Tearful Benedict Cumberbatch left ‘deeply moved’ as he discovers ‘extraordinary’ connection to his grandfather

Benedict Cumberbatch was left visibly moved as he became one of the few civilians to ever board one of the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarines during an appearance on Running Wild with Bear Grylls.

The Oscar-nominated actor travelled to the Isle of Skye on Scotland’s north-west coast, a location specifically picked by Grylls for Cumberbatch, to take on the physical and mental challenge.

The explorer explained that the British actor’s grandfather was a submarine commander in the British Royal Navy and would have trained in the exact location he chose to bring Cumberbatch to.

The Doctor Strange star said how he has always been fascinated by his grandfather, who passed away before he was born, and his time as a Royal Navy submariner.

The Hollywood star shared: “He was given a very ill-maintained vessel, and the crew mutinied. He had to hold his nerve as the leader, and he basically saved that entire crew’s life.”

As the duo’s journey drew to a close, Cumberbatch noted how he was feeling a connection to his grandfather while preparing to kayak alongside Grylls.

He admitted: “I’m feeling a little bit of communion with my grandfather. I wish he was around.

“He would have been under the water rather than on the water, but there’s definitely a theme playing itself out here.”

Not long after, the pair were intercepted by a British Royal Navy boat, which left Cumberbatch emotional as said he was feeling “interestingly connected to my grandfather all of a sudden and it’s very moving.”

But that wasn’t all as Grylls had one more trick up his sleeve and surprised the actor with the opportunity to board a nuclear submarine, a vessel his grandfather would have worked on.

As the vessel emerged from the depths of the sea, Grylls told Cumberbatch that they would become two of “the few civilians” ever to be allowed on board it.

A teary-eyed Cumberbatch said: “My grandfather has been playing in my mind quite a bit in the last couple of days. It felt like a very knee-jerk connection to him.

“To see it was just an ‘Oh my god,’ shock moment.”

As the experience drew to a close, a still visibly emotional Cumberbatch reflected: “The past couple of days have been extraordinary.

“What an experience. To round it all off, it just became more and more about a narrative that I wasn’t expecting.

“Not in my wildest dreams could I imagine that would be part of my experience with Bear. I’m so grateful. It was deeply moving.”

Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge is showing on Sundays at 6pm, from August 20 on National Geographic