Holly Willoughby says Bear Grylls taught her to use fear to be brave in new show

Holly Willoughby has said TV survivalist Bear Grylls taught her that “being brave is about using that fear, harnessing it and doing it anyway”, when they worked together on a Netflix series.

Former This Morning presenter Willoughby hosts Celebrity Bear Hunt – which sees famous faces dropped into the jungle of Costa Rica to become “prey” for Grylls.

Willoughby said: “There were a few moments on this show where I had to dig deep and have a strong word with myself.

“At those times it was good to have someone like Bear Grylls next to you saying, being brave is about using that fear, harnessing it and doing it anyway.

“Those words really get in your head and help you, he has definitely given me some transferable skills and being in nature allows you to put your thinking down for a bit and be present.”

The presenter also said that her children – two sons and a daughter with producer Dan Baldwin – are “massive fans” of Grylls.

“Before we went into filming, Bear and I met to talk about the show, just spending a bit of time with him I was really inspired,” Willoughby added.

“This is his passion and his absolute love – he lives, eats, and breathes it. It’s incredible to be around.”

She added: “Having kids at different ages makes it quite hard to find something to watch all together.

“Celebrity Bear Hunt has got the action and adventure that my boys (Harry and Chester) will love but also the reality, relationships, and dynamics that (daughter) Belle and I are going to love watching together.”

Willoughby also said that her and Grylls are “poles apart”, and viewers who saw her stint as a co-host of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! with Declan Donnelly in 2018 know she is “not great with bugs”.

She also said she wanted to be on the show as it was “the ultimate adventure, and I just wanted something that really took me out of my comfort zone”, and that before taking part was she had been looking forward to “experiencing the unknown”.

The 43-year-old added: “I think that it’s important to challenge yourself as you get older, you should always push yourself to try new things.”

She also said that if she were to compete then she would “love the experience of finding out what I’m made of when tested”.

Willoughby said that contestants Spice Girls star Melanie Brown, model Lottie Moss and Strictly Come Dancing judge Shirley Ballas were strong competitors.

“It all looks like fun until you’re under pressure, up against the clock and being hunted by Bear Grylls,” she said.

“You think, I could walk across that ravine, but then when you add all the extra elements to it, that’s when it doesn’t become fun any more and sounds quite terrifying.”

Grylls said: “Holly’s great, Holly has been a friend for some years.

“She’s a great light and a familiar face for the celebrities when they come out of the Bear Pit (elimination area), which is such an intense experience for them.

“Who wouldn’t want to have a bit of Holly warmth and kindness back in camp? Comforting, she’s exactly that.”

Celebrity Bear Hunt sees 12 contestants, including former tennis star Boris Becker, retired rugby player Danny Cipriani, TV host Steph McGovern, TV cook Big Zuu, The Saturdays star Una Healy and The Inbetweeners actor Joe Thomas compete.

They face various challenges and will be eliminated during the episodes, with one becoming the winner at the end.

Celebrity Bear Hunt is on Netflix on February 5.