
Springwatch viewers furiously slam show as they demand bosses warn them before grisly scenes
Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan updated fans on a short-eared owl's next - which was first shown last week.
4
4
4
However, the BBC show faced viewer backlash following scenes of one animal's demise.
Chris explained: "There were six youngsters in the nest" and added: "Last night there were only two left in the nest."
The other four had spread out in a bid to avoid capture by predators.
Meanwhile, Michaela admitted the team was "really surprised" upon telling viewers how one chick ate its sibling.
This occurred after "nights of hunger" and the younger chick became "weak and defenceless".
Viewers were horrified by the disturbing scenes and soon shared their reactions on social media.
One wrote: "Baby owl eating its sibling alive ffs. Give us a 5-minute warning next time."
Another penned: "Ffs that was hideous...it didn't die and get eaten, it was pulled apart alive poor thing."
A third chimed in: "Oh no, the owl chick eating its sibling whilst still alive. Horrible."
While a fourth commented: "Oh my days....that was grim, poor baby."
Michaela Strachan looks worlds away from Springwatch as she celebrates family wedding
Earlier this year, Michaela, 59, opened up about an off-screen row with Chris, 64.
Admitting they are sometimes opposites in their presenting styles, Michaela said in an interview with The Times: 'He has all the facts, whereas I love the stories surrounding a particular nest.
"Last year I had to really fight my corner — a buzzard pecked its sibling to death and chucked it out of the nest onto the ground.
"Chris and the team wanted to put a camera on all the beasts that were eating it.
Everything you need to know about Springwatch
Springwatch began in 2005 and showcases British wildlife during the changing of the seasons in the United Kingdom
It's presented by Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan, Iolo Williams and Megan McCubbin
Chris and Michaela joined the show from 2009 and 2011 onwards, respectively
Just like last year, the long-running series is broadcasting live from RSPB Arne in Dorset
A total of 19 series have aired to date, with the 20th edition now on air on BBC Two
The show's popularity over the years spawned spin-offs Autumnwatch and Winterwatch
Autumnwatch began as a one-off, but was expanded into its own series from 2006 to 2022
Last year, the Beeb cancelled Autumnwatch citing budget concerns and having a smaller audience than its counterparts
The original presenting line-up for Springwatch included comedian and conservationist Bill Oddie, television presenter Kate Humble and naturalist Simon King
Bill, known for his work with The Goodies, exited the programme in 2008, followed by Simon in 2010 and Kate in 2011
"He was saying, 'It's really interesting.' I said, 'Yes, but it's a step too far. Our audience has invested in that little chick, we don't need to see it now being decimated with a slow-mo camera.'
"In the end we didn't have room for the footage."
Michaela added: "You've got to keep it a little bit positive.'
Springwatch airs on BBC Two and iPlayer.
4
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
29 minutes ago
- The Independent
Repair Shop restores treasured WWII diary: ‘It's beautiful'
A guest on The Repair Shop became emotional after his grandmother's Second World War diary was restored. Thomas and his grandfather Roger brought the diary, which belonged to Roger's grandmother Lilian, to the BBC programme. The diary documented the German occupation of Guernsey and was described as a 'pocket-sized treasure' that was 'hanging by a thread'. After the restoration, Roger thanked the team who worked on the diary, saying: 'It's beautiful'. Watch the video in full above.


Daily Mirror
30 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
'Masterpiece' BBC period drama receives 10/10 reviews from fans left 'in tears'
The BBC period drama has been widely praised by fans online who have been binge-watching the series on repeat BBC' s beloved period drama, The Crimson Field, has fans glued to their screens, watching it on repeat. Inspired by Lyn Macdonald's 1980 book, The Roses of No Man's Land, this World War I series is a hit among history buffs. Available on Amazon Prime, the historical drama takes viewers back to northern France, following the lives of volunteer nurses and medical staff. Viewers witness the team dealing with the horrors of war, healing the wounded, and overcoming personal challenges and societal expectations. With staff numbers dwindling, the volunteers are desperately needed, but some view these women as threats rather than lifesavers, making their daily struggle to keep the war machine running even more challenging. For nurses Kitty Trevelyan (played by Oona Chaplin), Flora Marshall (Alice St. Clair) and Rosalie Berwick (Marianne Oldham), the battlefield's carnage is something no training could have prepared them for. However, the hospital soon welcomes Sister Joan Livesey (Suranne Jones), a spirited nurse with a mischievous streak, bringing a breath of fresh air, reports the Express. The war drama was filmed in London's heart, transforming the Historic Dockyard Chatham and HMS Gannet into the Port of Boulogne, France. Dyrham Park also appeared throughout the six-episode series as a French hotel ahead of the centenary special. The creator of the BBC series Sarah Phelps expressed her delight about her TV programme before filming commenced. She enthused: "I am bouncing off the walls with excitement at having such an extraordinary talented cast, bouncing off the walls." Regrettably, the programme was axed after one series due to the disappointing critical reception as well as budget constraints affecting other BBC productions despite Phelps planning four additional series based on it. Despite its premature end, the series and the book have received widespread acclaim from fans online, with one viewer commenting: "Makes WW1 come alive. Each episodes deals with a different problem at a field hospital. It's humanism is extraordinary." Another enthused: "The Crimson Field has been such a beautiful series, at times reducing me to tears, all the actors have done a brilliant job in bringing the story alive." A third agreed: "Sarah Phelps has written a new perspective on WWI that is intelligent, humorous, compassionate and poignant. While it is from the point of view of nurses and VAD's in WWI, the experiences of the soldiers who are their patients and that of the other men on staff, are given equal attention." Meanwhile, some viewers were swift to criticise the broadcaster for cancelling the war series after it was promised a fourth series. One user wrote: "Moving, unflinching drama, The Crimson Field brought forth the best - and the worst - of those dedicated to saving the lives of the British fallen and shattered of World War I. "A brilliant series with a standout cast and a potential for worldwide viewer impact, the BBC made a huge mistake in cancelling this masterpiece." Another fan enthused: "Watching it for a 2nd time. Wonderful acting, great storylines. So much better than some of the other rubbish people watch. So sad no 2nd series. Bad decision BBC." A fourth added: "I am absolutely gutted that there isn't a series 2 and 3. I thoroughly enjoyed this series. The acting was great. People's feelings came out, I was hooked." Crimson Field is currently available to stream on BBC iPlayer and Amazon Prime.


