Straight from horse’s mouth: 30 farm-fresh facts about Countryfile
RURAL TV HIT CELEBRATES 30 YEARS AT THE TOP
1 Countryfile replaced long-running launched in show 1988 Farming and to Its give first a story broader was view about of fishing, the countryside. pitting anglers Craven joined against the conservationists. following year, with John a report
2 The on programme organic farming. quickly became morning Britain’s show, most with popular 2.5 million Sunday viewers. It 2009 moved with to an its episode current that evening saw slot Matt in Baker and Julia Bradbury exploring the Lake District. It also included the first visit
3 to Adam Henson’s farm. Each programme takes around six weeks to put together. There are eight filming days and 11 days’ editing per programme.
4 The programme tomorrow marking the 30th anniversary will be the
5 1,482nd the team has made. Over the years the programme has travelled around the world to explore other approaches to farming, including trips to Russia, Poland, France, Argentina, the Falklands, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Italy, Romania, the US and even Mali.
6 A number of celebrities have appeared on Countryfile. One of John Craven’s favourites was author Jilly Cooper — he sat with her in a meadow, the location of her latest novel, and asked: “Was there a lot of rumpypumpy going on in this field?”
7 Notable names who appeared in the early days were Mastermind presenter Magnus Magnusson, photographer Lord Lichfield, Jonathan Dimbleby and The Who’s Roger Daltry. EastEnders’ Pam St Clement (Pat Butcher), Edward Woodward, and film director Ken Russell have also been on the show.
8 Earlier this year, one programme very nearly didn’t make it to air. The team were scheduled to film in Pembrokeshire in March but then the “Beast from the East” and Storm Emma hit the UK. Series producer Joanna Brame says: “Ellie [Harrison] got to the location, but stories were falling apart around her ears as roads were blocked and power went down.”
9 The weather always plays a part in filming. One of the most extreme instances was Ellie trying to cycle up Bealach na Bà – known as the Pass of the Cattle – in Scotland in the middle of a hailstorm. She says: “It was the first named storm of the year, Storm Abigail, with 70mph hail, which was fairly painful — but it was memorable in a good way, funnily enough, because I actually felt very proud at having done it.”
10 Tom Heap’s most memorable moment came while filming a piece about the ill-treatment of horses and ponies being sold in the North East. “I remember this guy coming up with a full mask on and a sledgehammer. I was keen to engage him and just about stayed out of swinging range.”
11 The first Countryfile calendar for Children in Need was launched in 1999. In total, nearly £20million has been raised for the charity by the programme.
12 The presenters have taken part in some quirky activities. Charlotte Smith went bog snorkelling in Llandrindod Wells; Adam tried toe-wrestling in Derbyshire; Ben Fogle tried worm charming and nettle eating, but he developed hypothermia while tin-bath racing on the Isle of Man.
13 Many artists who take their inspiration from the countryside have appeared on the show, including David Hockney and Antony Gormley.
14 Despite its huge ratings, over six million a week, filming is a modest affair; typically on location there’s just a presenter, director, camera-person, and sound recordist.
15 The series has kept pace with changing issues. Stories featured included domestic violence and the difficulty of being a gay farmer.
16 Adam isn’t the only presenter with a farming background. Helen Skelton is a dairy farmer’s daughter from Cumbria and Matt grew up on the family farm in the Durham Dales.
17 As part of the programme’s 30th year, a young presenter talent search attracted more than 1,500 entries, and the two successful applicants will join the regulars at the BBC Countryfile Live event at Blenheim Palace next month.
18 In March 2013 the Prince of Wales was the guest editor for a special edition to mark Countryfile’s 25th anniversary. He showed Julia how he enjoyed hedge laying. He held the wooden stakes for her as she hammered them in. He said: “I’m trying to remember what my fingers felt like.” Julia retorted: “You’ll remember in a minute!”
19 Countryfile’s fans include TV motormouth Jeremy Clarkson, Dame Judi Dench and rock star Iggy Pop. Danny Dyer and ex-footballer Joey Barton also regularly tune in.
20 Ellie became hooked on nature when she was a child – after falling into a bush covered in cuckoo spit.
21 Adam’s grandfather Leslie was a music-hall star who helped to form the wartime organisation Ensa, which provided entertainment to
troops overseas. Adam’s farmer father, Joe, appeared regularly on TV, including with Johnny Morris on Animal Magic, and his actor uncle Nicky has made countless appearances on stage and on TV, including Fawlty Towers and EastEnders. But Adam’s greatest screen credit was for Mel Gibson’s Braveheart. He supplied two longhorn cattle for filming and ended up getting a walk-on part towing a cart carrying William Wallace’s father’s body.
22 Sean Fletcher’s parents moved to a smallholding in Essex when he was 12. “My mum was probably the first black farmer in that part of the world,” he says.
23 Sean is also a fluent Welsh speaker, having pledged to learn the language to impress his wife and in-laws-to-be. 24 Anita Rani fell in love with the British countryside thanks to her nature-loving dad. “We lived in Bradford and visited the moors every Sunday,” she says.
25 The Countryfile theme tune was written by composer David Lowe, who’s also responsible The One Show, Grand Designs and Panorama themes.
26 Charlotte once posed nude while reporting on a risque calendar – her modesty only protected by a Countryfile logo.
27 One of the few times the whole team get together is for the Christmas party – with John Craven playing Santa. The new issue of Radio Times is on-sale now.