Latest news with #SteveBackshall
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
My biggest challenge? Raising three young children in my 50s... TV adventurer Steve Backshall says fatherhood is harder than going up against crocodiles, sharks and hippos
He's the fearless adventurer who has wrestled with some of the world's most deadly predators, from 15ft crocodiles to killer sharks, and from venomous snakes to ferocious polar bears. But for wildlife expert Steve Backshall, it's at home where he faces his toughest challenge. The host of BBC 's Deadly 60, who is married to Olympic champion rower Helen Glover, admits that having three young children while in his 50s, is physically draining. He told The Mail on Sunday: 'I do wish I had the energy I had when I was in my 20s and 30s, to have the ability to sprint around playing football and rugby all day long with my kids, and for me to still be popping and buzzing with energy. 'But obviously I haven't and it's tough to keep going when you're 52 and you've got three kids under six. 'But I've got knowledge and experience and a whole array of things I can teach them about, help them with. 'Also I've got no choice! These are the cards that I was dealt, and I've got to make it work.' Backshall and Ms Glover, 38, have a son Logan, six, and five-year-old twins, Willow and Kit. He describes his wife as a 'mega-mum' and is proud that she was the first British female rower to go to an Olympic games after having children. Backshall, who presents a new podcast, That's Just Wild, said of his career: 'I think they are very excited by it and very proud – but also, the fact I go away a lot, they don't like at all. 'They really struggle with it. It's been hard ever since they could understand what I was doing. 'They would take me doing an office job and seeing me every day over me having this incredibly exciting job but always being away for long periods of time. Especially at the age they're at. 'Right now for this one little precious period of time in their lives all they want is to be with Mummy and Daddy.' Backshall, who took part in Strictly Come Dancing in 2014, admits that he's an old fashioned father, saying: 'I do think that discipline and rules and structure are important for kids.
Daily Mail
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE He wrestles crocs on TV but being a Dad to young kids is what scares Steve Backshall most
On television he's the fearless adventurer who has wrestled with some of the world's deadliest predators, from 15ft crocodiles to killer sharks, and venomous snakes to ferocious polar bears. But for wildlife expert and naturalist Steve Backshall, whose BAFTA-award winning CBBC series Deadly 60, continues to inspire and educate children, it's at home where he faces his toughest challenge. In an exclusive interview with The Mail on Sunday, the much-loved and renewed explorer admits that having three children under six in his 50s, is physically challenging. While he absolutely loves what he does, and never expected to still be a huge children's television star at his age, there's no escaping the emotional struggle of spending long periods of time away from his family filming all over the world. Steve is married to two-time Olympic champion rower Helen Glover, 38, and the couple have son Logan, six, and five-year-old twins, Willow and Kit. He describes his wife as a 'mega-mum' and is incredibly proud of the fact that she was the first British female rower to go to an Olympic games after having children. Explaining what it's like being an older dad, Steve said: 'I do wish I had the energy that I had when I was in my 20s and 30s, to have the ability to sprint around playing football and rugby all day long with my kids, and for me to still be popping and buzzing with energy at the end of the day. 'But obviously I haven't and it's really tough to keep going when you're 52 and you've got three kids under six. But I've got knowledge and experience and a whole array of different things that I can teach them about, help them with, and also I've got no choice! These are the cards that I was dealt with and I've got to make it work.' While Steve's three young children are all proud of their 'cool dad' and love hearing about his dangerous expeditions, having to go away for weeks at a time is something that they struggle with. So much so that he reckons they'd all much prefer it if he had a normal 9-5 office job because it would mean he'd be at home with them a lot more. Steve said: 'I think they are very excited by it and very proud but also the fact I go away a lot, they don't like at all. 'They really, really struggle with it and it's been hard ever since they could understand what it was doing and actually, they would take me doing an office job and see me every day over me having this incredibly exciting job but always kind of leaving, and being away for long periods of time. 'Especially at the age they're at. Right now for this one little precious period of time in their lives all they want is to be with Mummy and Daddy.' When he is at home Steve loves nothing more than getting outdoors and exploring nature with his children, something which they all love. He said: 'From the moment they could crawl they were pond dipping, they were out in the canoes, they were climbing trees, doing all the kind of things that I did as a kid that I really wanted them to embrace and enjoy. 'They've kind of had no choice when it comes to that sort of thing but you can see how switched on they are. They are never more alive, more enthused, sparkle in the eyes than when they're out doing something active, physical, in nature. 