WCXX

"Men really struggle nowadays with what it means to be a man," he said. "In the olden days, it was clear – you use your spear, your brains, your resourcefulness, your courage. All that sort of stuff made a man."

Now, he added, the use of technology means people are "only using a fraction of what nature or God or whatever has given us to be human".

"Therefore there's always going to be a disconnect of actually, what does it mean?" he said. "In the modern world, what does masculinity mean?

"If you strip man of everything – no microwave, no bed, none of the stuff we take for granted – are the skills that man has gained over thousands of years or mistakes and errors and development still here?

"Have they just gone in a generation? Or when pushed are they still somewhere in there?"

The programme, broadcast from May 5, will see participants battle to find fresh water, build shelter and catch food including scorpions, stingray and a live crocodile.

Those taking part include a 23-year-old farmer, a hairdresser from Essex, a neurologist and 71-year-old retired policeman.

Saying he had been inspired to make the programme after hearing "everyone talking about 'what is a man' nowadays", Grylls added he hoped to encourage men to learn what to aspire to.

When asked whether he would support National Service, to teach young men about the teamwork and practical skills, he said: "I like the principles of what that sort of thing does.

"If people come out of it learning that there's life beyond their social circles and groups and develop a respect, learn values about hard work, teamwork, leadership, I think that would be an amazing thing."