‘We're embracing the change'

Chris Packham on showcasing the wonders of his New Forest home as Springwatch returns with a lockdown twist

- TESS LAMACRAFT

SPRINGWATCH

NEW TUE-FRI / BBC2 / 8PM / EPS 1-4 of 12 / NATURE

There will be badgers, beavers, birds and maybe even the occasional grey seal to admire when BBC2’s Springwatch returns for three weeks of live shows.

However, due to the current coronavirus crisis, viewers should expect the series to look rather different this time…

With the presenting team unable to gather together in the usual hub, they will be staying on home soil to bring viewers stories of flora and fauna from their local areas instead.

Chris Packham will be broadcasting live from his secluded farmhouse in the heart of Hampshire’s New Forest, while Gillian Burke will be in Cornwall and Iolo Williams will be based in a friend’s garden in Mid Wales.

Sadly, their colleague Michaela Strachan won’t be able to assist with hosting duties, as she’s currently on lockdown in South Africa, but she will still be joining in with a special message to fans.

Chris, 59, joined TV Times for a video chat to tell us more…

How different is the show going to be this season?

It’s going to be very different, but we are completely embracing the change. I’m seeing it as an opportunity to engage with viewers in a different way and make a different type of programme. But our mission remains the same – to bring the very best of British wildlife and put joy in people’s lives. People are locked into spaces where they can’t access the world as they normally would, so we want to put a little bit of that world into people’s homes.