Survivalist and author Bear Grylls supported actor and comedian Russell Brand during Brand’s recent baptism, the actor revealed in a video posted to his social media on Monday, May 6. In the video, Brand described his “first week as a Christian.”
“Week 1 as a Christian has been amazing,” Brand said. “The ceremony itself was incredible. I want to thank Bear Grylls and my mate Joe, the two men that stood either side of me and flanked me for the baptism itself. It was pretty incredible.”
First week as a Christian and the biggest challenge has been… pic.twitter.com/GHTL8g0Orl
— Russell Brand (@rustyrockets) May 6, 2024
Russell Brand: ‘It’s Been a Beautiful Week’
Russell Brand is an influencer, stand-up comedian, actor and former radio host who now hosts several podcasts, including one focused on spirituality and meditation. He is also a controversial figure who has been accused of spreading conspiracy theories and recently received several allegations of rape and sexual assault. Brand has denied the allegations.
Bear Grylls is a best-selling author probably best known for the show, “Man vs. Wild.” He is a former member of the British Special Forces; at age 23, he summited Mount Everest not long after breaking his back in a skydiving accident. Grylls is also a Christian who speaks openly about his faith.
RELATED: Bear Grylls: ‘I Think Jesus Would Really Struggle With 99% Of Churches Nowadays’
In addition to “Man vs. Wild,” Grylls has participated in other survival focused shows, such as “Escape from Hell,” “The Island,” and “Running Wild With Bear Grylls.” Brand appeared in a 2023 episode of “Running Wild With Bear Grylls,” joining the survivalist in a journey across the Hebrides.
Brand has lately been publicly sharing about his spiritual journey, asking his followers where he should go to church, saying that Jesus and Christianity are becoming “more important” to him, and revealing that he has been reading the Bible and Christian author C.S. Lewis.
On Sunday, April 28, Brand was baptized in the River Thames and said the experience left him feeling “changed.” In his May 6 update, he said that prior to his baptism, there was a ceremony with hymns and that the whole event was a “very, very intimate experience.” During the ceremony, his friend, Joe, injured his foot, so they “went straight from the baptism into the necessary Christian life of helping people.”
“Are there a lot of injuries in baptisms?” Brand joked.
He went on to share his thoughts about the media and people experiencing “awakenings,” seeming to suggest that the media tries to suppress such experiences. During awakenings, Brand said that people realize, “Oh, my life isn’t about me. I’ve been co-oping [sic] in an illusion. I’ve been lost completely in self. Now, I must learn to untether myself from the tendrils of selfishness, egotism and self-centeredness and awaken to something greater.”
“The Christianity that I’m learning about that is fascinating me,” he said, “is not a precursor to psychiatry. It’s a precursor to quantum physics. It’s a precursor…to a way of understanding consciousness, a way of understanding reality very deeply.”
