Countryfile host John Craven has hit out over the loss of rural services, saying the problem has left residents “socially isolated”.
He laments the disappearance of many rural shops, schools, post offices, pubs and bus routes.
He said: “In particular this has hit the rising number of pensioners who live long distances from surgeries and hospitals and maybe don’t have anyone to keep an eye on them.”
The TV veteran feels the main visual change to the countryside in the past 30 years is the swathe of “new homes on the outskirts of villages”.
But he voiced his concern that there have not been “enough affordable ones to stop young country folk migrating to towns”.
The long-running series’ presenter also told BBC Countryfile Magazine: “No matter what happens over Brexit, I worry for the future of UK food production.”
With just 60% of Britain’s food currently home-grown, he warned: “It’s vital that we step up our level of self-sufficiency and improve our exports.
“Most farmers are middle-aged to elderly and over the years so many sons and daughters have told me they have no interest in taking over from their parents.
“So we’ll need more young recruits from non-farming backgrounds if future food demands are to be met.
“Politicians must face up to this or the UK will be forced to rely increasingly on imports.”
The ex-Newsround host, 78, also said “one joy of being at BBC Countryfile Live every August is to be regarded as a friend by folk I’ve never met before”.
