Man vs Wild episode featuring PM Modi was ‘most trending televised event’, claims Bear Grylls

Image: Twitter/@BearGrylls

Discovery channel's special ‘Man vs Wild’ episode featuring Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the “world’s most trending televised event” in terms of social impressions, anchor and adventurist Bear Grylls has claimed in a tweet.

The show had 3.6 billion social impressions, Grylls said in a tweet.

Grylls added that the episode, aired on August 12, had beaten Super Bowl 53’s record of 3.4 billion social impressions.

An image posted along with the tweet attributed the insights to Twitter trends of August 12 and media intelligence company Meltwater, which monitors social media trends.

Grylls and PM Modi shot the episode in Uttarakhand’s Jim Corbett National Park. The two had invited viewers to watch the episode before it was aired.

‘Officially the world’s most trending televised event! With 3.6 BILLION impressions!’ (Beating ‘Super Bowl 53 which had 3.4 billion social impressions.) THANK YOU everyone who tuned in! #PMModionDiscovery #ManVsWild #india https://t.co/OvfRD9EIcq pic.twitter.com/1E0HwiI6ME

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— Bear Grylls (@BearGrylls) August 19, 2019

When they came to the river during the five-mile walk, Grylls made Modi sit in a makeshift boat while he himself pushed it along, half submerged in water. At the end of the ride, they shared a hot drink laced with curry leaves.

"You must be the first prime minister ever in history to cross a river on a coracle like this,” the host quipped.

In the episode, Grylls, who has had celebrity guests, including former US President Barack Obama, on his show earlier, asked PM Modi about his childhood, whether he feared anything in life and if he ever felt nervous before a political rally.

The prime minister said he never had a good answer about “nervousness” as it was not a part of his temperament.

Also read | Jim Corbett National Park earned Rs 1.26 lakh from 'Man vs Wild' episode featuring PM Modi: Report

"My problem is that I have never experienced such fears. I am unable to explain it to people what nervousness is and how to deal with it because my in-built temperament is very positive. I see positivity in everything. And because of that reason, I am never disappointed," PM Modi said. Grylls said this was a strong message for the young.

(With inputs from PTI)