Steven Kelly on BBC’s Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning – Episode 5 (BBC One / iPlayer)

I’m Steven Kelly (Survival Ste) and I’m featured in BBC’s Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning (Episode 5).Here’s what it was really like — and what you can take from it.

you know me online, you’ll know I’m not shy of discomfort. I’ve done the “no food, no kit, no excuses” world on Naked and Afraid — but this was different.

I’m featured on the BBC’s brand-new series Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning, where real people take real problems into the wild — and the wilderness forces the truth to the surface.

✅ Watch the episode here (BBC):
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002pzly

What is Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning?

Wild Reckoning is a new BBC series set on the North Wales coast, where Bear Grylls and an expert team guide people through physical challenges and hard conversations to resolve conflict, repair relationships, or make decisions they’ve been stuck on for years.

There’s no hiding behind comfort, routine, or your phone. You’re tired, cold, wet, hungry — and suddenly the “small issues” don’t stay small.

It’s raw. It’s honest. And it’s exactly why it works.

Read the official series announcement (production details):
https://banijayuk.com/bear-grylls-helps-people-rebuild-relationships-in-new-series-wild-reckoning/

Why I said yes to doing this

This episode isn’t about “winning” a challenge.

It’s about pressure — the kind that exposes how you communicate, how you decide, and what you do when you don’t get your own way.

In the wild, you don’t get to escape the conversation. You don’t get to storm off. You don’t get to pretend everything’s fine.

You either handle it — or it handles you.

What you’ll see in my episode (no fluff)

Without giving away everything, here’s the truth:

• You’ll see what happens when a big life decision turns into a loop of friction and stalemate.
• You’ll see wilderness tasks that aren’t “survival for TV” — they’re pressure tests designed to force clarity.
• You’ll see moments where pride gets in the way… and moments where it gets dropped.

And you’ll see why the wild is the best lie detector on earth.

What I took from it (and you can steal this)

1) Stress doesn’t create character — it reveals it

When you’re tired and uncomfortable, the mask slips. That’s not a weakness — that’s the data you need.

2) Most conflict is really a values clash

People argue about the thing (money, work, plans, “what should we do next”).
But underneath, it’s usually fear, identity, control, or respect.

3) Decision-making is a skill you can train

In the military and in survival, indecision kills momentum. In real life, indecision kills relationships too.
The wild forces a decision — because it has to.

Why this matters if you follow me for survival

Survival isn’t just fire and shelters.

Survival is:

• staying calm when you’re uncomfortable
• making decisions when you’re under pressure
• communicating when you’d rather shut down
• adapting fast when the plan collapses

That’s what this episode shows — in a way that’s brutally relatable.

Watch it (and tell me what you think)

🎥 BBC episode link:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002pzly

If you watch it, message me what hit home:

• What part made you uncomfortable (that’s the part that matters)?
• What decision are you avoiding?
• Where are you stuck in a loop?

Want to train the real skills behind “survival”?

If you want proper, real-world survival training (not fantasy fluff), check out what I run here:

South West Survival (training & courses):
https://www.southwestsurvival.co.uk/

And if you want the wider story of who I am and what I do:

About me:
https://www.stevenkelly.uk/about

FAQ

Is Bear Grylls: Wild Reckoning on iPlayer?

Yes — the series is for BBC One and iPlayer, and the episode page is here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002pzly

Where is Wild Reckoning filmed?

The series is set along the North Wales coast, using the wilderness as the pressure-cooker for breakthroughs.

What’s the point of the show?

It’s conflict resolution and decision-making under real discomfort — where people can’t hide behind normal life.

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