BREAKING. Bear Grylls coming to South Africa next Friday, 10 February, to inspire with his real-life experiences and share adventurous tales.

Bear Grylls, The Discovery Channel's intrepid eat-anything, slide-down-everything, try-and-survive-anywhere star is coming to South Africa and will be in the country next Friday 10 February with thousands of South Africans expected to flock to see the Ultimate Survival guy in real life.

The popular British explorer-adventurer survivalist is set to dazzle with stories of close encounters when he visits South Africa for one day only next Friday for two events - a corporate function at Emperors Palace and a family evening at St. Alban's College billed as ''One Wild Night - Legendary Ultimate Survivor: Bear Grylls''. It's clearly the year's first biggest ticket to get. And yes. There's are still tickets available.

Bear Grylls, by far the most popular personality on The Discovery Channel (DStv 121) - the ''Oprah'' of the adventure crowd and the ''Beckham'' of scouts at heart - is sure to lure a crowd of thousands since the star is popular with South Africa adults and kids.

I'm just off the phone after talking to Rudi Bryson, the organizer of Bear Grylls' South African visit, who confirmed to me that Bear Grylls is definitely here in South Africa next Friday. I asked him how difficult it was to pull this one off.

''Very hard,'' says Rudi Bryson. ''It was very hard. We've worked on it for a year now. With Bear Grylls' time restraints it was simply not possible last year. Then he called and said he's going to Zimbabwe to do some filming and do we still want to have him and I said yes, absolutely.''

''Bear Grylls is going to to a motivational talk at the corporate lunch which is sure to be simply amazing next Friday. He will talk about his many experiences and all about his remarkable life for about 40 to 50 minutes and then there will be a question and answer session. Then for the family event later the evening at St. Alban's College it will be basically the same and he'll do a signing of autographs.''

Rudi Bryson says the reaction to the news has been phenomenal. ''The corporate lunch is selling very quickly, there's still a few spaces left. People who like Bear Grylls knows that it's an exclusive and a once-in-a-lifetime experience to meet a real-life hero. Also for kids, for any kid, he's a great rolemodel.''

I don't usually do this and but I like the Bear: The website where you can book and make enquiries is Rudi Bryson's own company and it can be found RIGHT HERE.

Preview of Ultimate Survival with Bear Grylls and actor Jake Gyllenhaal roughing it in the dangerous snow world of Iceland.

I asked, but Discovery Networks International that runs the Discovery Channel (DStv 121) on MultiChoice's DStv in South Africa, can't yet say when the season and episode of Ultimate Survival with Bear Grylls and actor Jake Gyllenhaal will be shown in South Africa.

This special episode, recently filmed, will be shown on Discovery in America this coming Monday. (In America the show is called Man vs Wild).

The Discovery Channel added this 3 minute teaser preview of the episode on YouTube yesterday with fantastic footage, with survivalist Bear Grylls and Jake Gyllenhaal finding themselves in Iceland.

BREAKING. Bear Grylls runner-up in Discovery Channel's Best of 2009.

You're reading it here first. Bear Grylls of Ultimate Survival is the runner-up (winner revealed next Friday) in Discovery Channel's (DStv 250) Best of 2009 viewers' choice.
Bear Grylls and his popular Ultimate Survival was voted second most-loved show on Discovery Channel by more than 9 000 South African viewers.

The best episodes of Ultimate Survival will go out from this coming Monday to Friday 14 to 18 December every night at 20:00 on the Discovery Channel.

BREAKING. Bear is back! When you can catch the new season of Bear Grylls and other upcoming highlights on the Discovery Channel

You're reading it here first. Check below for a list and starting dates of some of the new and returning Discovery Channel shows worth watching in the last bit of the year - including a new season of Ultimate Survival with Bear Grylls.
October
Extreme Explosions, 6 Oct 22:00
Explosives experts dr Braden Lusk and dr. Paul Worsey get a backstage pass to the world's biggest and toughest demolition blasts from urban skyscrapers and massive steel bridges to giant stadiums.
Deadliest Catch V, 12 Oct 21:00
Captain Sig Hansen is back aboard for another treacherous season of crab fishing, but storms - personal, natural and financial - are brewing.
Fifth Gear XV, 16 Oct 20:00

The test driving panel's back with more razor sharp driving, hard hitting motoring advice and a lovingly compiled selection of some of the best cars in the world.
Destroyed in Seconds II, 22 Oct 23:00
A front row seat to the most terrific explosions, from well-planned ones to awesome unexpected Ka-booms!
Dirty Jobs IV, 26 Oct 22:00
Mike Rowe tackles more filthy, stinky, unthinkable jobs that somebody has to do.
Industrial Junkie, 27 Oct 21:00
Jonny Smith gets access to some of Europe's biggest and most exciting industries and gets close to extraordinary machines, processes and experience the awesome scale of big industry.

November
Ultimate Survival IV, 9 Nov 22:00
Bear Grylls is back and being dropped in more remote and harsh environments to survive on his own with nothing as he makes his way back to civilization.
X-Machines, 17 Nov 22:00
The biggest and most awe-inspiring machines on the planet - that will include some South African mechanical beasts you have to see to believe!
Time Warp II, 29 Nov 21:00
Incredible stop-time and time-slowing cinematography creates this breathtaking and astoundingly beautiful show as your eyes get to see what happens usually so fast that it's invisible. Watch as things as slowed down so much that you can see how things burst, explode, vibrate, scatter and expand in milliseconds.

December
Extreme Engineering V
Storm Chasers III
How It's Made XIII
Best of 2009
The best Discovery Channel shows will run from 30 November until 25 December.