The former SAS trooper and TV personality Bear Grylls has made a name for himself in his 20 year career with his notably dangerous adventures and all-round intensity, but when it comes to his home life, he likes to keep things a little more comfortable. The 51-year-old has three incredibly different family homes that he shares with his wife of 25 years, Shara Grylls, and their three sons: Jesse, 22, Marmaduke, 19, and Huckleberry, 16. Scroll down to find out about the family's three homes below, including one very surprising property, and another with a controversial feature…
Bear Grylls' London penthouse
Perhaps surprisingly, Bear's home life is a little more luxurious than his adventurous tendencies might have you believe – or maybe it's the perfect antidote! In an interview with The Times in 2024, he revealed that the family move between multiple properties, saying: "We split our time between our penthouse in Battersea Power Station, our home on Saint Tudwal’s Island West, north Wales, and our little place in the mountains of Switzerland, two hours from Geneva."
In 2015, he spoke to the Daily Mail about his purchase, saying: "The Battersea Power Station is a project like no other - to take a greatly loved historical city landmark and transform it into a world-class icon is unique."
© Getty ImagesExplaining why he wanted something a little different for the family, Bear explained: "As a family we didn't just want a run-of-the-mill townhouse or riverside development. We were attracted to Battersea Power Station because it was a chance to own a bit of history that we could pass on down through the family."
He added: "We have moored our houseboat barge in Battersea for many years - and are proud to keep that still - but to be able to buy within this landmark building and own that small slice of London history felt like a very special opportunity. It will make a very unique home." The family have since sold the houseboat.
Bear Grylls' island home in Wales
Speaking to The Times, Bear opened up about his plans to buy a London flat with his wife in 2001, which led to one of his rather unconventional purchases. He revealed: "In 2001 we were going to buy a London flat for £200,000, but we bought a houseboat on the Thames [now sold] and the island together and it cost less than the apartment, so we decided on the path less trodden and an amazing adventure."
© Christopher Jones/ShutterstockWhen Bear and Shara first found the property, it wasn't quite in the condition that it is now. Despite a lot on the land – it "had a 200-year-old lighthouse and two lightkeeper's cottages", he revealed – the houses themselves weren't in the best shape: "derelict with no power, no water, no roof and rats." He added: "I remember my first bath sitting in three inches of water pumped from the old tanks we’d cleaned out. There was rubble everywhere and rain coming through, but it was a great moment."
Back in 2013, the local council had some concerns about a new feature that he had installed on the cliff edge, which was going into the sea: a waterslide that came in at 80 feet tall. It was ruled by the council that Bear had breached planning rules by installing the slide off the coast of Aberosch, so it was then removed. He allegedly claimed that it was never intended as a permanent fixture.
