And it paid off. A longtime military hawk, Graham became Trump’s biggest supporter of the war in Iran. A former bipartisan dealmaker who continued to enjoy friendships with Democrats ranging from former President Joe Biden to liberals like Democratic Senator Elizabeth Warren, he morphed into a hardcore partisan warrior.
Graham was often a man who played second fiddle to more influential Republicans such as former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott or his mentor, the late Senator John McCain. But he would come to obtain power on his own, ending his tenure as Senate Budget Committee Chairman and an intermediary between Republicans on Capitol Hill and the White House.
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Graham’s passing signifies one of the last vestiges of Senate congeniality and genteel behavior while at the same time, shows how many senior Republican figures willingly bequeathed power to Trump.
Perhaps more than anyone, the lawmaker from South Carolina epitomized the Republican Party ’s shift from opposing Trump to accepting his reshaping of the GOP (Reuters)
President Donald Trump praised Lindsey Graham as being ‘like a member of the family’ after his sudden death Saturday (Getty Images)
Humble beginnings shaped by tragedy
Lindsey Olin Graham was born on July 9, 1955, to parents who ran a pool hall, liquor store and restaurant. Graham’s father, Florence James Graham, died when he was 21, and his mother, Millie, died shortly thereafter. He became the guardian to his sister Darline, and used Social Security survivor benefits to put her through school.
“There’s a time in my life when that Social Security check really, really mattered,” Graham said in a Senate hearing earlier this year.
Graham graduated from the University of South Carolina for both his undergraduate and law degrees; he served in the US Air Force as an active-duty lawyer before joining the Air Force Reserves.
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He was elected to the state legislature in 1992 before winning a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, during the 1994 “Republican revolution,” when the party took control of the lower chamber for the first time in more than 40 years.
In the House, Graham would serve as an impeachment manager in the Senate trial against then President Bill Clinton.
“Human failings exist in all of us,” he said in 1999. “Only when it gets to be so premeditated, so calculated, so much my interest over anybody else, or the public be damned. Should you really, really start getting serious about what to do.”
Graham worked with Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), John McCain (R-Ariz.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) on an ill-fated bipartisan immigration reform bill (AFP/Getty)
Crossing the aisle
Despite this, when Graham came to the Senate in 2003, he worked occasionally with the former president’s wife, Senator Hillary Clinton of New York, helping National Guard members and reserve personnel purchase TRICARE, the military health insurance program. It would be part of a series of policies that Graham would work on with Democrats.
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As a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, he often traveled with the committee’s chairman Joe Biden, who would go on to become vice president to Barack Obama and president in his own right. In a 2015 interview with HuffPost, Graham would say that Biden “is as good a man as God ever created.”
Often with the assistance of McCain, his mentor and a Navy veteran who was revered in the Senate, Graham would lead bipartisan congressional delegations across the globe. He also would vote to confirm two of Barack Obama’s nominees to the U.S. Supreme Court: Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, though he would join other Senate Republicans in blocking the nomination of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court in 2016, paving the way for Trump to nominate Justice Neil Gorsuch.
In 2013, Graham along with other Republicans like Senator Marco Rubio, worked with a group of Democrats to pass legislation that would beef up border security provisions in exchange for providing a path to citizen for undocumented immigrants. That “Gang of Eight” legislation would pass the Senate, but would be stalled in the House as the Republican majority refused to put it to a floor vote.
After winning the GOP Senate primary in South Carolina, Lindsey Graham said Donald Trump is ‘not far behind God’ while thanking him for what he called the most consequential endorsement ‘in the history of politics’ (AFP/Getty)
From Trump’s biggest opponent to champion in the Senate
In 2015, Graham would stage a quixotic run for president around the same time that Donald Trump, then a businessman and reality television star, would seek the Republican nomination. Graham never gained much traction, but earned Trump’s ire when he called him “a jackass,” which led to Trump publicizing his personal phone number. When Trump called for a shutdown on Muslims entering the U.S., Graham called Trump a “a race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot.”
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After Trump won the presidency, Graham adopted a more hardline stance. Often plagued by accusations of being a “Republican in Name Only,” or RINO, and facing primary challenges, his support from Trump offered a cache he otherwise did not have.
