BBC wildlife shows too gloomy on climate change, says Strachan

‘Although we don’t get the same viewing figures as I’m A Celebrity... we are way more important’

THE BBC’S wildlife programmes have turned off viewers with their gloomy take on climate change, one of its presenters has admitted.

Michaela Strachan, who presents Winterwatch with Chris Packham, said audiences had complained about the content and said they wanted more uplifting stories.

Winterwatch returns to BBC Two next week and Strachan said: “This year has been very tough, with two wars and a cost of living crisis. Our news is filled with heartbreakingly sad images. People now realise we’re not facing climate change but climate crisis. It feels like everywhere you go, someone’s building or dredging something.

“Sometimes we’ve gone too far and people have told us that’s not what they come to the programme for: our role is also to uplift and empower.”

She told Radio Times: “Our viewers are caring people who want to make a difference but don’t always know how, so we’ll offer ideas for citizen science or celebrate unsung heroes, whether they’re rewilding estates or putting up a few nest boxes. We need that more than ever this year.”

Traditionally, Winterwatch two weeks. However, the BBC has reduced it to one, while scrapping Autumnwatch altogether. Strachan, who is based in Cape Town, when not working for the BBC, said of the cuts: “This is more than a job. We were so disappointed because although we don’t get the same viewing figures as something like I’m A Celebrity… we’re way more important. People need this programme.”

The BBC announced the cancellation of Autumnwatch and the truncation of Winterwatch last year, citing poor ratings and financial pressures. Only Springwatch remains untouched, and will return in May.

“These are challenging times financially and we need to make difficult decisions and focus our resources on content that has the highest impact,” the BBC said at the time.

This series of Winterwatch will include reports from the Orkneys and RSPB Arne in Dorset.

Also interviewed by Radio Times, Chris Packham was asked if it was possible to depict the reality of the climate crisis without depressing viewers.

He said: “There was a time when we ignored the bigger picture, but we integrate climate breakdown and biodiversity loss into most of our conversations now. If I thought all was lost, I’d probably get drunk in a gutter, but we have the capacity to restore and recover, reinstate and reintroduce.”