'It's the same with animals too, whether it's domestic animals or wild animals, they just love it. I've got something that I can give to them that I know can make them happy and enthused.' Steve admits that he's quite an old fashioned dad, he said: 'I do think that discipline and rules and structure are important for kids, and I do think the things we've been doing for generations are timeless and they work for a reason. I think I'm quite an old fashioned dad.' Family time is also really important, and he's conscious of how quickly the years are going by. He said: 'It feels like an absolute heartbeat since they were crawling around and now all three of them are at school and all three of them have got quite grown up personalities, they're all very different from each other. Everything that everyone says about being a parent is so true.' While Steve's passion for nature has inspired generations of youngsters to appreciate and protect wildlife, there is one cheeky clip that will always follow him around. Back in 2013, while demonstrating the hydrodynamics of tuna for Deadly 60, he lost his swimming trunks while clinging onto a rope attached to the back of a speeding boat. He laughed: 'That will be there for the rest of my career no matter what I do! I could be winning endless awards and be knighted by the King, but that will still be out there, imagery of me being dragged around as naked as the day I was born. 'There's no getting away from it. I've been doing this a long time now and there are an awful lot of those "It'll be alright on the night" out takes of me being pooed on, having animals doing inappropriate things in the back ground behinds me, it's just one of those things, you've got to embrace it. 'I do quite a lot of big shows and talks, I've got a big one coming up in October, an arena tour which is rather exciting, I always play bloopers in those shows because people just love them, they find them hilarious.' So what do the school mums think of having a hunky explorer in the playground? Steve said: 'The mums in the playground are all much more adoring of Helen. There's no getting around it, she is mega-mum and she is this incredibly inspiring, iconic figure, so they're all like... 'Oh yeah, the old git who likes bothering bugs or the four-time Olympian who basically went to her third Olympic games when she had three kids under two? 'Who you going to be more admiring of? She's been to four Olympics, she's got two gold medals and one silver medal. She did her third Olympic games post-pandemic, she'd just had the twins, trained herself at home, with no coach, no special diet or routine and became the first British female rower to go to the Olympic games after having kids.' Steve recently filmed a special expedition in the Arctic, which saw him walk the same path that King Charles did 50 years ago to see how the area has changed over time. He's just launched his new podcast That's Just Wild, which went straight to the top of the science podcast chart, and is preparing for his first big arena tour this October. He said: 'The podcast is so exciting. We've just launched. It's with my two good friends Lizzie Daly and Sarah Roberts, and we basically sit around and talk nonsense about nature, the both of them have real academic backgrounds, so there's some really eye-popping science in there as well, it is very funny, sometimes very serious, full of a lot of amazing stuff that people would not have heard before about animals. 'We had a really exciting launch and went straight to the top of the science podcasts which was just fantastic. Then arena tour that I've got coming up in October is something that I've wanted to do for a very long time. 'I've been doing stage shows since about 2008, and I've been developing them over time to make them more and more spectacular, the idea of doing a one man show, in a 20,000 seater arena is both the most exciting and intimidating thing I've ever had on my plate. 'That's the big thing I'm wanting to tick off. It's incredibly exciting and very very frightening. If it goes well, it's going to be epic.' And although he appeared on BBC's smash hit Saturday night show Strictly Come Dancing back in 2014, Steve's response to any other big celebrity shows has been a blanket 'no' because he is just too busy doing what he loves. He said: 'Strictly was an incredible experience with the best people. But I have a fairly blanket 'no' I'm up to my eyeballs in the stuff that I love and that is dear to me. 'An awful lot of people in my position do not have all that work, so I do feel that breath down the back of my neck, and I do need to keep doing the stuff that I am good at, and while the opportunities are there I need to take it because they might not be there in a couple of years time. 'So yes occasionally, there will be mentions of things but I'm not really interested. Anything physical like Strictly, Dancing on Ice, you have to give it six months of your life and not do anything else, and right now I've too many other things that I want to do. 'And as for I'm A Celebrity, I can't imagine for a minute, why would they take me to the jungle? I spend my life in the jungle. 'This may sound big headed but I spend more time in the jungle than the people that they would have as their advisors so why would they take me? I would be the worst person to take. It sounds so pretentious, but we're in June and I've had five weeks in the jungle already this year.' Readers can listen to Steve's new podcast, That's Just Wild, podcast here and tickets for his huge arena tour this October are available via Tickemaster.