But Graham would ultimately be embraced by many on the MAGA right for his full-throated defense of Judge Brett Kavanaugh during his Supreme Court confirmation hearings in 2018. At the time, Kavanaugh faced allegations of sexual assault and Graham railed against Democrats, accusing them of weaponizing the accusations.
“What you want to do is destroy this guy’s life, hold this seat open and hope you win in 2020,” Graham said in the hearing, which came in the weeks ahead of the midterm elections. “This is the most unethical sham since I’ve been in politics.”
In 2020, Graham became chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, where he facilitated the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court. But a few months later, after the January 6, 2021 assault on the U.S. Capitol, Graham would distance himself from Trump.
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“Trump and I, we had a hell of a journey. I hate it being this way. I hate it being this way,” he said. “All I can say is, count me out. Enough is enough.”
Graham would change his tune in 2023, though, becoming one of the first Republicans to endorse Trump’s reelection campaign. Graham’s traction with the White House once again increased.
Graham was mostly recently in Ukraine and met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as he sought to pass a bill to further sanction Russia for its war against Ukraine. (AP)
A robust military hawk
Graham’s pull with the White House manifested itself most prominently as he became Trump’s biggest cheerleader for the Iran war.
Like his late friend John McCain, Graham remained a steadfast supporter of Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
But Graham was also a steadfast supporter of Ukraine despite Trump’s skepticism of that conflict with Russia. Last week, Graham visited Ukraine as he sought to promote a bipartisan sanctions bill against the Kremlin.
It is not entirely clear how Graham will be replaced. South Carolina held its primary last month, where Graham easily won the Republican nomination ahead of November’s midterms. South Carolina law says that filing for candidates to replace Graham opens a week from Tuesday and a substitution primary will take place.
TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Investigators on Monday were trying to determine what led a 24-year-old man to open fire at an Idaho fast-food restaurant over the weekend, in an attack that left three people dead and seven others wounded before authorities say he killed himself.
Police Chief Matthew Hicks said Sunday detectives are confident that the gunman, identified as Chad Williams, acted alone in the shooting Saturday at an In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls, a southern Idaho city of about 56,000 people.
He said Williams’ family is cooperating fully with the investigation.
An off-duty state trooper and a civilian fired on the attacker and diverted him from the restaurant, the chief said. Police haven’t disclosed their names or those of the victims. Twin Falls spokesperson Josh Palmer said Monday that police are still trying to identify next of kin.
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Two of the wounded were treated at a hospital and released, three were listed as stable, and two others were in critical condition, police said Sunday.
An In-N-Out employee was among those killed, the fast-food chain’s owner, Lynsi Snyder, said in a statement. She didn’t identify the worker.
The restaurant, which opened July 24 as part of the California chain’s Idaho expansion, is in a busy shopping plaza, and hundreds of people were in the area when the shooting happened.
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Lane Koehn, 34, said he was at a nearby stoplight when he saw someone with an AR-style rifle emerge from the drive-thru. A man with a pistol started firing at the shooter.
He then saw someone in an In-N-Out uniform drag a person, also wearing a uniform, bleeding from a gunshot wound to her chest across the parking lot. The employee, Koehn and the man with the pistol stayed until paramedics arrived for her.
“She was pretty bad off, but I don’t know. I hope she made it,” Koehn said.
He said the man holding the rifle fired at least three or four rounds, though it wasn’t clear if anyone in particular was targeted.
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Video taken by a driver from across the street captured a shooter, who appeared to be dressed in black, walking up to a white car carrying a long rifle, opening the driver-side door and popping the trunk. The person then walked to the trunk and reached inside. At that point, the driver who shot the video left quickly, fearing that the man might be getting more weapons.
Nayeli Rodriguez, 40, of Burley, was inside waiting for food with her daughters when she heard shots from the kitchen. An employee said it was a shooting and told people to get down. Rodriguez said an older man tried to protect her and her daughters, and they were among the last to run outside.
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“We were trying to get as far as we could and some angels let us in their car,” Rodriguez said via text message. “I left my car there in the parking lot.”
The supermarket will launch sit-down restaurants across a number of its UK stores
Major supermarket Morrisons has announced it will be launching new sit-down burger restaurants across a number of its stores.
