JUDI OF THE JUNGLE

Yes, that really is Dame Judi Dench swinging through the trees, as part of her magical trip to Borneo for a new documentary

Dame Judi Dench has been f lying high as an actress for decades. Now her career is taking off in a most surprising way. Aged 84, the Oscar winner is hoisted 250ft up the side of a tree in this week’s opening episode of her Wild Borneo Adventure.

Eager to view the jungle canopy, home to as many as 30 per cent of the inhabitants of the island’s Danum Valley, she rises regally in her harness, a beaming smile on her face. ‘I want to live up there,’ she enthuses, after returning to earth. ‘It’s spectacular!’

Judi’s jungle journey is just one of many eye- catching moments in her two- part documentary, which sees her explore Borneo’s unique rainforest before turning her attention to the forest of coral that lies off its coast.

After a restorative stopover in the seaside city of Kota Kinabalu, and a Champagne cocktail with her partner David Mills, Judi begins her adventure by taking a helicopter ride to Danum Valley, a place teeming with wildlife.

There’s one animal she’s particularly keen to see – and her wish soon comes true. Zoologist Jedediah Brodie points out a large orangutan sitting high in a tree. Seeing one in the wild for the first time in her life, Judi gasps, ‘This takes my breath away.’

The veteran actress also develops a fondness for dung beetles, which prevent the jungle from

becoming knee- deep in droppings. One in particular catches her eye, which she names Bob. ‘I like him very, very much,’ she swoons, only for the creature to suddenly fly out of her hand.

Judi becomes attached, too, to Tan-Tan, a four-year-old orphan sun bear she helps release back into the wild. She’s also touched by the plight of Borneo pygmy elephants and orangutans when she visits rescue centres for both seriously endangered species.

An elephant threatens to swallow her hand when she pets it, while an orphaned orangutan almost reduces Judi to tears when it takes her hand and walks with her. ‘It’s so important we save creatures like this,’ says Judi. ‘Scientists believe orangutans are

helping to protect the planet by spreading seeds through their droppings, which in turn leads to the growth of trees that soak up harmful carbon. If the orangutans went, so would the trees.’

The creatures aren’t all friendly though – watch out for an angry crocodile, a poisonous centipede that can kill a man, plus a praying mantis that takes an unnerving shine to Judi’s neck! The actress says she was enchanted by Borneo and is keen to film more shows like this. ‘The jungle afforded me so many new experiences,’ she says. ‘It was the trip of a lifetime.’

Tim Oglethorpe

Judi Dench’s Wild Borneo Adventure, Tuesday, 9pm, ITV.