Bear Grylls surprises Benedict Cumberbatch with Royal Navy nuclear submarine for new TV series
Bear Grylls surprised actor Benedict Cumberbatch with a mission extraction aboard a Royal Navy nuclear submarine for his latest series Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge.
In a clip, the adventurer tweeted, he tells Cumberbatch: "I did call in a favour with the British Royal Navy to ask, did they have a nuclear submarine?", as it surfaces off the coast of Skye in Scotland.
Grylls tweeted: "A powerful moment of raw emotion for Benedict Cumberbatch as we ended our journey…
"Benedict's grandfather had commanded a submarine in WW2 and I felt proud to be able to involve the Royal Navy and Royal Marines to help us end the adventure… thank you so much!"
The honorary Royal Marines Colonel told USA Today that it was a hard request to pull off and he had to work his military contacts.
Grylls said: "I put a call through to the head of the Navy and said, 'Do you think they could ever help?'
"The request was sent through formal Ministry of Defence channels.
"I never thought we'd get it. But the timing was right."
The request was authorised by the MOD and, luckily, the nuclear submarine, which had just finished a three-month patrol, was due to be heading to the area at the time filming was scheduled.
Grylls explains that his team was given a specific timing along with latitude and longitude for the rendezvous – if they missed it, their ride would be gone.
Cumberbatch had been on a two-day adventure with Grylls where they had been camping on the frozen Isle of Skye.
The pair were paddling off from shore when they were picked up by a patrol boat which took them to the surfacing submarine.
Grylls said: "Benedict had no idea. He thought we were going to the mainland but, suddenly, the Royal Marines showed up."
The pair were granted rare civilian access and boarded the submarine.
"It was great showing Benedict how these guys live, the reality of nuclear submarine life.
"These underwater patrols go on for months," says Grylls.
Running Wild With Bear Grylls: The Challenge is airing in the US on National Geographic TV.
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