Bear Grylls led Everest trek in attempt to recover body of Spencer Matthews' brother

Can you believe it, Bear Grylls is 50 years old. 50.

Yes, while the chief scout may have an incredibly youthful complexion, he reached a half century this week.

And in that time, he's achieved a lot; from becoming a member of the SAS to crossing the Northwest Passage, he's been to some of the most dangerous places on the planet.

He's even had the lives of some of the world's most famous and powerful people in his hands, taking Barack Obama, Zac Efron, and Ben Stiller on survival expeditions.

One of his most emotional feats, however, was leading an expedition to Mount Everest to retrieve the body of an old friend, who died after reaching the summit.

Spencer Matthews and his late brother, Michael. (Disney+)

In 1999, the brother of Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews, Michael, passed away while descending Mount Everest.

Just 22 years old at the time, he was the youngest British person to ever reach the top.

As well as being close friends with James Matthews - Spencer and Michael's brother and Pippa Middleton's husband - Bear holds a connection to Michael in how he overtook his record of being the youngest Brit to reach the summit.

Bear achieved the feat on 16 May 1998 at the age of 23 and made the Guinness Book of World Records.

However, it was only a year later when Michael managed to take the title from him on 13 May.

Bear Grylls helped spearhead the expedition. (Karwai Tang/WireImage)

During a talk at the Oxford Union Society, he revealed that he had been part of a team that organised a mission to Mount Everest to find 'the body of the brother of a good friend'.

Speaking at the time, Bear said: "It is the reality of high-altitude mountaineering, as people pay the ultimate price up there."

A documentary about Michael and the mission landed on Disney+ last year.

Finding Michael saw Spencer retrace the climber's steps 23 years after his passing in a bid to try and discover his final resting place.

Spencer, who was 10 years old at the time of Michael's death, took to Instagram to reflect on the film: "During recent years the question of whether or not Mike could be found and brought home to our family was often on my mind.

Spencer travelled to Everest to find his brother. (Disney+)

"I became uncomfortable with the thought of him being left up there, possibly in plain sight.

"[...] Over the last eighteen months or so we’ve been making a documentary film about this once in a lifetime journey to the highest point on earth.

"This has been the most meaningful and humbling experience of my own life and it is hoped the film will deliver my brave brother the decent legacy that he earned when so young. "

If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677