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Continuing its partnership with Burger Boi, Morrisons has revealed six of its stores will host the brand. But rather than installing small takeaway counters, Morrisons said each of its Burger Boi locations will operate as a complete sit-down restaurant.
As reported by creatorzine.com, the roll out follows on from the opening of a Burger Boi restaurant inside Morrisons’ Manchester Piccadilly store in December last year.
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A second restaurant is set to begin serving customers at Morrisons Wood Green in north London on Thursday, August 6. This will offer the brand’s complete menu and is expected to create more than 20 jobs.
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Morrisons’ Watford store has also been confirmed as another upcoming location and is due to open later this month. Burger Boi said four further Morrisons locations are planned to open up before the end of the year, although the remaining sites have not yet been revealed.
Burger Boi sales director Asa Simpson said: “Less than five years ago, Burger Boi opened its first store. On Thursday, we’ll open our second physical location within Morrisons, this time in Wood Green.
“It’s another exciting milestone in what is becoming a fantastic partnership with Morrisons and one that continues to enable us to bring Burger Boi to more communities across the UK. Even more exciting is that this is only the beginning, with four more Morrisons locations already planned to open before the end of the year.”
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The company added that the first Morrisons restaurant in Manchester had received an “exceptional” response and its restaurants inside the supermarket were helping it to build a nationwide presence in convenient, high-footfall locations.
Simpson added: “Seeing an opportunity evolve into a scalable retail partnership is something I’m proud to be part of. A huge amount of work goes into every opening and it’s a credit to everyone across both teams who helps make it happen.”
However Zoe, 36, has been totally absent for nearly six months, and after taking part in her usual Vlogmas, she vanished and shared her final post over the festive period.
Zoe posted a roundup of photos in January… then vanished (Picture: Instagram)
The couple have already overhauled the garden of their home (Picture: AlfieDeyesVlogs)
They also have an incredible vegetable garden (Picture: @zoesugg/Instagram)
Alfie, 32, meanwhile, has dipped in and out of his popular social media platforms and last posted back in April. A real contrast to his usual daily YouTube vlogs.
An update on the couple finally came to light recently, and it’s not quite what fans had anticipated.
A post on the local parish council website in Brighton shows Alfie has submitted planning permission for a donkey farm. Yes, that’s right, Farmer Deyes has entered the chat.
Local planning documents reveal that Alfie recently acquired a five-acre plot of land just north of their home and has submitted a planning application to the local council seeking permission to build a tractor parking area, a donkey enclosure and stable, a wildlife pond, and three shepherd huts.
But the application has angered locals over parts of the development, including 2.1-metre-high boundary fencing and new access gates.
The residents have argued that the works will cause safety hazards over the newly created access point onto their private lane, and that the heavy vehicles needed to care for the donkeys will cause disruption and damage the root systems of mature trees.
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Zoe and Alfie have been building themselves a donkey sanctuary (Picture: Instagram)
The couple made their relationship public in August 2013 and became engaged in September 2023 (Picture: YouTube)
Alfie’s planning agent has argued that the huts are not for residential or Airbnb use; instead, they will be used to store beekeeping equipment, land maintenance tools, donkey feed, and serve as a daytime rest room by the wildlife pond.
The project has received support from other neighbours, however, who say that the development is a sustainable return to the land’s historical agricultural roots and a genuine ecological asset.
Does that explain Zoe’s social media absence? Not entirely, but it has reassured fans that all is okay in the Deyes/Sugg household.
Metro has contacted representatives for Zoe and Alfie for comment.
Pamela Gwinnett stole almost £300,000 from Joan Green, treating her as ‘her own personal cash cow’
Rachel Smith Court reporter and Adam Care Live News Reporter
15:22, 03 Aug 2026
A runaway fraudster dubbed ‘the Black Widow’ who fled to Tenerife is finally behind bars. Pamela Gwinnett stole almost £300,000 from vulnerable pensioner Joan Green, who lived in Chorley.
Gwinnett wormed her way into the retired accountant’s luxury bungalow posing as a carer who had the pensioner’s best interests at heart. She then set to work isolating frail Mrs Green from her loving family before plundering the widow’s savings, reports LancsLive.
