‘I now have BALANCE IN MY LIFE'

Springwatch presenter Michaela Strachan on staying grounded, living abroad and her ever-changing passions

- GEMMA CALVERT

A rosy-cheeked Michaela Strachan breezes into our shoot location house after catching two trains, riding the London Underground and walking a mile on foot. But forgoing a taxi was not just about being environmentally mindful.

'There's nothing worse than being stuck in a car in a traffic jam,' says Michaela, 56, gratefully accepting a mug of steaming tea. 'I'd rather travel for longer on public transport and keep moving forwards.

'And 35 years after her 1986 television debut on ITV's Wide Awake Club, the wheels of her career also continue to roll. A regular fixture on BBC Two's Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch-known collectively as The Watches - Michaela has sewn herself into the fabric of British wildlife programming after presenting CBBC's The Really Wild Show, where she forged a three-decade-long friendship with co-host Chris Packham, 61.

Although one of the country's best-loved TV treasures, in South Africa - her home for two decades and where she lives with film-maker partner Nick Chevallier, 62, and their son Ollie, 16Michaela happily flies under the radar.

'Living in South Africa keeps me grounded, but it is almost like having a schizophrenic life,' says Michaela, who last month wowed on ITV's All Star Musicals. 'I was walking around London yesterday and someone came up to say they loved Winterwatch. I must remember that I'm well-known here. I mustn't go and pee behind a bush!'