Latest news with #ChrisPackham
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Springwatch viewers left 'dreading' show after spotting BBC host Chris Packham's 'annoying' habit
Springwatch viewers confessed that they have been left 'dreading' the show after spotting host Chris Packham's 'annoying' habit on Monday night. The latest series of the BBC series returned to our screens at the end of May from a new location of National Trust 's Longshaw Estate in the Peak District. Last night (Monday 2 June) saw Chris, 64, and co-star Michaela Strachan, 59, open the programme with a huge smile on their faces. Chris said: 'It's week two coming to you live from the National Trust Longshaw Estate up here in the Peak District National Park.' He continued: 'Now, Girls and Boys, there's no other way to spend a Monday night, you've got your Coffee and TV, and we're going to dive into the Chemical World of insect vesicant and a practical demonstration of oesophageal peristalsis.' Those watching at home all took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to say the same thing. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. '#springwatch ahh its Blur week. boys and girls, coffee and tv....' 'Blur references heard already.' 'Is Chris on to Blur this week, Beetlebum reference?' 'Ah! So Blur, this week. Nice one!' 'Packham crying to get as many Blursongs as he can. This is a low, tender, beetlebum etc.' According to The Express another said: 'F*** sake, so it's Blur this week, is it?' 'I dread to think how many annoying song references Chris is gonna make this week.' While others pointed out that last week's episode of the show focused on another popular band. 'Oh we've gone from Oasis to Blur. #Springwatch.' 'Blur "Beetlebum" Has Chris Packham moved from Oasis to Blur this week.' Many viewers took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share the same thoughts as Chris returned to our screens this week It comes after Chris complained that UK 'is going to hell in a handcart' after the Springwatch budget was slashed - and even branded Britain 'one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world '. The Watches - which are annual BBC programmes which explore the wildlife in the UK during each of the seasons - have been on our screens since 2005. Springwatch and Winterwatch are still running, but Autumnwatch wrapped up in 2022. And Chris, who has been a presenter on the shows since 2009, has shared his worries about the UK after it was revealed recently that the budget has been cut. Chris told Radio Times: 'Springwatch will always be needed. 'The UK is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world and wildlife is going to hell in a handcart.' Despite that, there will be a new brand new series of Springwatch airing very soon, and Chris' co-star Michaela Strachan has teased what fans can expect. Michaela told the publication: 'We tell the stories nature gives us. We're in a new location – the National Trust's Longshaw Estate in the Peak District – so we'll be tracking wood warblers and curlews.' She added: 'We have great production values, even though our budget has been cut. 'There are positives to streaming, too; you can watch Springwatch on catch-up!' Springwatch's official Instagram account shared a sneak peek on their account with a video of the two ahead of the brand new series. Chris said: 'Springwatch is back! We're going to be coming from a brand new location, the National Trust Longshaw Estate in the Peak Distrct.' Michaela chimed in: I'll be on the lookout for mountain hares, brown long-eared bats and dippers.'
BBC News
5 hours ago
- General
- BBC News
'Remarkable' owl seen on Springwatch for first time
The BBC's Springwatch programme has captured an animal never seen before in the show's 20-year run while filming in show is currently stationed at the National Trust-owned Longshaw Estate in the Peak District National Park until 12 June, broadcast live every night.A family of short-eared owls were captured by the cameras for the first time, with presenter Chris Packham describing them as Michaela Strachan praised the Peak District and said the "habitat variety" made the location a great fit for the programme. Behind the scenes, the huge production has 100 people working on the show but planning the marathon broadcast begins the year earlier, to assess what wildlife is likely to 30 cameras have been set up around the estate and they are monitored 24 hours a day by teams of two who work in cameras have showcased a vast array of animals that call the estate said: "We've got our first lot of birds that are fledging the nests, last week we were watching those youngsters develop so we're now on fledge-watch for the first time, which is always nice. "We saw short-eared owls which have never featured on the programme before."They're remarkable birds and are interesting in the way they fledge unsynchronised, so you'll see one big chick and one small chick."We've also had the long-eared owl which we've never had live before which was very exciting." In a new feature, producers of the popular nature programme decided to place hidden cameras in ordinary gardens for the show's 20th anniversary took place on a street eight miles from the Longshaw Estate, in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, where residents had installed "swift bricks" to attract the cameras have captured badgers, foxes and hedgehogs as well as the nesting swifts."What we see in that street is people have gone that extra mile looking after the wildlife and it is paying dividends," Packham added. The show first appeared on TV with Bill Oddie and the team in Devon back in said the Peak District was a perfect fit for its 20th anniversary."It's a beautiful place," she said. "But what we look for when we come to a new site is the variety of habitats and the Peak District has a fantastic variety."You have oak woodland, you've got moorland, peaks, rivers and all that supports a wide-range of wildlife and that's what we look for."Despite the incredible animals on show, Packham said the programme has a more serious message."We don't mince our words, wildlife is in trouble so part of our remit as a programme is to try and engage people so they develop a deep-rooted affinity for it and they want to look out for it."