She changed the locks on the gated bungalow and switched the landline, telling cruel lies about family members who tried to reach her. She used Mrs Green as ‘her own personal cash cow’, splashing out on Botox, lavish meals and a luxury car.
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When she was finally arrested, Gwinnett fled to Tenerife in a last ditch attempt to evade justice.
After 16 months on the run, the 63-year-old finally appeared in the dock at Preston Crown Court, dressed in the same leopard print bomber jacket she wore for her return to the UK.
Mrs Green’s grandson, David Bolton, said: “We are just relieved. We are very happy to finally see her in the dock and sent off to prison. It’s been a long time coming.”
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Gwinnett’s barrister, Rosalind Scott-Bell, said the escape was driven by ‘fear, anxiety and mental health issues’.
But Mr Bolton said: “She has never apologised once. She’s shown no remorse whatsoever through any of this. Regards her anxiety, that comes with committing crimes and getting caught.
“She wasn’t that anxious when she was swimming in pools and getting her nails done, eating in restaurants and bars in Tenerife.”
In October 2025, Judge Michael Maher sentenced Gwinnett, of Greenfield Road, Adlington, to six years in prison for theft and fraud by abuse of position.
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At today’s hearing he added an additional two months after Gwinnett pleaded guilty to a bail act offence.
Judge Maher said: “Despite the apparent difficulties with your mental health it seems you were sufficiently robust to travel outside the UK.”
He said Gwinnett had applied for a variation to her bail in order to scatter her brother’s ashes on the island, but the court was ‘rightly sceptical’’
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“No evidence as to the existence of a brother has been produced, much less that he was deceased”, he said. On April 2, additional conditions were placed on Gwinnett, banning her from travelling abroad and ordering her to surrender her passports.
“On April 8, I was informed you had boarded a plane to Tenerife, about five hours after the court had refused your application. Despite the fact one of your passports had been returned to the authorities you used another passport in order to abscond from the jurisdiction.
“During your trial, although you were nearly 2,000 miles away in your Spanish apartment, you continued to besmirch Joan Green’s family with bogus allegations of impropriety.
“You apologise through Ms Scott-Bell for what you did. Quite frankly, your apologies stand no weight at all.”
Speaking outside court, David Bolton said: “We are relieved. We are happy to finally see her in the dock and sent to prison. It’s been a long time coming.
“My nan unfortunately died under Pamela Gwinnett’s control. Hopefully she didn’t believe the lies that Pamela was feeding her.
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“She’ll never get justice but we as a family can get on with moving on with the rest of our lives.”
Gwinnett was ordered to pay £350,180 to Mrs Green’s family during a Proceeds of Crime hearing. It is understood property has been seized in a bid to recover the money.
Coronation Street star Kimberly Hart-Simpson, who played Nicky Wheatley on the ITV soap, shared a humorous update about her new living arrangements on Monday afternoon
One former star of Coronation Street has revealed that she is “back living in student halls” six years on from when she found fame on the ITV programme.
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Actress Kimberly Hart-Simpson, 39, became known to fans of the world’s longest-running TV soap when she was cast as escort Nicky Wheatley in 2020, and her character became a love interest for Daniel Osbourne (Rob Mallard) shortly after his wife Sinead (Katie McGlynn) had passed away.
The soap star, who has also appeared in Hollyoaks, Brassic and Celebs Go Dating, is taking her play Amnesia to the world-famous Edinburgh Fringe and posted a humorous update to social media about her living arrangements as she prepares to perform at the Pleasance Theatre.
She wrote on Instagram: “I am officially back living in student halls during Ed run. I don’t know who all of my housemates are yet. But I hope they like ne and we take it in turns changing the bin. Also pray I ain’t the biggest sl*g when we inevitably play never have i ever!”(sic)
The Edinburgh Fringe brings in around three million visitors every year and stages more than 1,000 new productions across the summer. Several famous faces got their start by performing at the festival, with comediennes such as Catherine Tate and Sarah Millican as well as Mr Bean and Blackadder star Rowan Atkinson all starring in shows there early on in their careers.
