Bear Grylls said he had “tears in his eyes regularly” while filming his new Amazon TV series.
The adventurer hosts World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, which sees 66 teams from 30 countries race non-stop for 11 days, 24 hours a day, across hundreds of miles of rugged Fijian terrain complete with mountains, jungles and oceans.
Grylls told the PA News Agency: “It’s impossible not to feel that emotion, we’re so involved with these races, the preparation beforehand, their training and just what they’ve given to be on that start line.
“Then once the race stars you know I’m right amongst it all the time with them but also with their support crews and what they all go through is truly inspirational.
“When you see the tears and what people are giving to just endure and just hang on and to keep moving.
“When you see blood being poured out of boots and blisters, and yet relentless positivity and determination to hold the weakened member of the team and to still go on, it was really mind blowing at times.
“I had tears in my eyes regularly on World’s Toughest Race.”
The 10-episode adventure series, which launches on Amazon Prime video on August 14, was filmed last year and features 330 competitors who form teams of five, including four racers and an assistant crew member.
They cover 671 kilometres of terrain in a test of physical and mental endurance, in a bid to cross the finish line.
The rebooted series is produced by Mark Burnett, who is responsible for the US versions of The Apprentice and Shark Tank.
Speaking from north Wales, Grylls said the series was “a reminder for me in an era when the world desperately needs inspiration”.
He added: “It was a reminder of the power of friendships and what you can do together and when you help each other and when you’re honest and vulnerable with each other.
“But also a reminder of the power of just the human spirit, that resilience, that fire inside of all of us that it can conquer everything when everything is against you and you think the human body is incapable of it, mind and body and spirit is what really counts, that will always count more than the outer muscles, that fire and spirit can conquer all.”
World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji launches on Amazon Prime Video on August 14