The Guardian
30 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Teenage girls making TikToks: Philippa James's best photograph
This started as a project with my daughter and her friends, who are all part of the smartphone generation. They were 14 years old at the time and I wanted to learn more about the relationship they had with their mobile phones. In 2022, a study by Ofcom showed that nine out of 10 children owned one by the time they reached the age of 11, and that 91% of them used video platforms, messaging apps and social media by the age of 12. I spoke to my daughter and her friends about how they use their phones and the negative reputation that surrounds teenagers and their screens. They told me the positives as well as the negatives, such as how social media can raise confidence as well as knock it down. I asked if I could photograph them. There was very little direction from me and – rather than photographing them in a controlled portraiture style, as I would usually have done – I simply observed them doing their thing. The energy was high: they moved so fast, dancing to short music reels, filming each other, laughing, scrolling, chatting, taking selfies, and back to making TikTok dances again. It was so hectic, I struggled to keep up. This image, called TikTok, came out of that session. I found this composition and asked Lucy to quickly look up at me. I had about two seconds before the moment was broken and they moved on to the next thing. As a portrait photographer, you get a feeling about certain shots, and I knew this was the one. Back in the edit, I reflected on how the girls use their phones as a form of visual communication, or as the theorist Nathan Jurgenson calls it, 'social photography'. This means the result of the photograph is social, rather than an object as it would be in traditional photography. Social photography is less about making a document or archive, and more about taking a picture or video and sharing it, basically having a visual conversation. The more time I spent with the girls, the more I learned about the darker side of their phones – the sexism and misogyny online. I shared the project as a work-in-progress exhibition in Oxford, and I worked closely with other focus groups of teenage girls who shared their experiences of online sexism and sexual harassment. I was shocked at some of the things I learned. The final project includes photographs of their handwritten testimonials. To further my research, I was reading activists Laura Bates and Soma Sara's work – and the original title of the project was No Big Deal, informed by Sara, who says sexual harassment happens so often it becomes seen as 'no big deal'. But as the project progressed, I changed it to Once a Slag, which refers to a TikTok soundbite my daughter played to me. The acceptance and ownership of the lyrics made me feel protective and frustrated as a mother and feminist. It's not a comfortable title, but the shock factor is important to get attention and raise awareness. This photograph has many layers, but it's also striking. It is beautiful and alluring and I think it has captured a wonderful moment. It's a celebration of the joy of girlhood, and of a group of girls in their own world. And just like social photography, these teenage years are ephemeral. In this image they are having so much fun together – it's so important to capture this confidence in a safe place. This image has also made me very conscious of the triangle of three gazes: Lucy gazing at the viewer, performing for the camera but also confronting the viewer with that look, that attitude. Then my gaze as the mother and the photographer – which changes the more research I do on the subject. Then the gaze of the viewer, who might be transported back in time to their own teenage years. I find the tension between these really challenging with this subject matter. The girls in the image are now 17. A lot has come out since it was made. People such as Andrew Tate have become widely known – even though the kids knew all about him years before us adults did – and more recently the Netflix series Adolescence prompted wide debate. This week a mum got in touch with me and said: 'I need to talk to you about short skirts.' Where I sit as a mum, and where I sit as a woman, are often totally at odds. As a mum, instinctively, you want to be protective. But if you zoom out of it, why should a woman not wear what she wants? Unfortunately, young women today are at risk, just by having a phone. That's the world we don't know as parents today. Born: Bath, 1978Trained BA in art and moving image at Maidstone, Kent (2000); MA in photography at Falmouth (2023)Influences 'Rineke Dijkstra, Miranda July, Lynne Ramsay, Tracey Emin, Abigail Heyman, Cindy Sherman, Samantha Morton, Catherine McCormack, the film Short Cuts by Robert Altman, and Lisa Taddeo's book Three Women.'High point 'Being selected last year for the Taylor Wessing portrait prize and exhibiting at the National Portrait Gallery. Receiving funding from Arts Council England to develop my practice – it's given me the confidence to develop my visual language. And winning LensCulture's Emerging Talent award.'Low point 'In 2020 I was publicly criticised for including a trans women in my very first personal project, 100 Women of Oxford, and protesters threatened to sabotage the exhibition. I learned a lot from that experience about responsibility, representation, and the emotional weight of photographing real people.'Top tip 'Keep making work, reflect on what you made, then make more work. Photography can look easy, but it's hard – and consistency really matters.'