Full Breakdown
Sir Ranulph Fiennes’s whereabouts remain unknown as family and supporters demand investigation
By Drooid · · How we work
Search for the explorer
Alexander Millington-Cotes, 31, says he has been unable to locate his stepfather, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, an 82-year-old explorer with Parkinson’s disease, for more than a year. He has contacted several police forces—including Cheshire Constabulary, where Fiennes was reportedly moved earlier this year, and West Mercia Police, which covers the family’s home in Shropshire—but reports “no luck” in obtaining information. Millington-Cotes has launched a GoFundMe campaign, which has raised over £6,500 to date, and is seeking additional funds to cover legal costs for locating and safeguarding Fiennes.
Concerns over care and liberty safeguards
A care-home owner in Wales told a national newspaper that they had reported multiple concerns about Fiennes’s wellbeing to the authorities. The Care Inspectorate Wales (CIW) later emailed the home’s owner, stating that Fiennes was being “unlawfully deprived of his liberty” and outlining the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) requirements for people under continuous supervision who lack capacity to consent.
The same reports claim she required visitors to sign non-disclosure agreements and forced Fiennes to wear a hat, sunglasses and gloves to conceal his identity. Family members have questioned a Do-Not-Resuscitate document she provided.
Fundraising and public appeals
Friends of the explorer, including veteran BBC correspondent John Simpson, adventurers Bear Grylls and Ben Fogle, have publicly urged authorities to disclose Fiennes’s location and to investigate his care. Simpson described himself as “horrified,” while Grylls called Fiennes a “true British icon” and Fogle said he is “deeply disturbed” by the reports. Their statements have been shared on social-media platforms and in media interviews.
Official and police responses
CIW declined to comment on Fiennes’s personal circumstances, reiterating its role in monitoring DoLS compliance. Cheshire Constabulary said it could “neither confirm nor deny” whether officers had visited the Cheshire care home, and West Mercia Police did not respond to inquiries. The Independent’s attempts to obtain comment from both forces also went unanswered.
Current status and outstanding issues
The family continues to seek clarification from police, the Office of the Public Guardian, and care regulators. No definitive information about Fiennes’s location or health has been confirmed, and the allegations regarding his wife’s handling of his care remain unverified pending formal investigation.