BBC News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The Sheffield street that appears on BBC Springwatch
A suburban street with an abundance of wildlife is the star of the new series of BBC the first time, producers of the popular nature programme decided to place hidden cameras in ordinary gardens for the show's 20th anniversary took place on a street in the Sheffield neighbourhood of Hillsborough, where residents have installed "swift bricks" to attract the cameras have captured badgers, foxes and hedgehogs as well as the nesting swifts. The location was selected because of its proximity to the National Trust-owned Longshaw Estate in the Peak District National Park, where Springwatch will be broadcast from for the first is also one of the UK's greenest cities, with a quarter of its land consisting of series began on 26 May and is presented by Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan. Researcher and ornithologist Jack Baddams was sent to Hillsborough to meet the human, avian and mammalian residents of the said he was delighted to see swifts nesting in the eaves of the houses and in the bricks installed by homeowners."Just being on this street and hearing their screams is absolutely fantastic - there's so much work going in to protecting swifts in Sheffield."The garden cameras were first set up in April and have recorded 12,000 clips so Baddams added he was surprised to see badger activity in the said: "Badgers are becoming increasingly urban, there's some fantastic populations of urban badgers in the UK, but to see it climbing over the wall, squeezing under fences it seems out of place. But it's very cool." One of the neighbours whose garden was "bugged" is Deborah Beck - who has a "no mow" policy for her lawn and has provided a pond, woodpile and plenty of flowers to attract wildlife.A fox and a hedgehog were filmed as well as a "big badger" jumping on and off her said: "We knew about the hedgehogs. And we have seen foxes here occasionally in the daytime but the badgers were amazing. "It's so lovely – it feels like the less you do in the garden, the more the wildlife come."I'm really pleased about that," she said. The series runs until Thursday 12 June on BBC Two and is also available on iPlayer. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
'Hypocritical' BBC is accused of damaging the countryside to film Chris Packham's Springwatch
The BBC has been accused of wreaking environmental damage on a National Trust estate in order to film Springwatch. Residents in the Peak District claim the production team for the hugely popular nature programme is destroying an area of the Longshaw Estate. Live filming for the 20th anniversary series of the programme - fronted by environmental campaigner Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan - is taking place on the estate, which sits within the Peak District National Park, near Sheffield. But images taken by local resident Christine Laver, supplied to MailOnline, show what some alleged to be hypocritical behaviour on the part of the BBC Natural History Unit, part of BBC Studios, the commercial production arm of the broadcaster. Steel plates are laid out across part of the estate - which only some vehicles belonging to the production team are parked on, with others in the grass. Large plates were also laid out across paths and ditches were filled in with bags of stones, topped with plastic mats to widen the roads for larger vehicles such as production lorries. The BBC and the National Trust both say the site will be restored to its original condition once filming is concluded. But in a viral social media post Ms Laver said the apparent damage reflected 'the reality of Springwatch at Longshaw'. Large plates were laid out across paths and ditches were filled in with bags of stones, topped with plastic mats to widen the roads for larger vehicles such as production lorries She wrote: 'Tons of limestone tipped in a gritstone landscape to facilitate access for huge lorries. Ditches blocked and tracks widened by vehicles they were never designed for. 'A meadow covered in steel plating, just when the wildflowers are coming into bloom and dozens of staff and production vehicles parked there. 'How many tons of CO2 will this lot produce in 3 weeks, Chris Packham?' The first episode of the latest series of Springwatch, which aired on Monday, opened with Chris and Michaela praising the habitats and the wildlife at the location. Among Longshaw's fauna are wild hares, herds of deer and birds including short-eared owls and ring ouzels. But some of those who saw Ms Laver's post fear that the wildlife may have been disrupted. The BBC has denied this is the case. 'Saw a pair of curlews in the field the wagons are in now, probs a week before the arrived, two days in a row,' one said. 'If they had a nest, that'll be trashed now.' One social media user opined that it was an example of 'hypocrisy and feeding a narrative' on the part of the BBC. Another, referring to Chris Packham, said: 'The hypocrisy of these environmentalists knows no bounds. Educate and inform by all means but stop the campaigning.' The BBC and National Trust supplied MailOnline with similar statements outlining how the site would be preserved after production came to an end. Some have given the broadcaster the benefit of the doubt as production continues. One said: 'Why not be thankful for the good that comes from this programme? For me personally I think it is fantastic that Springwatch is coming from my own backyard.' Another commented: 'I like they are trying to [put] wildlife to the forefront of people's attention and get people interested in wildlife and support mental health. 'And all people can do is look at the negative side if things. 