Family and Friends of Sir Ranulph Fiennes Say They Cannot Locate the Explorer as Police Assess Safeguarding Concerns

The family and friends of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, the celebrated British adventurer, have said they have been unable to see or contact him for months, raising urgent questions about the welfare of the man once described as the world's greatest living explorer. His former sister-in-law told the BBC that she did not know where he was, and that nobody had been able to visit him. The situation has prompted a police response, a crowdfunding campaign and a public appeal from relatives who say they are desperate for information.

Sir Ranulph, who is 82, has not appeared in public for nearly two years. His disappearance from view came only months after he spoke openly about being diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. That diagnosis, combined with his advancing age, has heightened concern among those who know him, particularly given the apparent difficulty they face in reaching him.

It has been alleged that Sir Ranulph has been admitted to a number of care homes under assumed names. The allegations arise from a reported family rift involving his second wife, Louise Millington-Cotes. She did not immediately respond to those allegations, nor to a request for comment from the BBC.

Cheshire Police have confirmed they are aware of the concerns surrounding the explorer. The force said it is satisfied that he is living in an appropriate setting with suitable care, and that there are no immediate safeguarding concerns. That assessment, however, has done little to reassure relatives who say they remain in the dark about his precise whereabouts and condition.

The most outspoken voice has come from Sir Ranulph's stepson, Alex Millington-Cotes. Speaking to the BBC's Newsnight programme, he said he wanted to see power of attorney "removed from my own mother" and placed instead in the hands of people who have "fully his best interests in mind". Power of attorney is a legal arrangement that allows a nominated individual to make decisions on behalf of someone who may lack the capacity to do so themselves, and disputes over such arrangements are often deeply fraught.

He described the explorer as someone who thrives on company and connection. "He's not an isolated type of person, and so to see him isolated now is very painful," he said. The remark points to a striking contrast: a man who built a global reputation on enduring extreme isolation in the planet's most hostile environments is now said to be cut off from the people closest to him.

Last week, Alex Millington-Cotes launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for legal fees, with the stated aim of locating and safeguarding the explorer. He wrote that the fundraiser had been created "as a result of our concern and desperation" after trying "multiple avenues" to find his stepfather. The campaign marks an escalation in a family dispute that has so far unfolded largely out of public view.

Arabella Pepper, the younger sister of Sir Ranulph's late first wife, Ginny, also spoke to Newsnight. She said she had not been able to see her former brother-in-law for more than a year. "All his friends and family want to see him and take him Toblerones and cheer him up, but we don't know where he is, and he's not available, he's not accessible — that's what worries us," she said.

Pepper alleges that her only recent contact with him came in July 2025, and only after she admitted herself to a care home where she had been told he was staying. She described the visit in emotional terms, saying that after the usual greetings, the first thing she told him was that everybody was worried about him, was looking for him and was longing to see him.

According to Pepper, the explorer's response was immediate and heartfelt. "The relief on his face was very obvious, and he said, send a message to everybody, send them my love, tell them I love them and tell them I'm longing to see them," she told the BBC. If accurate, that account suggests Sir Ranulph himself may be unaware of the extent of the efforts being made to reach him.

Sir Ranulph's achievements have made him a household name in Britain and beyond. In the early 1980s he became the first person to visit both the north and south poles by surface means, a feat that cemented his reputation as one of the foremost polar explorers of his generation. The Guinness Book of Records has described him as "the world's greatest living explorer".

His career has been defined by feats of endurance that few others have attempted, and he has long been admired for his resilience in the face of physical hardship. That reputation makes the current uncertainty over his circumstances all the more jarring for those who have followed his life and work. A man celebrated for his self-sufficiency is now at the centre of a dispute about who should be making decisions on his behalf.

The case also raises broader questions about the safeguarding of elderly and vulnerable people, particularly those with significant public profiles. When families are divided, as appears to be the case here, the mechanisms designed to protect an individual can become the focus of bitter disagreement. Police have said they are satisfied with Sir Ranulph's care arrangements, but relatives argue that satisfaction is not the same as transparency.

The BBC has sought comment from Louise Millington-Cotes on the allegations and on the concerns raised by the family. There has been no immediate response. Cheshire Police have likewise indicated that they are monitoring the situation while maintaining that there are no immediate safeguarding concerns.

For now, the explorer remains out of public view, and the people who say they love him remain unable to reach him. The crowdfunding effort, the police assessment and the testimony of relatives all point to a deepening impasse. Until more information emerges, the question of where Sir Ranulph Fiennes is — and whether he is able to communicate with those who care about him — remains unanswered.