The WORST episodes of Running Wild with Bear Grylls
Every episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Running Wild with Bear Grylls!
The famed survivalist takes A-list celebrities on journeys into the wildest locations around the world, forcing the stars to push their bodies and minds to the limit to successfully complete the adventure of a lifetime.
#1 - Courteney Cox
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 8/22/2016
Dropped along the windswept coastline of Ireland, television icon Courteney Cox and Bear must navigate jagged peaks and descend sheer cliffs, only to be battered by ocean swells. As they contend with the elements, the two struggle to stay warm and must subsist on a meager diet of maggots sourced from a rotting sheep. Courteney's limits will be tested, but her spirit shines while sharing insights on life, loss, and the joy of motherhood.
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#2 - Lindsey Vonn
Season 3 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/5/2016
After roaring across crystal-clear waters in a speedboat, Bear and Lindsey must strip down and swim to shore before inching their way along the rugged coastline. After rappelling down a sheer rock wall, the two get inventive and use a spear-gun to traverse a hundred-foot deep chasm. With the sun setting, they collect a dinner of sea urchins and Bear challenges Lindsey to a swimming competition with hilarious results. Along the way Lindsey shares her journey of love, Olympic glory, and displays the focus and determination that has made her one of the most successful female athletes of all time.
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#3 - Marshawn Lynch
Season 3 - Episode 7 - Aired 9/12/2016
Plucked from a medieval tower along the Corsica coastline, Bear and Super Bowl Champion Marshawn Lynch are dropped deep in a rugged mountain range where they navigate cliffs, dark chasms, and come face-to-face with the secretive French Foreign Legion. Spying a wild hog, the pair pursues the beast, but securing it for dinner will require Marshawn to dig deeper than he ever did on the gridiron. Along the way, Marshawn details his upbringing in Oakland, his “beast” mentality on the field, and his unexpected retirement.
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#5 - Keegan-Michael Key in the Icelandic Lava Field
Season 6 - Episode 5 - Aired 4/26/2021
As if right out of a science fiction movie, Bear Grylls swoops in on a jetpack to pick up funnyman Keegan-Michael Key, kicking off their adrenaline-pumping adventure in the lava fields of Iceland. The "Key & Peele" star must put all jokes aside to face some of his greatest fears and conquer the lunar landscape. From a perilous rappel off a sheer 200-foot cliff to an endurance-testing jumar climb, Keegan-Michael is pushed beyond mental and physical limits in a truly life-changing experience.
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#6 - Sterling K. Brown
Season 3 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/22/2017
Sterling K. Brown, joins Bear for an icy journey across the high mountains of Colorado. After a harrowing delivery into frozen wilderness via helicopter, Sterling and Bear battle plummeting temperatures as they descend a shear rock face with near disastrous consequences, track an elusive deer before settling on a less-than-appetizing dinner option, and rappel a massive frozen waterfall with heart-stopping results. Along the way, Sterling reveals the struggles of losing his father as a young boy, his commitment to family, and recounts his landmark Emmy victory.
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#7 - Nick Jonas
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 8/1/2016
Music sensation Nick Jonas joins Bear for an icy journey across the Sierra Nevada Mountains. With a blizzard bearing down, Nick and Bear must rappel down a sheer cliff before navigating an avalanche-prone mountain face. Building camp under harsh conditions, the two feast on a frozen bird, and eventually make a heart-stopping swim across a freezing lake. Along the way, Nick discusses his career, his family, and reveals how his struggle with diabetes gave him the drive to reach the pinnacle of the music world.
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#8 - Scott Eastwood
Season 4 - Episode 6 - Aired 7/2/2018
Dropped into a vast labyrinth of limestone rock formations, the duo must rappel from a towering arch, cross a raging river, and descend into a dark cave to survive their journey. As they dodge a colony of bats and face-off against a snake that Bear eyes for dinner, Scott details growing up with his famous father, his love of the outdoors, and his drive to carve his own path in Hollywood.
