Chris Packham

Christopher Gary Packham CBE (born 4 May 1961) is an English naturalist, nature photographer, television presenter and author, best known for his television work including the CBBC children's nature series The Really Wild Show from 1986 to 1995.

Packham was born in Southampton, Hampshire, on 4 May 1961.

He was educated at Bitterne Park Secondary School, Taunton's College and the University of Southampton, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Zoology.

After graduating, he cancelled his study towards a Doctorate of Philosophy to train as a wildlife cameraman.

In 1983, Packham was a part-time camera assistant for wildlife filmmaker Stephen Bolwell, working with him on A Toad's Tale.

From 1983 to 1985, he worked on The Living Planet series and The Living Isles for the BBC and Ourselves and Other Animals, a series for Channel 4.

Packham is known for his work as a television presenter, which began in 1986 with the BAFTA-winning BBC1 children's programme The Really Wild Show (1986–1995) and nature photography series Wild Shots on Channel 4.

He also wrote and presented the BBC One series The X Creatures and BBC Two's Hands on Nature and Nature's Calendar.

Other television series included Go Wild (Live) and Travel UK for Central Television, Nature's Detectives (BBC), Really Wild Guide (BBC2) and The Great Dinosaur Trail, which he wrote and presented for LTV Carlton Television, Watchout Series II and III as lead presenter, Animal Zone (BBC2), Postcards from the Wild and An Evening with Chris Packham for Discovery Animal Planet.

Other network television programmes included Flying Gourmets Guide (BBC1), The Great British Birdwatch (Live) for BBC, Smokescreen for Harlech Television, Beachwatch (Live), Flamingo Watch (Live), Heading South (Live) for the BBC, and Behind the Scenes of the Lost World for Meridian Television.

During this time, Packham was involved in numerous regional television series, such as The London Wildlife Challenge for ITV Carlton Television, Anything Goes (Live), Birdwatch with Chris Packham, The Pier on Film and Wildwatch with Chris Packham for Meridian Television, and Go for Green for BSB Satellite and Cable.

Regional television programmes included: Through Two Cameras, The Wild Garden, The Wood Worker, The Disappearing Down, Jewels in the Sand, Wildfowl Seasons and The Keepers of the Forest.

He was the lead presenter on BBC South's Inside Out, and has also worked on BBC South East's Inside Out with Kaddy Lee-Preston.

He has also presented the BBC nature series Springwatch, including Autumnwatch and Winterwatch, since 2009.

Since June 2009, he has co-presented the BBC Two nature programme Springwatch – and its sister programmes BBC Autumnwatch and BBC Winterwatch – along with various others.

He has also led yearly birdwatching tours in The Gambia.

He formed the production company Head Over Heels with producer Stuart Woodman, making wildlife programmes for Discovery Channel, National Geographic, and the BBC.

In 2011, Packham won an episode of the BBC's Celebrity Mastermind.

His specialist subject was the Battle of Rorke's Drift.

He also presented the BBC programme The Animal's Guide to Britain.

In 2013, he presented a four-part documentary series entitled Secrets of Our Living Planet, which demonstrated the complex ecological relationships upon which apparently unconnected species, such as tigers and crabs, depend.

In 2014, Packham presented a two-part BBC documentary in which he, Martha Kearney and Adam Hart examined in detail the behaviour of the honeybee, as well as a BBC series on animal cognition, called Inside the Animal Mind, which partly featured his own pet dogs.

In 2014, he presented a 10-part series The Wonder of Animals for the BBC.

It included episodes on birds of prey, dolphins, crocodiles, great apes, elephants, foxes, ants, big cats, bears and penguins.

In 2016, Packham co-presented a two-part series for the BBC, Cats v. Dogs: Which Is Best?, along with Liz Bonnin.

The programmes compared cat behaviour and relationships with humans, against those of dogs, in the format of a mock contest.

It also explored some recent research on the subject.

In 2017, Packham co-presented Earth Live on Nat Geo Wild with Jane Lynch and Phil Keogan.

The programme was a live journey exploring some of the most spectacular wildlife on the planet.

He also worked with Jaguar Land Rover on a promotional podcast series called The Discovery Adventures.

In October 2017, he presented a BBC Television documentary about his experience as a high-functioning person with Asperger's, Chris Packham: Asperger's and Me.

In the programme, Packham examined critically the approach taken to autism and Asperger syndrome in the United States.

In January 2018 he presented BBC Two's The Real T-Rex, in which he attempted to rebuild the most authentic Tyrannosaurus rex ever seen, from the bones up.

Also in January he presented Chris Packham: In Search of the Lost Girl on BBC Two, in which he highlighted the impact of palm oil consumption on the rainforests of Sumatra.

In August 2018, Packham co-hosted Yellowstone Live on National Geographic Channel with TV host Josh Elliott, a four-night event showcasing the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem with feeds from dozens of live cameras and seven camera crews.

In March 2019, Packham presented, along with Liz Bonnin and Steve Backshall, four-part series Blue Planet Live.

In 2020, he narrated a three-part documentary series called Primates.

Along with Ella Al-Shamahi, he also co-presented Waterhole: Africa's Animal Oasis, which premiered in December of the same year.

In 2021, Packham presented a six-part BBC Two documentary series called Animal Einsteins; the series premiered on 21 February 2021.

In July 2021, a one-hour special titled Chris Packham: A Walk That Made Me, in which Packham walked a familiar path in Hampshire, premiered on BBC Two.