Hit musical Six, which reimagines the six wives of Henry VIII as pop stars based on the likes of Britney Spears, Ariana Grande and Beyonce, premiered there as a university production before going on to dominate the West End and Broadway.
Written and performed by Kimberly, Amnesia sees the soap star playing Kelly, a dementia carer in Rhyl who risks losing everything when her best friend announces that she is moving to a city with a Pret a Manger in it.
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Kimberly was first seen on Coronation Street in 2020, and starred throughout that year but has made various guest appearances since, the latest of which was in 2024.
But her alter-ego managed to make it out of Weatherfield alive, so the actress previously shared that she would be happy to make a return to the programme at some point.
In early 2025, Kimberly told The Mirror: “We met Nicky four years ago and I’m still going,” adding that her appearance on the show was initially supposed to be a brief stint but is still “popping back and facilitating storylines.”
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Kimberly added: “That’s the great thing about soaps, you chop and change into other characters’ lives. Of course I’d consider going back – I look at that time with such fond memories and have such positive emotions towards the show.”
The giant inflatable aqua park is believed to be the biggest in the region
A new giant inflatable outdoor waterpark has opened near Bolton.
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With the summer holidays upon us, families flocked to be first to try out the new North West Aqua Park, which opened on Monday morning at the Anderton Centre, Chorley.
Believed to be the biggest in the region, it’s set against the stunning backdrop of Lower Rivington Reservoir and is big enough to fit 60 people at a time.
Designed for families, friends, community groups and thrill seekers alike, the Aqua Park offers an action packed experience featuring giant inflatable obstacles, slides, climbing walls, balance challenges and splash zones, all under the supervision of a fully qualified lifeguard team.
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Tickets have already been flying out for the new attraction, which is open almost every day of August – except for 15 and 22 – and then weekends throughout September.
Sessions cost £20 per person for an hour-long session, which includes a safety briefing. Wetsuits and life jackets are included, but if the water is warmer then wetsuits won’t always be essential. Participants also need grippy gel socks, which cost £2 a pair, or they can take their own trampolining socks along.
The launch of the Aqua Park represents ‘a significant investment’ in outdoor recreation at the centre, which is a registered charity and delivers adventure activities including kayaking, archery, paddle boarding and more. The summer school holiday club is booked up but there are spaces available for October half term.
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Those behind the new venture say the response from the public has been ‘overwhelming’, with strong demand and bookings continuing to grow as the summer holidays get underway.
Jason Pendlebury, chief executive of the Anderton Centre, said: “Today marks a hugely significant milestone for the Anderton Centre. Seeing the Aqua Park come to life and watching so many people enjoying the experience has been incredibly rewarding for everyone involved.
“The enthusiasm from our first visitors has exceeded our expectations, and we are absolutely delighted by the level of public interest and the number of bookings we have already received.”
He added: “This attraction represents much more than just a great day out. As a registered charity, every booking helps us continue our work in providing outdoor learning and adventure opportunities for children, young people and community groups across the region. We’d like to thank everyone who has supported the project and, of course, everyone who has chosen to visit us on our opening day.”
Promising ‘an unforgettable adventure on the water’, the minimum age is six and minimum height 1.1m. Children aged six to 11 must be accompanied by an adult on the Aqua Park, at a ratio of one adult to two children. Children aged 12 plus will need to be accompanied by an adult if they are not confident in open water or in large groups of people.
Sessions run from 9.30am, with the last one from 4pm to 5pm. Tickets can be booked on the website here.
The court heard Phillips moved downstairs to sleep next to his mother’s body. At times he would open the freezer and hold her hand.
Sylvia Phillips had 26 appointments with her local GP practice in 2021, and six in 2022, after which there was no further contact.
The court heard she was last seen in A&E on 24 September 2022 and her local GP made a house call on 26 September but her son continued to pick up her prescriptions.
Sylvia Phillips was invited to a review by the practice, but her son said she would not come to the surgery and she did not need the blood tests.
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Christopher Phillips received a total of £78,190.92 in state pension, pensions credit, attendance allowance, winter fuel payments, cost-of-living payments and housing benefit payments, which would have ceased had the death been reported.
He had been her primary carer since 2008, and the court heard he had resigned from his job in late 2022 when her health declined further. The pair were described as “somewhat isolated”.