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#10 - Michael B. Jordan
Season 2 - Episode 7 - Aired 8/31/2015
Actor Michael B. Jordan joins Bear Grylls for a 48 hour adventure in Wales. Jordan and Grylls begin their journey with a daring drop into the rough ocean waters off the coast and the tenacious team makes their way up the windswept coastline, through the jagged cliffs of Cwmorthin, and to the top of the mountains for their exit. Forced to battle the elements, the two must contend with copious amounts of rain and wind and get creative about finding warmth for the evening and food for dinner.
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#11 - Danica Patrick in the Moab Desert
Season 6 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/12/2021
Bear Grylls takes champion racer Danica Patrick out into the Moab desert for some high-octane, pulse-pounding action in the wild. Together they face off against venomous creatures, sheer cliffs and scorching heat as they make their way across some of the harshest terrain around. Still, nothing is more intimidating than the final challenge that leaves even Danica Patrick unnerved.
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#12 - James Marsden
Season 2 - Episode 6 - Aired 8/24/2015
James Marsden joins Bear on an adventure into the heart of Rattle Snake Canyon Utah, where they helicopter on to one of the highest arches in the area. Once atop the arch, they must repel down the narrow canyons and find a way to get up the towering cliffs on the other side. Along the way, they come face to face with their dinner–a Chuck Walla lizard. As they navigate the dangerous and unpredictable terrain, Marsden shares some insight about his unconventional rise to stardom, starting with his humble beginnings in Oklahoma.
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#13 - Zachary Quinto in the Panama Jungle
Season 5 - Episode 10 - Aired 1/21/2020
Bear Grylls and actor Zachary Quinto race the clock to traverse a dense Panamanian jungle before an impending storm makes landfall. Their adventure begins with a helicopter ride, but once dropped off deep in the brush, they must rely on a primitive navigation technique to help them reach their extraction point, and it won't be easy! From massive cliffs and steep ravines to an underground river cave and an old crashed plane, there are obstacles at every turn!
#14 - Drew Brees
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 9/7/2015
Bear Grylls ventures deep into Panama’s Camino de Cruces jungle with Super Bowl winning quarterback Drew Brees. Together, the two climb a bat-infested cave, descend hundreds of feet into a secluded cavern, and ultimately wrestle a six-foot crocodile. Along the way, Brees shares his personal stories of triumph and tragedy and reveals the drive and focus that make him a world-class athlete.
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#15 - Vanessa Hudgens
Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 9/16/2017
After a breathtaking repel from a helicopter, Bear and Hollywood sweetheart Vanessa Hudgens evade a boulder avalanche, summit a massive dormant volcano, and come face-to-face with a rattlesnake, which makes for a cringe-worthy dinner. Along the way, Vanessa shares insights on her meteoric rise to stardom and draws strength and determination from the memory of her late father.
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#16 - Ed Helms
Season 2 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/3/2015
Funnyman Ed Helms pushes himself to the limit when he joins Bear Grylls high atop the Colorado Mountains. Admittedly fearful of heights, Helms comes face to face with sheer cliffs, crumbling rock, and mountain-top perches where the bottom is nowhere in sight. As Bear puts him through the paces with a cringe-worthy dinner menu, Helms manages to conquer his limitations and discover a new side of himself. He also opens up about the trials and tribulations that lead him into a career in comedy.
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#17 - President Barack Obama
Season 2 - Episode 9 - Aired 12/17/2015
Bear takes President Barack Obama on an adventure in the Alaskan wilderness. The two men traverse a dense forest and walk across a glacial outwash at Alaska’s famed Exit Glacier, where they observe the remarkable effects of climate change first hand. From wild salmon and catkins tea made with melting glacial water to s’mores, Bear gives the President a true taste of Alaska. Their off-the-script chat reveals the President’s thoughts on his official duties, family life at the White House, parenthood, and his own faith.