The Guardian
02-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
From hedgehog attacks to a supernatural voyage into colonialism: best podcasts of the week
'Who really gives a shit about roots any more,' asks Dashon (Caleb McLaughlin), a Detroit teenager who, in this audio drama, is begrudgingly in Zimbabwe with his family. He is indifferent towards their African ancestry, leading to uncomfortable conversations about race, colonialism and privilege. That could be a provocative enough story, but the supernatural twists that follow really elevate this production. Hannah J DaviesAudible, all episodes out now The latest entry in the genre of Famous People Chatting to Each Other sees radio presenter Roman Kemp and pop star Tom Grennan banter away for 40 minutes. It's more laddish than many listeners will relish, but fans of the pair will no doubt enjoy it. Alexi DugginsBBC Sounds, episodes weekly This smart, empathic podcast from criminologist Prof Ali Fraser and indie producers The Big Light is about young people trying to swerve gang culture and violence, and the hardworking youth organisations making their lives better. Fraser's cross-country tour begins in once-industrial, now gentrified Hackney, east London, where local teens can feel pushed out. HJD Widely available, all episodes out now From behind-the-scenes tales of being savaged by hedgehogs to the revelation that sharks have BFFs, this personality-packed nature podcast teams wildlife biologist Lizzie Daly, Bafta-winning naturalist Steve Backshall and environmental journalist Sarah Roberts. It's stuffed with trivia, insight and charm. ADWidely available , episodes twice weekly from Tuesday 3 June Sign up to What's On Get the best TV reviews, news and features in your inbox every Monday after newsletter promotion Miriam Margolyes wrote to the king the night before an operation. Paul Whitehouse started fishing with Bob Mortimer to help with their cardiac disease recoveries. They join other celebrities speaking to Dr Oscar Duke in this candid series about health issues that have changed them, including Julia Bradbury, who was diagnosed with breast cancer, and Lorraine Kelly, who had her ovaries removed. Hollie RichardsonWidely available, episodes weekly
The Guardian
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: Natasha Lyonne solves the case of a murdered school gerbil
9pm, Sky MaxThe fun whydunnit continues and Charlie (Natasha Lyonne) is working at a posh elementary school this week, where she finds herself solving the murder of the class gerbil (the biggest victim yet?). She'll have to get to the bottom of a feud between a girl and a boy who are battling to get the most gold stars. Margo Martindale guest stars as the principal, with Adrienne C Moore as the teacher. Hollie Richardson 8pm, Channel 4What would have happened if the Nazis had occupied Britain? This series partly answers that time-worn question: much the same as what happened everywhere else. Eighty years have passed since the Channel Islands were liberated – this is a story of compromise, collaboration and, occasionally and heroically, resistance. Phil Harrison 9pm, BBC TwoAn 'inappropriate' portrait of the French queen is yet another scandal that rocks Paris in this episode ('She's painted in her underwear!'). Her masterplan to save her reputation? A haircut! Meanwhile, the diamond necklace scandal that Marie is unknowingly involved in gets bloody. HR 9pm, Channel 5Steve Backshall continues his full-spectrum appreciation of everything to do with bees, throwing himself with impressive energy into cultivating his own hive, wearing a beard of bees and monitoring the dreaded Asian hornet. Plus, more thoughts on how to safeguard their future. Jack Seale 9.50pm, BBC Three Actor, writer and Hackney native Danielle Vitalis springs back on to screens with this short sketch show exploring the 'funny unspoken rules from modern interaction'. We meet a driving instructor from hell, a trifling West Indian judge, and the podcaster who will say sorry for anything if it means more money and more followers. Matthew Pearce 10pm, Channel 4More from this absurdist meta-sitcom, with its gleefully chaotic blend of musical mischief, backstage parody and surreal sketch comedy from Taskmaster's Little Alex and his band. This week, a guest-star footballer, missing shoes, a soggy producer – and a mystery black eye for Nelly. Ali Catterall Men's One-Day cricket: England v West Indies, 12.15pm, Sky Sports Main EventThe first ODI from Edgbaston.