‘It's never been done before'

John Bishop on the ‘mammoth’ task of returning two captive beluga whales back to the wild

- ELAINE REILLY

JOHN BISHOP’S GREAT WHALE RESCUE

NEW MON & TUE / ITV / 9PM / EPS 1-2 of 2 / FACTUAL

Moving to a new home is one of life’s most stressful experiences. So imagine having to up sticks, travel 6,000 miles across the world by air, land and sea, and not have a clue what’s going on...

That’s the incredible journey that two beautiful beluga whales, Little Grey and Little White, embarked upon in April 2019 when they were released from captivity in China and relocated to an open-water sanctuary in Iceland.

Following them every step of the way was comedian and animal lover John Bishop, who brings us their complex and deeply moving story in a new ITV documentary, John Bishop’s Great Whale Rescue.

From the BAFTA-winning wildlife producer behind The Blue Planet, the two-parter begins as John flies to Shanghai to visit Changfeng Ocean World, an entertainment park where Little White and Little Grey have spent every day for the last 10 years performing for the crowds, having been captured as youngsters.

The new owners were committed to returning this magnificent duo back to the wild and so began their life-changing adventure that would span 18 months.

Here, John, 53, tells us about his astonishing bond with these amazing animals…

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