Bear Grylls accused of trying to poison President Zelensky with chocolate bar

27 March 2023 , 09:14

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Bear Grylls accused of trying to poison President Zelensky with chocolate bar

Bear Grylls has revealed Volodymyr Zelensky's security team were not pleased with the adventurist when he offered the Ukrainian President a bar of chocolate.

The survival expert, 48, travelled to Ukraine to meet with Zelensky, 45, and interview him as they walked through the streets of Kiev.

Quizzing Grylls about the encounter, Good Morning Britain host Susanna Reid said: "When you say they take nothing for granted, they literally take nothing for granted.

"One of the ways you thought about breaking the ice was to offer him some chocolate, 'Let's just sit on a park bench like two friends and have a bar of chocolate.'"

Bear Grylls offered Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a chocolate bar (ITV)

But, Zelensky's security personnel stepped in and refused the request in case the survival expert intended on poisoning the Ukrainian President.

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"I get it," Grylls remarked. "Normally when I've done this before with world leaders, the wild does half my job for me it's a great leveller, it's a great ice-breaker you're out in the mountains."

"With Barack Obama," Reid interjected. "You found some salmon which had been half eaten by a bear."

In a previous interview with Radio Times, the survival expert explained how he was able to avoid suspicion after offering the Ukrainian President a sweet snack.

Bear Grylls met and interviewed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky (ITV)

"When I offered it to Zelensky, one of his guys stepped in and said he shouldn’t be eating it,’ recalled Grylls.

"I said, 'Ok, I’ll go first, to show I’m not out to poison him,' and we all laughed. I gave some to the security guys, because everyone likes a little square of Dairy Milk, right?"

Elsewhere in the GMB interview, Grylls opened up on speaking to Zelensky about the President's family.

"'He said, 'Like all of Ukraine we've put everything on hold, our life, our ambitions, our families, our work, our future, our dreams. Everything for one purpose, to defend our country.' And there's a power to that and he is very clear, 'I'm doing what everyone else is doing, putting everything aside, we're defending our home.'"

When Grylls met Zelensky, he shared an images of the encounter on Instagram and wrote: "This week I had the privilege to travel to Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and spend time with President Zelensky. It has been an experience for me like no other. As the country goes into winter, and with their infrastructure under attack, survival for millions of people is a very real daily struggle. Through this special programme the world will see a side of President Zelensky that has never been shown before. What I wanted to ask was how he was really coping… I got so much more. The programme is coming soon. Thank you @zelenskiy_official for your hospitality in such a difficult time. Stay Strong."

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Charlotte McIntyre