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Wiltshire in pics: Shindigs and a princess visit
Summer events are well and truly under way in Wiltshire now - with a return of a much-loved festival. TV presenter Steve Backshall is also staying in the county all week to delight children with his animal knowledge at Longleats. Other highlights include actress Joanna Lumley supporting a local animal centre, and another local charity enjoyed a royal visit. Wildlife wanderings: Wiltshire's wildlife has been making more of an appearance recently - one Weather Watcher, Jo C, captured this swan family in Devizes. Festival time: Shindig has launched at Charlton Park in Wiltshire - the former home of Womad - after spending 10 years in Ilminster, Somerset. The 2025 line up is a "global celebration of rhythm and culture where afrobeat meets electronic, reggae meets soul, funk meets industrial rap", organisers said. The event started on Thursday and runs until Sunday. Animal antics: Longleat has TV presenter Steve Backshall in to do daily talks at the safari park over half term week. He will not be on his own though - a range of animals and birds will be introduced to the audience and nobody knows how they will behave. Last year, the shows raised £25,000 for conservation charity Tusk. Royal approval: Wiltshire-based charity Horatio's Garden has released pictures of their patron Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie visiting their garden at Salisbury District Hospital. She spoke to patients, staff and volunteers and planted a grapevine for the charity, which creates the gardens at the UK's spinal injury centres to help people recover. Horsing around: Wiltshire Police has been represented at the Royal Windsor Horse Show for the first time. The force revealed pictures of its competitors: Laura Hughes from the Local Policing Tasking Team, Hollie Clark, Financial Investigator and Rachael Fairbain from Complex Fraud all took part in the Services Team Jumping competition. Daredevils: The White Horse Soapbox Race in Westbury got some big crowds. It includes a STEM fair and a lot of different teams competing to make the fastest vehicle. A team from the South Western Ambulance Service got involved too, making their own contraption. Prestige: Devizes Bowls Club has hosted a prestigious inter-county competition, part of the early stages of the Balcomb Trophy. It's the first time the club has hosted a competition this big. Immerse yourself: a shipping container is arriving in the middle of Salisbury this weekend, in Guildhall Square. It's for an immersive theatre experience run by producers Darkfield. It's part of the Salisbury International Arts Festival and those who go in for the experience, called FLIGHT, will find themselves in what looks exactly like the inside of a plane and two realities. Celebrity moment: The Cat Watch Rescue Centre based in Salisbury, which takes in strays and abandoned animals, revealed they had received a donation from Dame Joanna Lumley, who sent a handwritten note. Bumper crop: the strawberries are already doing well this year, so the pick your own farms are opening up, including this one at Lotmead in Swindon. Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630. Wiltshire in Pictures: Stunning Salisbury blooms Wiltshire in Pictures: VE Day and bank holiday sun
