How old is Ray Mears, what TV shows has he hosted, who is his wife and what has Bear Grylls said about him
Here's the lowdown on the TV presenter who educated us all on surviving in the wild long before Bear Grylls...
ORIGINAL TV survivalist Ray Mears has boshed more bears than Bear Grylls has had hot dinners (though admittedly he hasn't had many).
The woodsman-turned-presenter was the first man to show people how to survive out in the wild from the comfort of their sofas. Let's hear his story...
Who is Ray Mears, how old is he and what is his background?
Ray Mears is a 54-year-old TV survival expert, woodsman and businessman who has released over a dozen books.
The six-foot-tall star grew up on the North Downs and attended school in Purley and Reigate, becoming a cadet - before planning to join the Royal Marines.
However he failed the royal marines recruitment test so, after his A-levels, he took a job in a London office.
In 1983 his fortunes changed when he set up Woodlore, a company selling Bushcraft paraphernalia and .
Then in 1994, he landed his first telly gig presenting Tracks for the BBC and then, three years later, Ray Mears' World Of Survival.
What TV shows has Ray presented?
Ray has presented 21 of his own TV shows on the BBC and ITV, almost all of which carry his trademarked full name.
They include Ray Mears Goes Walkabout, Survival With Ray Mears, Wild Britain With Ray Mears and, in 2017, Australian Wilderness With Ray Mears on ITV.
Ray was stitched up in 2008 when he was invited to try lighting a fire with a bow drill on The Graham Norton show - but he couldn't as, unbeknown to him, the entire set had been sprayed with fire retardant.
In 2010 he got some street cred back when the police asked for his help in tracking the killer Raoul Moat when he fled his shelter in Rothbury.
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Is Ray Mears single and what is his net worth?
Ray has been married twice - firstly to Rachel, who he met when she attended one of his five-day survival courses.
But after they married in 2005, she died of breast cancer the next year, before her ashes were scattered in Ashdown Forest.
Now Ray is married to second wife Ruth with whom he lives in Sussex, with his stepson.
He is estimated to be worth about £750,000.