The lighter side of life with Kate Mason: Survival skills should only be used when necessary

Being able to forage for food, keep hydrated and shelter yourself from the elements would undoubtedly be the difference between life and death.

But let’s face it the likelihood of finding yourself in such a situation is slim - that is unless you’re one of the action hero type characters dominating our TV screens at the minute.

I’m all for putting these skills to good use if your life depends on it but why the hell would you inflict torturous conditions on yourself just for entertainment.

Take Bear Grylls for instance, the over zealous boy scout type character who seems to jump at any opportunity to drink his own urine.

If he’s not using a dead sheep as a sleeping bag he’s eating some horrid grub with worrying enthusiasm.

As if it wasn’t enough that he puts himself in these ridiculous situations he’s even convinced a string of A-list celebrities to come along for the ride.

From actor Will Ferrell to the President of the United States Barack Obama it seems people can’t wait to go on an adventure with Bear.

And now a team of mere mortals have signed themselves up for a stint with Bear Grylls on the reality TV show The Island - returning for its third series.

Why the hell would you want to sign yourself up for such an ordeal?

It actually angers me that he sits there sipping his own urine when he could ask one of the production crew to just give him a bottle of water - why do this to yourself - just why?

And now there’s another action hero on the block Steve Backshall - who admittedly is a much more likeable character than Bear Grylls but still gets himself into unnecessary situations.

Steve recently attempted to climb to the top of a remote tepui in Venezuela - a feat no one has ever achieved.

After several days of trekking and a number of near misses clinging to the side of a treacherous cliff even Steve himself questioned what he was doing, declaring: ‘this is stupid, someone is going to die up here.’

Exactly Steve -what are you doing? Why are you dicing with death and why have you felt the need to pick up every deadly animal along the way to proudly show to the camera? I get that these people want to raise awareness but realistically when are we ever going to need these skills?