Springwatch presenter Chris Packham has admitted he falls out with his co-star Michaela Strachan at work despite them being “great friends”.
The 64-year-old conservationist has fronted the BBC wildlife programme, alongside its spin-offs Autumnwatch and Winterwatch, since 2009, with Strachan joining him as a regular presenter in 2011.
Packham and Strachan first worked together on the CBBC children’s nature series The Really Wild Show in the Nineties and are currently in preparation to present Springwatch’s 20th anniversary series.
Speaking to OK! Magazine ahead of the new series, Packham said of his decades-long friendship with Strachan: “We know each other really well, so sometimes we may disagree about something, and the team may look at us and think, 'Oh my goodness, the presenters have fallen out!”
He continued: “We don't get upset about those things. We don't have to agree about everything. We just move on. So, the fact that we're great, lifelong, trusted mates helps, but also that we work in very different ways in terms of [the] way that we approach our job.”
Meanwhile, Strachan added: “Not only are we friends, and we know each other's personal lives, but people have watched us growing up on telly.”
The presenters reflected on the importance of Springwatch, with Packham saying the series is “one of those programmes that gives you the opportunity to stop and think about the little things in life that you may not have spent enough time focusing upon”.
Strachan added she thinks the show is important to show how climate change has altered the world. “There is less and less wildlife,” she said.
“Over the years I've done the show, I've seen it's much harder to find the wildlife to film, even in places that are managed for wildlife. Even in managed reserves we're sometimes struggling and I think we need to keep people connected.
“I think that's what it's all about – it's getting people connected to wildlife, making people realise how important wildlife is, and making people realise how good it is for their mental health and wellbeing.”
The new landmark episodes will showcase three weeks of wildlife from the National Trust’s Longshaw Estate in the Peak District.
Springwatch airs on BBC Two from 26 May.
