Bear Grylls Says New Book on Jesus Is His Most Significant Achievement Yet
Adventurer Bear Grylls has circled the globe by land and sea, but he says his new book about Jesus is his most significant achievement yet. The former host of Man vs. Wild and other survival series is the author of The Greatest Story Ever Told: An Eyewitness Account, a narrative retelling of the Gospels that unfolds through the imagined first-person voices of eyewitnesses, while preserving Jesus’ words directly from Scripture.
“If I could be known for one thing, it would actually be that,” he told the British show This Morning.
It climbed to No. 1 on the Sunday Times bestseller list in the United Kingdom and holds a 4.7 out of 5 stars rating on Amazon, with many reviewers saying it brings the story of Jesus vividly to life.
“I think it's definitely been my hardest achievement, and it's the one I think I'm most proud of, because it's touching people's lives all over the world,” Grylls said, noting he has fronted multiple survival series and appeared on television screens across the globe -- but is most proud of the book.
“I think out of everything, this is what I get the most letters, texts, messages from people of all cultures, all faiths, all countries,” he said.
It’s far from his first faith-centric project. He previously wrote a devotional book, has shared his testimony in churches, and is the host of the forthcoming series within The Chosen universe, The Chosen in the Wild with Bear Grylls. He said he wants the book to help readers discover Scripture.
“I think so few people, myself included, grew up knowing the real story, you know, the unsanitized, un-Christmassy nice story of it all,” he said. “And the real story is so kind of shocking and beautiful and exciting and sort of challenging.
“... You might know the Good Samaritan or the Nativity play, but actually the whole story is so sort of life-enhancing and life-empowering and challenging and sort of beautiful.”
Too many people, he said, “don't read the Bible.”
“And I think this is like a really brilliant sort of bridge into faith,” he said. “I think people are really hungry for purpose and meaning and finding kind of light and love and home in their life. … Nobody's ever done this.”
Grylls recounted a note from a pastor in America who told him it was like reading a John Grisham book about Christ. Grylls said he felt God leading him to write it.
“I love Noah,” he said, “I did feel a real sense of like, ‘clear the decks and write this.’
“I worked with a brilliant team of theologians to get this really right, theologically accurate, and in many ways, they're the real heroes in this whole journey.”
Photo credit: ©Getty Images/Frazer Harrison/Staff
Michael Foust has covered the intersection of faith and news for 20 years. His stories have appeared in Baptist Press, Christianity Today, The Christian Post, the Leaf-Chronicle, the Toronto Star and the Knoxville News-Sentinel.
Listen to Michael's Podcast! He is the host of Crosswalk Talk, a podcast where he talks with Christian movie stars, musicians, directors, and more. Hear how famous Christian figures keep their faith a priority in Hollywood and discover the best Christian movies, books, television, and other entertainment. You can find Crosswalk Talk on LifeAudio.com, or subscribe on Apple or Spotify so you never miss an interview that will be sure to encourage your faith.
Originally published October 16, 2025.
