Springwatch ..it’s good to bicker back
Chris and Michaela on TV reunion after Covid
also hope to raise awareness about the state of the planet.
For more than 10 years, Chris has been in a relationship with Charlotte Corney, who runs the Wildheart Animal Sanctuary on the Isle of Wight.
He told how he hopes to see “dramatic and positive change” in the next decade of his life. Chris said: “There are a lot of people out there who have worked out the solutions and we could be implementing them a lot more rapidly and broadly. That’s what we need to be doing in the next 10 years. “We’re pretty much reaching a point where, not just in the UK but globally, we’re making a last stand for the world’s wildlife. “Therefore, I’m rather hoping more people will stand up and take that
CUTEWATCH stand for our wildlife and do some serious work. “There’s a lot of people talking, not enough people doing things. We really need dramatic action.” Michaela, who has son Ollie, 15, from a previous relationship and three stepchildren with cameraman and producer partner Nick Chevallier, said the pandemic has shown us how we can change our behaviours and adapt quickly.
She added: “We need to have that same urgency with the climate crisis.
“The other thing I am really encouraged by is the younger generation, how much they suddenly got involved.
“We wouldn’t have been able to say 20 years ago the younger generation were engaged in important issues like global warming and climate change crisis. They really are pushing this forward.”
Both presenters have worked hard to ensure younger voices are heard on Springwatch and say there will be more young contributors on the show.
They include Chris’s stepdaughter Megan McCubbin, who stepped in to fill Michaela’s shoes last year.
He said: “Megs is doing some films for us about conservation projects across the UK and individuals who have made a significant difference with species. We’ve got a number of new contributors.”
Michaela added:
“We’re really bringing in younger, passionate people.
'I think that
is really important. Megan is a fantastic example. She’s in her 20s, passionate, knowledgeable on conservation and sustainability and wildlife.”
The pair still get a buzz from hosting the watches and are not ready to give it up just yet, but Chris is already thinking about the talented young people who will one day replace him. He said: “We’ve got a whole raft of young naturalists and I want people to see they are really capable and they just need their skillset growing and a bit more experience.
“I don’t need one person to fill my boots, I need hundreds of thousands of younger people with my type of passion.” Springwatch starts Tuesday May 25, 8pm on BBC2.