CHRIS PACKHAM
AFTER CELEBRATING HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY, CHRIS PACKHAM OPENS UP TO OK! ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, BLENDED FAMILIES AND HIS HOPES TO SAVE THE WORLD
His passion for wildlife and his love of the outdoors jumps out of the telly when Chris Packham hosts his various nature shows, but his journey to TV stardom hasn’t been easy. The presenter, who turned 60 on 4 May, isn’t just a fervent fan of nature – he’s also passionate about guiding young people and credits his own mentors with helping him deal with undiagnosed Asperger syndrome in his youth.
“One thing I try to be generous with is the time I spend coaching and providing a platform for young people,” he explains. “I wouldn’t be having this conversation with you if I hadn’t had a handful of people who helped me through some desperate and difficult times.”
We were lucky enough to meet up with the naturalist at The Wildheart Sanctuary on the Isle of Wight, which he helps run with his long-term partner, Charlotte Corney.
Also joining us on the shoot is Chris’s 25-year-old stepdaughter Megan Mccubbin, who also works there. Chris remained close with zoologist Megan after he split with her mum when she was 12, and the duo have become quite the team – isolating together in Hampshire during the pandemic while presenting shows like Autumnwatch and Winterwatch.
Here, Chris opens up about his hopes for Megan’s future, the close bond she shares with Charlotte and his joy at turning 60...
Hey, Chris! Tell us a bit about why The Wildheart Sanctuary is so close to your heart?
Charlotte inherited it as a zoo from her father before I met her, and I’d already met him when I was working on The Really Wild Show. Then, years later, he sadly passed away and I was invited to open the zoo. That’s where we met and went on to fall in love. Charlotte had very different ideas of what a captive animal sanctuary should be about and she wasn’t keen to carry on running it as a zoo. So she set up The Wildheart Trust and now it’s a sanctuary. We don’t breed any animals, they’re all rescued. The big cats come from hideous histories of abuse from European circuses. A lot of them come to us with teeth sawn off or claws removed. Sometimes they even have broken limbs which have never been treated, so we do pamper them!
Was the pandemic a big blow to the trust?
Potentially! We’re open now, but with restrictions. One really heartening thing was in the early days when we put out an appeal to our community on the Isle of Wight asking for leftover fruit and veg for the animals. In the end, we had to put a garden shed outside because there was so much donated! It was enormously kind.
Would you say you’re a generous person?
I spend most of my time working for charities, so I suppose so! One thing I try to be generous with is the time I spend coaching young people. I meet young people through charities and I’m inspired by their ambition.
Where did you get that willingness to push young people to do better?
I was fortunate enough to have mentors when I was younger and I’ve never forgotten it. Starting with my biology teacher at my comprehensive school, who showed me how to do good science! Also, another teacher at my sixth form who basically kept me in education because I was in a pretty bad way mentally. I was looking like a punk rocker and the school wanted to kick me out. He kept me there. Another mentor at university too, who had an understanding that I wasn’t a typical student but I’d gone there with high aspirations and he nurtured that experience. It’s what motivates me to give back.
What did you struggle with mentally during that time?
I was undiagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome through the 70s and 80s. Because it was undiagnosed, I didn’t know why I was different to other people and why they were reacting the way they were towards me. I blamed myself because I was the one who was different and therefore I manifested an enormous amount of self-loathing. I absolutely hated myself and my very existence. I live a life where I don’t really need friends, I have Charlotte and Megan. I’ve learnt that’s a safer way for me to navigate through life. But at that time, I wasn’t able to socialise and as a consequence felt excluded. A lot of the time I felt victimised and sometimes I was. But what I had at the time was people to look up to, they were brilliant people. Sometimes just their acknowledgment made me realise I was doing something right.
When did you get your diagnosis?
When I was in my forties. That’s symptomatic of a lot of people my age because there wasn’t the
‘i blamed myself because i was the one that was different’
prospect of diagnosis back then. It wasn’t something that was widely known about. I don’t harbour any ill feelings towards my parents or anyone who was around me because no one knew. Back then dyslexia wasn’t helped either, but now Megan has it and she’s had a lot of support.
She’s very much following in your footsteps, isn’t she…
I hope so! I’ve been mentoring her as much as she’ll allow me to [laughs]. We get on so well.
How was the last year for you?
The whole of the first lockdown it was just me and Megan because Charlotte was in the Isle of Wight. It moved our relationship on considerably in a very positive and strengthening way.
How has it been co-presenting with Megan?
I love working with her. Her principle motivation is her passion for nature. I want her to be happy and fulfilled, but that’ll only manifest if she’s able to influence the natural world.
Megan is the daughter of your former partner, Jo. Are you proud to have a blended family?
Yeah! Megs was into animals when she was younger and when she met Charlotte, she met someone who had tigers and lions rather than owls and snakes like we did at home. So she went to work at the zoo and spent a lot of time with Charlotte. Up until that time she’d been studying drama, but being at the sanctuary made her have an epiphany.
What happened?
She rang me one day. I thought it was going to be about a boyfriend [laughs], but she said she wanted to study biology and zoology instead of drama. So she had to work really hard to redo her A-levels and go to university. It was during her time at the zoo that she actually got to know the tigers as personalities and they got to know her. One or two of them had a really close bond with Megan. When a tiger knows you, that’s something that’s very special. I think she was very inspired by that.
You celebrated your 60th birthday last month, how was that?
I was still doing emails and there was a crisis about environmental damage that I was able to sort out on my birthday so that was a treat.
What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your 60 years?
In the earlier years of my life it was basically just staying alive and sane. It was difficult. In some ways, I’m lucky to be here and I’ll never forget that. The difficult moments from when I was younger played a positive impact in the second part of my life. I’ve never taken living another day for granted.
Do you feel good for your age?
I’m vegan and for long periods of time I don’t drink alcohol. I’m always walking and cycling. I feel healthy! As for my mental outlook, I’m just as angry as I was when I was 20 but I’ve learnt to manage it more productively.
How did you transition into TV?
I needed a job and I was virtually unemployable [laughs]. The traits of
Asperger’s syndrome all play into my hands professionally! A very good memory, keen eye for detail and obsession with the natural world. I’ve come to be able to manage those and was able to make TV shows. It was never planned.
If you could tell your 16-year-old self anything, what would it be?
I was in a desperate place, so I would just say there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. There were a few occasions where I didn’t think there was a light. That’s why I try to reach out to people who have autism or other mental health issues. Particularly young people, because at that time of life, sometimes it’s hard to imagine a future because everything seems so bad you can’t see it.
Did you struggle to see a future?
Yeah. I couldn’t see a future where I played a functional role. Those were tough times. I know there are lots of people that are in a similar place and that doesn’t sit easy with me.
Do you get a lot of people wanting to talk to you in the street?
Yes! I’m not great at talking to people, so if they come over to me and make conversation that’s great. They are clearly as passionate about the wildlife as I am and that makes me feel less alone.