Ruth Smith, defending, said Phillips had told police: “I basically didn’t want to let her go.”
She added: “He described talking to her as if she was still alive… Sitting next to her, talking to her about television programmes, Coronation Street, the horse racing, just as they always did,” she said, adding that he was a “vulnerable individual”.
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Phillips sobbed in the dock as Smith said her client was “extremely close to his mother” and was in “extreme grief” following her death.
She said he showed a “lack of acceptance” about her passing and “had almost created a false narrative that she was still alive”.
Sentencing Phillips, Judge Lloyd-Clarke said he had “deliberately concealed” his mother’s death and “took steps to give the impression that she was still alive”.
“You continued to collect her prescription and lied to medical professionals and eventually the police,” Lloyd-Clarke added.
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“Rather than notify the authorities and make arrangements for her lawful burial, you purchased a chest freezer on March 10th and concealed her body within it,” she said.
Lloyd-Clarke added that a timescale for confiscation proceedings would follow.
Tributes have poured in for a father who was killed in a mass shooting at a traveller site on Sunday morning.
Jimmy Ward, who was in his thirties, suffered fatal gunshot wounds at the Calcutt Traveller Site, a permanent council-approved Gypsy and Traveller site near Cricklade, on the outskirts of Swindon.
Emergency services were called to the site just after 8.15am, where Mr Ward was pronounced dead at the scene.
A residential street has been cordoned off following the incident and a white forensic tent remains in place.
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Wiltshire Police have launched a murder investigation following the event, with a man in his 70s and a woman in her 40s had been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm and assisting an offender. Both remain in police custody.
Tributes have now flooded in for Mr Ward, who it is believed leaves behind a wife and children.
One mourner wrote: ‘RIP to my daughter-in-law’s dad Jimmy Ward. Please everyone pray for all the family, my heart goes out to them all.’
‘Very hard to believe. Rest in heavenly peace my cousin Jimmy Ward,’ added another.
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Jimmy Ward, who was in his thirties, was shot at the grounds in Cricklade in Wiltshire on Sunday
Emergency services were called to the site at around 8.15am, but despite the efforts of paramedics, Mr Ward was pronounced dead at the scene. It is believed he leaves behind a wife and children
A man in his 70s and a woman in her 40s had been arrested on suspicion of possessing a firearm and assisting an offender and remain in police custody
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Police have launched a murder investigation following the fatal shooting
‘Thinking of all the family and friends at this very sad time, sending lots of love to his wife and children. Far too young to die, rest in peace,’ said another local.
Others have described him as ‘a gentleman.’
Detective Chief Inspector Phil Walker, from Wiltshire Police’s Major Crime Investigation Team, said: ‘This is an incredibly serious incident, and my thoughts are with the victim’s friends and family at this devastating time.
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‘Enquiries are ongoing at the site and in the wider area to establish the circumstances which have led to this incident and locate all the people involved.’
He urged people to respect the cordon and road closure while the investigation continues.
Officers are also appealing for anyone who witnessed the shooting or saw anything suspicious in the area this morning to come forward.
Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 101, quoting log 95 of August 2.
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Information can also be passed to Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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Pictured: Father killed in shooting at traveller site as man in his 70s and woman in her 40s are arrested over ‘murder’.
The fire service confirmed that a casualty died at the scene
A person has died after a house fire in a Cambridgeshire village. Crews from Ely and Littleport were called to a house fire on Eagles Lane in Little Downham at 6pm on Friday (July 31.
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A fire service spokesperson said: “Wearing breathing apparatus, firefighters used a hose reel to extinguish the fire and cleared the smoke using a positive pressure ventilation fan.
“Sadly, a casualty died at the scene. Crews returned to their stations by 8.15pm. The cause of the fire was accidental.”
The fire service did not release any further details about the casualty or the incident.
Posting a picture of the trio hugging in the river, Brand wrote: ‘Me, Bear Grylls, The River Thames and of course, The Holy Spirit.
While speaking to Grylls ahead of his new Amazon Prime series The Chosen in the Wild, Metro questioned whether his feelings on baptising Brand have changed in the years since.
