‘I don't believe in LUXURY!'

Sir David Attenborough reveals why, despite his title, he lives a very modest life

- JASON BEST

He may be turning 94 on 8 May, but our beloved naturalist and broadcaster Sir David shows no sign of slowing down. Today, ‘the nation’s grandfather’, as some have called him, gives the impression of being a man on a mission. As charismatic in the flesh as he is on screen, he wants to continue to raise awareness of the disastrous impact humans are having on nature and to let us know what we can do about it.

‘Politicians need convincing this is a very serious problem,’ he urges. ‘We hope they are going to take responsible decisions – if necessary, ones that will cost us.’

His new film, David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet, is his witness statement for the natural world – and there is surely no one we trust more to tell us the truth.

In a career spanning seven decades, he has visited every continent on Earth, producing multiple groundbreaking television series and programmes for the BBC that have become ‘part of the national psyche’ – as Prince William put it in 2016.