Discovery ends relationship with ‘Man vs. Wild’s’ Bear Grylls

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Discovery and Bear Grylls, the adventuresome host of ‘Man Vs. Wild,’ have parted ways because of an undisclosed contractual dispute.

In a brief statement, Discovery said the network has ‘terminated all current productions’ with the host.

The seventh (and now final) season of ‘Man Vs. Wild,’ the series which saw Grylls trekking to extreme corners of the globe, aired its final episode last November.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Discovery had been able to secure Grylls’ participation in two projects he was allegedly contractually obligated to complete for the channel. His series ‘Man Vs. Wild’ had aired on Discovery since 2006. He had also hosted the show ‘Worst-Case Scenario’ for the channel.

On Tuesday, Grylls tweeted, ‘Super proud of my team and all they’ve built with ManVsWild. Looking forward to the next set of Adventures!!’ He also added: ‘Thank you fans for your support!! Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail. #TEAMBG.’

Like many reality TV hosts, Grylls has parlayed his TV fame into other areas, such as books (his autobiography ‘Mud, Sweat and Tears’ was published in England last year), a clothing line and a video game.

Though Grylls’ show has become a favorite of such Hollywood actors as Will Ferrell and Jake Gyllenhaal (who both appeared on episodes of ‘Man Vs. Wild’), the show had been criticized in its early years for exaggerating Grylls’ wilderness exploits. In an interview with The Times last year, Grylls discussed weeping after undergoing a pelting with wind machines designed to re-create a massive storm in northern Norway.

‘They blasted the hell out of me, and I thought I could get a shelter and fire going, but I just got beaten by this thing and was really shaken,’ he recalled at the time. ‘The emotion was there because I thought, ‘The reality is, if you found yourself in this situation, you’re dead.’’

ALSO:

‘Vikings’ will be History’s first scripted series

TV star feud: Is Jon Hamm smarter than Kim Kardashian?

Clint Eastwood’s wife, Dina, gets reality show on E! network

-- Patrick Kevin Day