After facing backlash for standing in solidarity with the movie star, whom he had filmed an episode of Running Wild with the year before, Grylls initially told the Daily Mail that ‘it is a privilege to stand beside anyone when they express a humble need for forgiveness and strength from above.’
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A year later, he doubled down on his decision, telling The Times that he ‘tries to live in a way that I never judge and I always try and love’. He shared that his guiding phrase was often ‘What would Jesus do?’
Two years on, with Brand admitting to having sex with a 16-year-old at age 30 just weeks after pleading not guilty to a string of new rape and sexual assault charges, we ask if he still stands by that ethos?
‘I think all our faith changes and evolves, and I’d also say I have many doubts as well. I really struggle with so much of it.
‘But I don’t know, I think at heart, my faith says we’re connected together and we need each other, and not to judge people and to love people,’ the TV personality says.
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He also shares that the phrase, ‘What would Christ do?’, very much remains a steady mantra for him and is one that shapes how he approaches ‘relationships and your own life and risk and adventure and all that stuff.’
‘I really try and keep that as that compass in my life. I don’t know. It’s like I say, I’m not super religious, but I do try and just start the day as a discipline on my knees and to say sorry, and to say thank you, and then to say help for the day ahead, and then I crack on with it.’
As Grylls explores his faith on the public stage, he fulfilled a longtime ambition in 2025 by retelling the life story of Jesus with his Sunday Times bestseller, The Greatest Story Ever Told, a project he worked on while filming the Netflix show, Celebrity Bear Hunt.
His new show sees him take the cast of historical series The Chosen in the wild (Picture: Prime)
Now, he’s getting up close and personal with Jesus in an entirely different way with his new Amazon Prime series, The Chosen in the Wild.
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For those not in the know, The Chosen is a wildly popular show about the life and times of Jesus Christ, boasting hundreds of millions of viewers, five seasons and counting and a fiercely loyal global fanbase, including Grylls himself.
Now the Emmy winner is taking the main cast members, Jonathan Roumie (Jesus), Paras Patel (Matthew), Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene), Noah James (Andrew), and Luke Dimyan (Judas), on their own adventures in the wild.
‘I don’t think I’ve ever had so much emotion across so many episodes, such consistent, honest vulnerability and heart from actors as I have in Chosen in the Wild, because these roles really have changed their lives, and that surprised me. It really did,’ he shares.
In fact, the show has even made one of his lifelong wishes come true, albeit in an unconventional way.
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Jonathan Roumie plays Jesus in The Chosen (Picture: Getty Images Europe)
‘I was nervous because my secret dream would be to do Running Wild with Jesus, and this was about as close as I was ever going to get.
‘We’d done President Obama and Modi and Julia Roberts and Ben Stiller and all these people, but this was just special. I was nervous beforehand. I wanted to do it justice because I knew that so many people would be excited about this one,’ he reflects.
In fact, the thrillseeker went as far as to say that out of the dozens of shows he’s done throughout his career, this is the one with ‘the most fan anticipation’.
‘The fans of The Chosen don’t really know what the actors are like. People are desperate in the same way I was. I was a fan of the show, but I was so excited to take Jonathan away to actually find out what he was really like, and this show really shows that in a very visceral, powerful way,’ he teases for the 280 million reported viewers of the beloved series.
He promises a refreshing level of candour from Jonathan, who has a whopping 4.2 million followers on Instagram, who is ‘incredibly honest about his battles and struggles with playing Jesus on a personal level’.
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‘[Jonathan] is such a beloved person to so many viewers, so many different cultures and countries. They’re not just watching it for entertainment. The Chosen is different. It really goes into people’s hearts and affects their lives. [This show] felt different from Running Wild for me,’ he shares.
For Grylls, his Christian faith ‘comes alive’ most in nature when he’s in the mountains again, as well as among friends.
‘Even if I lie on the grass a little bit with the dogs or put my feet in a stream or connect with the earth again, for me that is my spirituality.
‘Those two things actually shape my faith: friendships and the outdoors. Chosen in the Wild, as a show, brings those two things together beautifully, and in a way I didn’t anticipate.’
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All six episodes of The Chosen in the Wild will be available to stream from August 9, 2026 on Prime Video
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