by the BBC with the result that he was not offered the opportunity to present wildlife programmes. Mears was a guest on BBC Radio 4's Desert Island Discs in January 2014. His choices were "Jumpin' Jack Flash" by the Rolling Stones, "English Rose" by the Jam, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by the Beatles, "Annie's Song" by John Denver, "Maria" by Blondie, "Suddenly I See" by KT Tunstall, "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters" by Elton John and "Feeling Good" by Nina Simone. In 2009 he was awarded the prestigious Mungo Park Medal. In July 2010, Mears was asked by Northumbria Police to help them track fugitive killer Raoul Moat, after he fled his temporary tent-based shelter in the village of Rothbury. Between 2010 and 2013 he presented three series of Wild Britain on ITV. The first series consisted of six 45 minute episodes, while series two and three had ten episodes of programmes lasting half an hour. Each programme would see Mears visit a different habitat in a different part of the country. The programme was a rating success, regularly featuring in the top 30 watched programmes of the week. 2013 also saw Mears write My Outdoor Life, which was a Sunday Times' Bestseller. In 2014 he presented Wilderness Walks, where he visited six areas of natural beauty across the United Kingdom. Each episode would see Mears spend day in a location exploring the local wildlife and offering advice on how to find wild food and make the most of natural resources. In 2015 he presented Wild River, a one-off episode where he explores the wildlife around the River Wye. 2016 saw him present Wild Australia where he explored the wildlife of several locations both on land and in the sea, coming across several iconic Australian species, such as the Red Kangaroo and Platypus. He then presented six episodes of Wild France, travelling around the country and looking at its wildlife. Following the same format as his previous series, each programme focused on a different environment. He returned to Australia in 2017, presenting the seven part-series Australian Wilderness with Ray Mears. In 2021 he presented Wild China, a seven part series, where he visited a range of habitats and looked at several iconic animals, including Snow Leopards and Giants Pandas. Personal life Mears met his first wife, Rachel, in 1992 when she attended one of his five-day survival courses.