Impossibly-named, adventuring, posh bit of rough Bear Grylls is taking his tales of survival and one-on-one battles with the forces of nature on the road with a series of live dates this spring.

Born as plain old Edward Grylls in 1974, Bear's army career had been cut short in 1997 by a parachuting accident in Africa that broke his back. After his 'chute opened only partially and then ripped, Grylls 'fell' around 16,000 feet. Nearly paralysed, he spent more than a year in the army rehabilitation centre at Headley Court before being discharged from the services and, rugged good looks still intact, set about realising his childhood dream of climbing Mount Everest.

Just 18 months after the back injury and, at 23, the youngest Brit to ever climb the world's highest peak, Grylls achieved his goal and a degree of fame that suited him well. Since then, Bear Grylls has taken on numerous daredevil challenges, including paramotoring over Angel Falls, crossing the Atlantic in an inflatable boat and scaling some of Antarctica's most remote mountains.

Inevitably, with a Mount Rushmore jawline and the nickname 'Bear', Grylls soon found a wide audience for his stories of survival and excitement. Books and TV shows followed, in the UK and America, including 'Escape to the Legion' and 'Born Survivor', as well as a series of kids' adventure survival books.

In 2012, he will be taking his extraordinary life stories and footage from some of the planet's most remote and challenging environments to audiences around the world with his Mud, Sweat and Tears live show, stopping off in the UK in the spring.

The tour begins at the BIC in Bournemouth on 22nd March, followed by arena shows in Birmingham (NIA), Brighton and Manchester, before the final date at the Hammersmith Apollo on 26th March.

We have tickets available now for all shows, priced £39.50.