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He is a very modern adventurer, a man who has been to the furthest corners of the world and lived to tell the tale, getting by on his own wits and determination.

But it seems that, in his latest battle, Bear Grylls has taken on an opponent stronger than any frozen continent or jungle trekking route – the wrath of womankind.

Into the wild: Bear Grylls' new TV show, The Island Of Lost Blokes, has run into a sexism storm prior to launch

He stands accused of sexism after Channel 4 announced the latest small-screen show to star the 39-year-old television explorer.

The Island Of Lost Blokes will see 12 hardy souls join Grylls in trying to survive on a desert island using just their instincts and ingenuity.

But – as the name of the programme suggests – something crucial will be missing from the experience, along with proper food supplies and shelter: Competition from the girls.

Ruth England (left), and Sara Outen - who became the first woman to row solo across the Indian Ocean in 2009

The lack of female participation in the show has sparked protests, with questions being asked as to why, in 2014, survival should be seen as a male-only challenge.

Ruth England, who has made back-to-nature shows on the Discovery Channel – including presenting the series Man, Woman Wild – says the concept is 'laughable'.

'The basic tenets of survival are the same, regardless of your genitals – and women cope very well,' she told The Independent.

'I'm disappointed in Channel 4's decision, but not wholly surprised.

Walking the walk: Ruth England has demonstrated her survival skills on TV show Man, Woman, Wild

'The sheer amount of different types of terrain that I have survived in means I have more primitive survival experience than most soldiers.

Yet I still get internet trolls telling me to get back in the kitchen.'

Her comments were echoed by explorer Sarah Outen, who took to Twitter to express her frustration at The Island Of Lost Blokes.

'Surprise, surprise,' she tweeted. 'An adventure show of blokes and beards.'

'Yawn, yawn, yawn. Where are the women?'

Unimpressed: Sarah Outen took to Twitter this morning to vent her frustration with the new show

Channel 4 describes the programme as 'a bold new documentary in which Bear Grylls undertakes the ultimate survival experiment to discover what it means to be a man.'

Its male volunteers will be stranded in a remote island location and asked to fend for themselves over four weeks, with basic supplies of food and water quickly running out.

The broadcaster has been quick to defend the show, saying that it focuses specifically on the modern man's ability to cope with difficult conditions - and assesses whether he is more or less capable of dealing with adversity than his ancestors.

'The series sets out to examine modern masculinity and how traditional skills and ideas of manhood have changed over generations,' a spokesman for Channel 4 says.

'For that reason men were invited to take part in the series to be stripped of modern day comforts and their skills put to test.'

A Bear at the tennis: Grylls on a non-exploring day, with wife Shara

Grylls – who has been a reservist with the SAS, has climbed Everest, and was appointed Britain's Chief Scout in 2009 – thinks the show will make for revealing viewing.

'This is Lord Of The Flies meets Bear Grylls meets Darwin's survival-of-the-fittest,' he says.

'Man has moved further and further from his hunter-gatherer origins. We take food, shelter, warmth, for granted. We barely have to expend any time and energy to get them.

'I want to find out what happens when you strip people of all the comforts of modern life. Does 21st century man have it in him to fight for his survival?'

The programme will air on Channel 4 later this year.