Obama refused to drink his own urine on Bear Grylls, 'It's not something I'd make a habit of'

The president featured on a highly-anticipated episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls.

President Barack Obama was featured on Running Wild with Bear Grylls (NBC)

President of the United States, Barack Obama, has guest-starred on a highly-anticipated episode of Running Wild with Bear Grylls. 

Though the President was largely game for Grylls' tricks and surprises, there was one line he would not cross for the host: drinking his own urine. He reflected on the idea, "I suppose, in extremis, it's something that I would do - if the alternative was death. It's not something I'd make a habit of. And I probably wouldn't do it just for a TV show." 

The episode also saw Obama chow down on salmon which had previously been left behind by a wandering bear, alongside some tea made from catkins. Obama said of the meal, "I’ve seen some of the stuff Bear eats, and it’s gotta be something that doesn’t still have its legs and eyes on it. I want it not to be too recognizable. Bear’s a mediocre cook, but the fact that we ate something recognizable was encouraging. Now, the fact that he told me this was a leftover fish from a bear, I don’t know if that was necessary. He could have just left that out.”



Filmed over 3 months ago, President Obama was sent to Alaska to tackle its unforgiving wilderness alongside the show's famous survivalist, in a bid to raise awareness of the potential effects of climate change on the state's landscape. At one point, the pair examined the drastic, visible distance a glacier had receded during the mere seven years of Obama's presidency.

Obama later told Grylls, “This climate change agenda is as important as anything I’m going to do. I think it will have a more significant impact on the lives of future generations as just about anything. And we’re still a long way from getting it right, but it’s something that, working together, I think we can make a difference on.”

He had earlier said, “I’ve two daughters, and I don’t want grandkids too soon, but eventually I hope to have some. And I want to make sure that this is there for them, not just us.”

The president hoped taking alternative methods to the usual speeches and declarations would help reach a wider audience; indeed, it was the White House itself which originally reached out to Grylls and his production team propositioning the appearance. 



The show also involved Obama addressing the practicalities of his appearance when it came to security measures, "As President I am in what's called 'The Bubble'. And Secret Service make sure that I'm always out of danger, which I very much appreciate, but it can be a little confining." Indeed, though the show strives to make it appear as though Grylls and Obama are alone in the wilderness, the host told the New York Times that there were up to 50 people present on the shoot, from Secret Service to the press team to Obama's official food taster. 

He then joked to cameras, "Every once in a while, if I do something unexpected, the phrase we use is that the 'bear is loose'. So to be with Bear in the woods, it doesn't get any better than that."

And, now, to open up the floor for a furious debate about which historical US presidents would (or wouldn't) drink their own urine. Any calls on William Howard Taft, yet?