Bear Grylls appeared at the Tory Party Conference and told everyone to stand up and stretch

Bear Grylls got everyone on their feet at Tory conference – but he had to tell them to do it.

The TV adventurer was a surprise speaker on the main stage in Manchester and was appearing to make a £50 million pitch for the Government to back the Scouts.

But if audience members were hoping to take the weight off while they sat through his speech, they were in for a bit of a shock.

Grylls began his appearance on stage by encouraging Tory members to stand up and stretch their legs – promoting a bit of limb movement before they sat down to listen to his pitch.

Unsurprisingly, tweeters were slightly bemused by Grylls’ appearance at Tory conference, despite the subject matter of his speech:

Grylls told delegates that if he was Prime Minister, he would make the “relatively small investment” of £50m in scouting – which would represent the “best money I’ve ever spent”.

Grylls praised the Scout movement for bringing a “sense of belonging” to different communities, saying: “We have young Muslim men and women joining our ranks in the thousands.

“In fact, we’re experiencing such overwhelming demand that even as a leading UK youth charity, as Scouts we cannot keep up – not by a long margin.

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“Currently there are 55,000 young people – black, white, Muslim, Hindu, Christian, all British – just on the waiting list to join the Scouts.

“And I’m here to show you – the Government of our nation – that the truth is there is a sea of young people out there desperate for the British scouting values that we provide.

“Yet we have no choice every day to say to the mosques, to the Imams, to the hard-working families with hot-headed teenagers that we cannot fulfil this demand – but we can with your help.”

If Theresa May was hoping to mould Grylls into a future Tory MP she was out of luck as he proclaimed young people – rather than Westminster – are the true “engine house”.

He added: “It’s their courage, their optimism, their energy that will dictate government and will shape our future. Truth.

“If you ignore young people, you perish. If you embrace them, these guys will show us all how to prosper.”

Grylls, who was wearing his Scout uniform and joined by two Scouts on stage, said there is an “unprecedented” opportunity to take Britain forward in a “way none of us have seen for generations”.

He said: “When we unite young people and lead them, excite them and empower them, those people – you’ve all seen them, they’re often hurting, angry, lonely – they become engaged, emboldened and full of hope.”

But he said there are thousands of young Muslims who want to enjoy opportunities provided by scouting.

Grylls added: “With your help, we can answer that plea.”