Sir Ranulph Fiennes: Family Says They Cannot Locate or Contact Ailing British Explorer

The family and friends of Sir Ranulph Fiennes, one of Britain's most celebrated living adventurers, say they have been unable to see or speak to him for months, raising urgent questions about the welfare of the 82-year-old explorer.

His former sister-in-law, Arabella Pepper, told the BBC she has no idea where Sir Ranulph is currently staying and that no one close to him has been permitted to visit. The admission has intensified a growing dispute within his circle over who controls access to the man once described by Guinness World Records as "the world's greatest living explorer."

At the centre of the dispute are allegations that Sir Ranulph has been moved between a number of care homes under assumed names. The claims follow a reported rift involving his second wife, Louise Millington-Cotes, who has not responded to the allegations or to requests from the BBC for comment.

Cheshire Police have confirmed they are aware of the concerns being raised about the explorer. In a statement, the force said officers were satisfied that he is living in an appropriate setting with suitable care, and that there were "no immediate safeguarding concerns."

Sir Ranulph has not appeared in public for nearly two years. His retreat from public view came only months after he spoke openly about receiving a diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, a disclosure that had prompted an outpouring of support from admirers around the world.

The explorer's stepson, Alex Millington-Cotes, has publicly called for the power of attorney over Sir Ranulph to be taken away from his own mother and placed in the hands of people who, in his words, have the explorer's best interests fully at heart. He described the situation as deeply painful, saying his stepfather is not by nature an isolated man.

Last week, Alex Millington-Cotes launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise money for legal fees aimed at locating and safeguarding the veteran explorer. In the appeal, he said the fundraiser had been set up out of concern and desperation after he and others had tried "multiple avenues" to establish where Sir Ranulph was being cared for.

Arabella Pepper is the younger sister of Sir Ranulph's late first wife, Ginny, who died in 2004. She told the BBC's Newsnight programme that she had been unable to see her former brother-in-law for more than a year, and that his wide network of loved ones had been left frustrated and frightened by the lack of information.

She said his friends and relatives simply wanted to visit him, bring him gifts such as Toblerones and lift his spirits, but that they did not know where he was and could not reach him. Pepper described the situation as inaccessible and worrying for everyone involved.

Pepper alleges that her only recent contact with Sir Ranulph came in July 2025, when she was told he was staying at a particular care home and responded by admitting herself to the same facility in order to see him. During that visit, she said, she told him that many people were worried about him and were longing to see him.

According to Pepper's account, the explorer's relief was immediately visible on his face. She says he asked her to pass on a message to everyone: that he loves them and that he is longing to see them. She described the encounter as evidence that he remains emotionally connected to the family and friends now searching for him.

The episode has drawn attention to the broader legal and ethical questions that arise when an elderly person with a degenerative condition becomes the subject of a family dispute. Powers of attorney, care arrangements and visitation rights can become contested terrain, particularly when the individual concerned is a public figure whose whereabouts attract outside interest.

Sir Ranulph's standing in British exploration is difficult to overstate. In the early 1980s, he became the first person to reach both the North Pole and the South Pole by surface means, a feat that cemented his reputation as one of the most tenacious polar travellers of his generation.

His career has been marked by extreme physical endurance and repeated attempts to push the limits of human capability. He has undertaken expeditions in some of the harshest environments on Earth, and his exploits have earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's greatest living explorer.

News that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, a progressive neurological condition that affects movement and can impair communication, has added a further layer of sensitivity to the family's concerns. The illness can make it harder for patients to advocate for themselves and to maintain contact with people outside their immediate care circle.

For his supporters, the central issue is transparency. Alex Millington-Cotes has framed his legal effort not as an attack on any individual but as an attempt to ensure that Sir Ranulph's wishes are respected and that those who care about him can see him.

Cheshire Police's assessment that there are no immediate safeguarding concerns does not appear to have eased the anxiety of relatives and friends, who say their inability to make contact is itself the problem. The force has not indicated whether it is conducting any further inquiry into the circumstances surrounding his care.

The BBC has sought a response from Louise Millington-Cotes regarding the allegations about assumed names and restricted access, but none had been received at the time of publication. The lack of a public reply has left many of the claims unanswered.

As the crowdfunding appeal continues and the family rift remains unresolved, the explorer's admirers are left with an uncomfortable contrast: a man famous for surviving the planet's most unforgiving landscapes, now at the centre of a private struggle over where he is and who gets to see him.