Bear Grylls has surprised Benedict Cumberbatch by giving him a lift in a nuclear submarine off the coast of Skye.
The British adventurer, 49, sprung the revelation at the end of his TV show Running Wild with Bear Grylls: The Challenge on Sunday.
It was used to extract the pair after they had completed an adventure on the Isle of Skye.
Their adventure began when a helicopter dropped the duo in a field on the island, and they hiked for miles to locate caches filled with critical supplies for their journey.
Cumberbatch, 46, was taught unique survival skills as they camped out in the wilderness on the island.
The pair then descended massive sea cliffs and freezing waterfalls, as well as kayaked across freezing water and tried food from the land.
Cumberbatch: ‘You have friends in high places’
For the show’s finale, they were taken off of the island on a British Royal Navy flagship Astute class nuclear submarine.
Grylls, who served in the SAS, told his celebrity partner: “I have one final surprise fitting for a Cumberbatch – if you look over that way…
“I did call in a favour with the British Royal Navy to ask if would they have a nuclear submarine.”
The Marvel superstar was stunned to see the submarine, he told Grylls: “You have friends in high places”.
Submarine extract on Isle of Skye leaves Cumberbatch emotional
But Cumberbatch quickly became emotional after witnessing the submarine sail towards them.
His grandfather was a prominent figure in London high society and a submarine officer during both World Wars.
One of his missions in the Second World War took place aboard a nuclear submarine off of the Isle of Skye, just like the one that greeted him.
Speaking to the camera after the event, The Imitation Game star explained: “My grandfather had been playing in my mind quite a bit over the past few days and it felt like a very immediate connection to him.
“To see it was like an ‘oh my god’ shock moment.
“I am so moved, so moved by it
“I couldn’t believe it, I am tearing up now just thinking about it – wow.
“The last couple of days have been extraordinary.”
The actor’s paternal grandfather, Henry Carlton Cumberbatch, died in 1966.
Watch the full spectacle in the video below.
After the submarine appeared, the two men entered the submarine and met the crew of 100 submariners.
They are some of the only civilians to have visited the submarine, which the Royal Navy describes as “arguably the finest attack submarine in the world today”.
However, the VIP treatment of the stars did lead to some criticism.
The chairwoman of Scottish CND told The Herald: “It is outrageous to use Skye and a Royal Navy sub to support a macho stunt.
“Scotland carries the lion’s share of the risks of accidents and incidents presented by the Royal Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines.
“Our coastline and seabed host war-fighting infrastructure that will be targeted in conflict, our waters are routinely used for sub manoeuvres to the endangerment of fishing vessels and our lochs carry the legacies of their discharges.
“Their missions are usually secret and yet is it possible for operational details and location to be shared in this way? If the slogan ‘Take the toys from the boys’ sometimes seems too simplistic a response to the military-industrial complex, not this time.”
The Royal Navy said the submarine was already scheduled to be in the area.