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#18 - Red Nose Day with Julia Roberts
Season 3 - Episode 9 - Aired 5/25/2017
Bear Grylls enlists Academy Award-winning actress Julia Roberts for a special adventure to deliver life-saving vaccines to a remote village before the vaccines expire. After a long journey to Kenya, Roberts visits with patients and medical staff at Wamba Hospital and is given life-saving cold-chain vaccines that must be kept cold on the trip ahead. She and Bear board a bush plane for the first leg of the trip, but a remote and dusty landing strip means they must jump from the moving plane before it takes off again. Forging ahead, the pair navigate through dense underbrush, cross a river full of hungry crocodiles and hippos, and stay awake through the night to monitor their precious cargo and deliver it safely to the Samburu community awaiting their arrival. The journey highlights the impact of live-saving vaccines, which Red Nose Day helps to provide to children around the world.
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#19 - Alex Honnold in the Swiss Alps
Season 5 - Episode 8 - Aired 1/7/2020
Free Solo rock-climber Alex Honnold joins Bear Grylls for a breathtaking adventure through the Swiss Alps! Alex is no stranger to dizzying heights, but he’s not used to falling from them, so Bear kicks off the journey with a skydive into the jagged mountains. From there, it’s a six-mile trek through craggy valleys and sheer cliffs where Bear teaches Alex how to survive in the wild, but the tables turn when Alex takes Bear on a hair-raising climb!
#20 - Channing Tatum in Gloppedalsura, Norway
Season 5 - Episode 7 - Aired 12/17/2019
It’s been five years since Channing Tatum first appeared on Running Wild with Bear Grylls, and he’s back for more – this time in the wilds of Norway! Their journey kicks off by skydiving into brutal terrain where giant boulder fields and towering cliffs stand in the way of extraction. During their seven-mile trek, Bear tests Channing to see how far he’s come as a survivor – from foraging for food to Navy SEAL-style cold-water immersion training. Channing even learns the ancient art of trout tickling!
#21 - Danny Trejo in the Moab Desert
Season 6 - Episode 6 - Aired 5/3/2021
Bear Grylls takes LA icon and living legend Danny Trejo out into the staggering peaks and steep canyons of Arches National Park in Utah. Under scorching temperatures, Bear and Danny climb massive boulders and traverse sheer cliffs in order to reach their extraction. Even Danny's days in prison can't prepare the show's oldest competitor as he squares off against the intense heat and treacherous obstacles of Mother Nature herself.
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#22 - Bobby Bones in the Norway Fjords
Season 5 - Episode 9 - Aired 1/14/2020
On-air radio personality Bobby Bones joins Bear Grylls for the adventure of a lifetime in a massive Norwegian Fjord! A helicopter ride into the mountains is where their journey begins, but from there, danger lurks at every turn – from giant rock domes and deadly bogs to raging rivers with currents strong enough to move cars. On top of that, the only way to reach their extraction is to rappel down a 300-foot waterfall that leaves even Bobby speechless!
#23 - Julianne Hough
Season 3 - Episode 2 - Aired 8/2/2016
Actress Julianne Hough and Bear initially navigate the unforgiving African terrain on ATV and must elude a pack of elephants that block their path. Rappelling from a sheer cliff, they enter a remote canyon where they evade big cats, come face-to-face with a massive snake, and navigate treacherous waterfalls before reaching their extraction point. As they make their way through the dangerous and unpredictable landscape, Julianne shares her personal story of positivity and the unwavering determination that got her to the top.
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#24 - Shaquille O'Neal
Season 3 - Episode 4 - Aired 8/29/2016
After being plucked from a freight train via helicopter, Bear and NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal battle dense forest, blood-sucking leeches, and 200 ft. sheer rock faces in the remote Adirondacks in search of their extraction point. Along the way, O'Neal's infectious energy, tales of legendary NBA moments, and unwavering drive to help others reminds us why he is beloved around the world. The Wild will dole out everything it's got, but it's never met a force of nature like Shaquille O'Neal.
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#25 - Lena Headey
Season 4 - Episode 3 - Aired 5/21/2018
Bear takes Lena on the ride of her life as they paramotor deep into the remote Spanish wilderness. Continuing on foot, they traverse a towering, razor-thin ridge before a dead-end forces a harrowing rappel. After securing a dinner of bone marrow from a goat carcass, the two must cross a lake using a makeshift raft as an unexpected storm wreaks havoc. As they battle the elements, Lena grants us exclusive details of life on "Game of Thrones," her rise to stardom, and her battle to overcome depression.
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