Bear Grylls Shares His Life-Threatening Allergic Reaction On His Show, ‘Treasure Island’

Bear Grylls is always taking on some major challenges, but recently, he was almost taken out by a humble bee while shooting his newest reality show, Treasure Island.

Express shared Grylls’ story, which scared him and the contestants on Treasure Island. The 45-year-old adventure seeker was stung by a bee while on set, and tried to keep going, not telling anyone what had happened and how he was feeling. But Grylls is allergic to bees, and his reluctance to seek help could have cost him his life.

There is always a medical team on the set of these adventure shows, so when the star went into anaphylactic shock, he was able to get prompt attention. Grylls tried to keep working, but his bravery could have killed him, as his face swelled up and he lost consciousness. Medics raced over to help him by injecting him with an EpiPen, bringing him back around and allowing him to recover.

Contestant Mano Shanmuganathan, a brain surgeon, was shocked to see Bear drop on set.

“The irony of Bear the survivalist being stung, having the potential of an allergic reaction, and needing to be treated with an EpiPen, was a bizarre moment. That was crazy!” he recounted.

Luckily the EpiPen was on hand, as Grylls had a much milder reaction to a bee sting once before while shooting Born Survivor in Baja, California, while foraging for honey in 2016. Before then, the military-trained survivalist had no idea he was allergic to bees.

Doctors warn that just because you have had a mild reaction in the past, that doesn’t mean that you will continue to have the same symptoms in the future. They warn that anaphylaxis can be fatal. Symptoms to watch for are:

• Feeling lightheaded or faint
• Breathing difficulties — such as fast, shallow breathing
• Wheezing
• A fast heartbeat
• Clammy skin
• Confusion and anxiety
• Collapsing or losing consciousness

The Inquisitr reported that recently in the U.K., there have been a number of cases of mislabeled foods which ended with the death of teens. One allergic reaction to sesame seeds happened on an airplane when a baguette was mislabeled. By the time the teen could use her EpiPen, it was too late, and 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse lost her life on a flight to France.

Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, was on the plane with Natasha’s parents as they flew her body back to England and heard their tragic story, prompting her to push for stronger labeling.