Bear Grylls’ long-running celebrity survival format returns on April 21, 2026, with a new U.S. home on Fox and a slightly revised title, Bear Grylls Is Running Wild. The shift matters because it marks the first new season in three years and signals an effort to relaunch a familiar unscripted brand for a larger broadcast audience.
In the United States, new episodes air Tuesdays at 9/8c on Fox and stream the next day on Hulu. For viewers who have followed the program through its NBC and National Geographic runs, the new season offers continuity in format but a clearer push toward event-style television built around well-known guests and tougher locations.
A familiar concept, but a different moment for the franchise
The core structure remains intact: Grylls takes a celebrity into remote terrain, strips away ordinary comforts, and uses physical exposure to draw out conversation. That formula has always done two things at once. It delivers survival spectacle, but it also creates a setting where public figures are shown outside the media routines that usually shape celebrity interviews.
Fox appears to be leaning into that second element more heavily. Early promotion emphasizes both scale and emotional candor, suggesting the network sees the series not just as adventure programming but as a personality-driven format that can travel across audiences. That makes sense in a media environment where unscripted television increasingly depends on recognisable figures, strong locations, and a premise simple enough to sell in a few seconds.
What to expect from season 9
This run is expected to feature eight episodes built around a guest list that includes Matthew McConaughey, Uma Thurman, Elizabeth Banks, Colman Domingo, Tiffany Haddish, Machine Gun Kelly, Rhys Darby and Michelle Monaghan. The settings are part of the draw: Norway’s glacial wilderness, the mountains of Eryri in Wales, Arctic rainforest terrain, and canyon and desert environments all point to a season designed to foreground risk, exposure and visual contrast.
That matters because place has always done narrative work in this series. Ice, altitude, water, heat and isolation are not just backdrops; they shape pacing, decision-making and the kinds of conversations that occur on screen. When the environment is harsher, the show’s promise of authenticity feels stronger, even within the controlled realities of television production.
How to watch in the U.S. and what is known elsewhere
In the U.S., viewers can watch live on Fox through traditional pay TV or live TV streaming services that carry the network, including YouTube TV and Sling, according to the source material. Episodes then arrive on Hulu the following day, starting April 22, which will likely be the simplest option for many viewers who use streaming as their default way to catch network programming.
Outside the U.S., release details are less settled. The available information does not confirm season 9 launch dates for Canada, the U.K. or Australia. Earlier seasons have appeared on Disney+ in several markets, making that the most plausible destination, but no firm timetable is established here. For travelers trying to access their home subscriptions abroad, VPN services are commonly marketed as a way to do so, though viewers should check the terms of their platform and local rules before relying on that route.
Why the move to Fox is significant
A network change can alter more than scheduling. It can reshape how a series is promoted, what audience it is expected to reach, and how it fits into a company’s wider programming strategy. For Running Wild, the move to Fox gives the format a new broadcast identity at a time when established unscripted brands are prized for being easier to relaunch than entirely new concepts.
The rebrand is modest, but it serves a purpose. Adding Grylls’ name more prominently to the title reinforces the fact that he is the franchise’s central asset: the host, survival authority and emotional anchor all at once. After three years away, that kind of clarity is useful. It tells returning viewers that the premise they know is still here, while giving Fox a cleaner label for a refreshed rollout.
