Wossy wore silk pyjamas, says Bear

The revelation came at a Buckingham Palace reception for the country’s most intrepid explorers which he marked by wearing shoes decorated with Union flags.

Ross’s sartorial elegance came into its own when he joined the Born Survivor presenter, the UK Chief Scout, for his latest television series, Wild Weekends With Bear Grylls.

Grylls said at first the chatshow host said: “’I’m never going to get up there’ and I had to set up all these pulley systems to make it possible for him and we got him up there and he was brilliant. I turned my back for two seconds and he’d changed into full silk pyjamas, dressing gown and he had this cigar – good on him.”

Also attending was veteran broadcaster Sir David Attenborough, 85, who joked: “I’m not an explorer, I’m a filmmaker.

“I don’t rate as an explorer, I don’t really rate as a traveller... my view is any bloody fool can be uncomfortable.” Sir Chris Bonington, Sir Ranulph Fiennes and Michael Palin were also invited.