Channel 4's The Island with Bear Grylls raises the stakes

5 February 2019

12 strangers, one island and a hidden secret…

Hit Channel 4 series The Island with Bear Grylls returns later this year, but this time there’s a twist. For the first time there’s money at stake and it’s everyone for themselves.

The reimagined series will be called Treasure Island with Bear Grylls and will once again see 12 ordinary members of the public marooned for a month on a tropical island, battling for their survival under the watchful eye of Global Adventurer Bear Grylls. But this time £100,000 in cash - hidden across the remote Pacific Ocean island - is up for grabs.

The Islanders will not only have to survive the forces of nature but will be pushed to their physical and mental limits as they endeavour to find the ‘treasure’. And just finding it isn’t enough: if they leave early, they must leave empty-handed. Only those who make it to the very end, can keep their share of any loot they find.

Will the Islanders work together to increase their chances? Or try to go it alone, and ditch those who are perceived to be weakest? When they are stripped of modern day comforts will money lose its meaning? Or will greed corrupt some of the group? Whatever happens, this adventure promises to be one of the most extraordinary chapters in these islanders’ lives.

Bear Grylls said: “This radical new twist on the Island experience will test whether human nature really is ruled by the quest for financial gain, or whether co-operation and altruism in the face of adversity can bring their own reward.”

Ian Dunkley, Channel 4 commissioner, said: “Being marooned on The Island has always been one of the most extreme but rewarding experiences on British television. After five successful series, it feels like now is the right time to reinvent the format – and this fascinating new twist promises to shake things up in unpredictable ways."

Tim Whitwell, Creative Director for Shine TV, said: “Just when you thought The Island couldn’t get any harder this intriguing development will push our everyday heroes to new limits. Adding money, the most powerful force in modern day society, to the equation will challenge more than just the ability to survive.”

Treasure Island is a 6x60’ series. It is being made by Shine TV, part of Endemol Shine UK, and will broadcast on Channel 4 later this year.

ENDS