From Barack Obama to Channing Tatum and Kate Winslet, adventurer Bear Grylls has tested the limits of some of the world’s best known celebs and politicians out in the wild.
But the survival instructor has raised a few eyebrows with the choice of his latest guest – India’s prime minister Narendra Modi.
The 68-year-old – who was re-elected as PM in a landslide victory in May – is seen by many as a far-right Hindu nationalist, with his government pushing for legislation to make it easier to deport Muslims, who are a minority in India.
Modi has also been accused of doing little to stop anti-Muslim riots in Gujurat in 2002 when he was chief minister of the state, with the rioting leaving more than 1,000 people dead. He has always denied any wrongdoing.
Grylls and the PM have now made a show about animal conservation in India, as the majority of the world’s remaining wild tigers are found in the country.
In a tweet on Monday, Grylls said the programme would give viewers in 180 countries the chance to see the “unknown side” of the PM.
The trailer for the Discovery programme shows the pair river-rafting and making a spear, with Grylls telling the prime minister: “You are the most important man in India. My job is to keep you alive.”
The 45-year-old Brit later tweeted to Modi: “Sir, it was an honour to share an adventure with you! Let’s keep up our mission of spreading the positive message of conservation & protecting our planet.”
Modi said the show “will make you want to visit different parts of India and add to discourse of environmental conservation”.
India is a country where you find “lush green forests, diverse wildlife, beautiful mountains and mighty rivers”, he tweeted.