'They're not destroying habitats to build homes like the government. They're trying to bring the beautiful side of nature.' The row comes despite Chris being a prominent environmentalist campaigner and vocal supporter of groups such as Just Stop Oil. In November last year, he joined thousands of people marching through central London to demand the government cleans up Britain's waterways. Speaking outside Westminster, he said: 'Rachel Reeves gave a Budget in 2024, whilst Valencia was being flooded and people were losing their lives, and she didn't use the word climate or nature once in that Budget. Now that's scary.' Pointing at Parliament, Mr Packham added: 'I know there are plenty of MPs and ministers over there who are desperate to do what they need to do and do their job - but they need to be given access to the resources, and part of that is finance.' Meanwhile in April last year Chris joined Extinction Rebellion protesters as they stormed the Science Museum's new climate gallery over its sponsorship by a mining company. The criticism centred on the fact the gallery's sponsor – the Adani Group – derives 60 per cent of its revenue from the coal industry. Speaking to the 30-strong band of young people, scientists and activists, Mr Packham deemed the sponsorship deal 'beyond greenwash – it's grotesque'. He continued: 'Science tells us that the fossil fuel industry is responsible for the accelerating destruction of our natural world. 'The Science Museum is a place to spark imagination, to provide answers but also to encourage us to ask questions. 'The question I'm asking today is a big one, 'why on earth are we allowing a destructive industry to sponsor an educational exhibition whilst simultaneously setting fire to young peoples futures?' 'This is beyond greenwash - it's grotesque.' A BBC spokesperson said of the Springwatch row: 'At Longshaw the Springwatch team is working in cooperation with the National Trust. 'The field location was confirmed as appropriate for temporary use by local land managers and no wildlife has been displaced. 'All of the surfaces installed and modifications are temporary, and the National Trust will undertake any works that may be needed to reinstate the site once Springwatch has departed. 'This restoration includes reseeding fields, restoring ditches, and reverting any landscape changes. 'Minimising our environmental impact is a top priority and Springwatch is certified by BAFTA Albert, which encourages sustainable TV and film production. 'Whilst on location, our main power source is a green hydrogen fuel cell, dramatically reducing our CO₂ emission.' In a similarly worded statement, the National Trust said it would 'uphold the highest possible environmental standards' during production.
Telegraph
5 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
BBC ‘damages countryside' to film Chris Packham's Springwatch
The BBC has been accused of damaging the countryside in order to film Chris Packham's Springwatch. The show is broadcasting live from a National Trust estate in the Peak District which is home to one of Britain's most threatened birds, protected insects and rare plants. But residents have accused the BBC of 'hypocrisy', saying that the 'reality' of the wildlife show is actually to damage the wildlife, including roads built for lorries and a steel plate over a meadow where wildflowers were about to burst into bloom. Mr Packham is joined by fellow presenter Michaela Strachan at the National Trust's Longshaw estate for three weeks of live filming for the show's 20th anniversary. The first episode, which aired on Monday, opened with the pair praising the habitats and the wildlife at the location, including hares, herds of deer, short-eared owls and ring ouzels. But resident Christine Laver said that the 'reality' of the show behind the scenes was very different. Tonnes of limestone were tipped into a gritstone landscape, which could cause damage as the materials support different types of habitat. Other damage saw ditches blocked and tracks 'widened by vehicles they were never designed for', the local council worker said. She added that there was 'a meadow covered in steel plating, just when the wildflowers are coming into bloom' and 'dozens of staff and production vehicles'. 'How many tons of CO2 will this lot produce in three weeks, Chris Packham?' she asked. Callum Cocker, who visits the site most weekends to watch the red stags, said that 'a week before the circus arrived' he had spotted two curlews in the field. He did not get close enough to see if they were nesting but said that if the threatened birds had 'chosen it for a nest site, that all went out the window when Springwatch arrived and laid checker plate on the wildflower meadows and parked HGVs in the field'. Mo Metcalf-Fisher, external affairs director at the Countryside Alliance, said: 'It's incumbent on all of us to treat our precious green spaces and natural environment with respect and care. This applies especially to celebrities and broadcasters out and about in the countryside, who have a special responsibility to lead by example at all times.' A BBC spokesman said: 'At Longshaw the Springwatch team is working in cooperation with the National Trust. The field location was confirmed as appropriate for temporary use by local land managers and no wildlife has been displaced. 'All of the surfaces installed and modifications are temporary, and the National Trust will undertake any works that may be needed to reinstate the site once Springwatch has departed. This restoration includes reseeding fields, restoring ditches, and reverting any landscape changes. 'Minimising our environmental impact is a top priority and Springwatch is certified by BAFTA Albert, which encourages sustainable TV and film production. Whilst on location, our main power source is a green hydrogen fuel cell, dramatically reducing our CO₂ emission.' On a page on their website describing how 'delighted' they are to host Springwatch, the National Trust tells readers that they should be 'a wise wildlife watcher'. Top tips are 'keep your distance', 'activate your stealth mode' by moving quietly and not staying in one place for too long and 'leave no trace' by not damaging the plants and vegetation. The National Trust echoed the BBC's statement and said that they are working together 'to uphold the highest possible environmental standards'.
