How Sir David is the king of Christmas television

At 90, Attenborough’s making 185 festive TV appearances — more than any other UK star

Without doubt, he’s the king of the tV jungle this Christmas. Sir David Attenborough, who marks a remarkable 65 years on tV next year, will be the most frequent face on our screens over the festive/New Year period — with a staggering 185 appearances (all repeats on different channels, from BBC1 and Sky to minority ones such as Eden and 4seven).

this is proof — if any were needed — that his programmes are loved by all generations.

other presenters may be in vogue for a short time — before his decline into maudlin self-introspection, Stephen Fry dominated our screens — but Sir David is the human equivalent of a giant Sequoia tree that lives for up to 2,000 years. Just the roll-call of shows he’s presented are enough to make the hairs stand on the back of your neck with anticipation. Planet Earth. the Life of Mammals. Gorillas Revisited...

this year, his series Planet Earth ii became the most watched natural history documentary in memory, with more than 12 million viewers.

the great naturalist broadcaster, now 90, began his presenting career in the Fifties on the wildlife documentary Zoo Quest, which followed his hunt for animals in tropical countries and led to the first tV footage of a Komodo dragon.

Always outspoken, Sir David had a go at BBC bosses a few years ago by criticising pay-offs totalling £60m to outgoing Corporation executives.

‘it is a huge embarrassment that salaries of that size are paid in a public service organisation,’ he said.

Sir David’s nearest British rival for appearances in the festive schedules is a man unlikely to complain about over-sized salaries.

Paul hollywood was the only one of the presenting team on BBC’s the Great British Bake off to follow the lure of Channel 4’s gold in the deal this year to switch channels.

his earnings as a judge in the BBC series were thought to be about £500,000, but may more than double to a rumoured £1.2 million at C4.

he also tops up his income with appearances on panel games such as Duck Quacks Don’t Echo and Would i Lie to You? With repeats of such inane shows, hollywood’s bearded mug will appear 114 times over the coming days (his former co-star Mary Berry turns up 33 times).

Another cook rolling in the dough from tV fame is Jamie oliver, who makes 106 appearances. With a fortune of £325 million, he is believed to be the world’s richest chef.

Way below them on the table of stale tV leftovers and repeats is James Corden, who turns up 78 times — mostly in reshowings of his sports quiz A League of their own, though his u.S. chat show the Late Late Show is on Sky 1.

Even Bradley Walsh — most famous for his role in Coronation Street ten years ago — pops up 25 times, thanks to his quiz show, the Chase.

however, six actors almost match Sir David’s 185 appearances. they are Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer and Lisa Kudrow, who appear 184 times thanks to repeats of their Nineties u.S. sitcom Friends.

in fact, Aniston and Cox just about pip Sir David, because they feature in hollywood films also being shown over the coming days.

the Friends stars pocket 2 per cent of syndication income — about £15million each a year — 12 years after the last episode was filmed.

this just shows there’s a lot of money to be made by serving up cold turkey to British tV viewers over the next few days.

It’s proof he’s loved by all generations