eye and a pride in your heart. And that's the appeal."

Bear Grylls says outdoors is ‘great reflection of life’

The show also carries a message, especially for younger viewers.

"The outdoors is such a great reflection for life in the sense that it's gonna rain sometimes when you're wishing it's going to be sunny, and sometimes you've got to put your head down and work hard. In life, you've gotta be a never-give-upper. You gotta be humble. Otherwise, in the wild, you'll stumble." 

Despite years of extreme adventures, Grylls said fear is still part of his life. After surviving a serious accident that broke his back, he continues to face those fears head-on.

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"Life is not a kind of journey to avoid fear," he added. "Life is gonna be full of scary things, and we're cool to tackle those things head on and not be scared of going for things because it might be a nerve-wracking experience." 

Watch the season premiere of "Bear Grylls is Running Wild" on Tuesday, April 21 on FOX.