Go Unlimited with Magzter GOLD
Get unlimited access to 10,000+ magazines, newspapers and Premium stories for just
Try GOLD - Free
'It really began because I just jolly well wanted to go abroad'
Daily Express
|December 06, 2024
Nation’s favourite naturalist celebrates 70 years on screen
SIR David Attenborough celebrates 70 years as a TV presenter on December 21, but hosting shows about the natural world did not come naturally to the national treasure.
The star, 98, had no ambitions to be on the telly - and has even claimed he only got involved in his first wildlife show, Zoo Quest, "because I just jolly well wanted to go abroad".
David said he and his reptile expert friend Jack Lester "cooked up" the idea for the programme over a cuppa.
"I said, 'It seems dreadful we can't think of some excuse for going abroad together to the tropics' - because Jack was an experienced animal collector.
"We decided over that cup of tea the zoo should send someone to collect animals and the BBC should send a film team.
This story is from the December 06, 2024 edition of Daily Express.
Subscribe to Magzter GOLD to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 10,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
MORE STORIES FROM Daily Express
Daily Express
LATEST SETBACK STUNNED US INTO
AS THE Brentford supporters celebrated claiming the scalp of the champions on Saturday evening, the scene inside the away dressing room couldn't have been any more different.
1 mins
October 29, 2025
Daily Express
Eye of the 185mph hurricane
Britons shelter in hotels as Melissa pummels Jamaica
2 mins
October 29, 2025
Daily Express
JEN RAN OUT OF TIME AFTER LATE DIAGNOSIS
JEN Palmer visited her GP and hospital repeatedly in the months before she was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died just over a month later, aged 50.
1 min
October 29, 2025
Daily Express
O Come All Ye Faithful! Kate's ready for Xmas
KATE Garraway is on sparkling form after her stint as a Faithful on TV's Celebrity Traitors gave her time to \"take stock of her life\".
1 min
October 29, 2025
Daily Express
Casino thriller is a gamble too far for golden boy Berger...
SWISS-Austrian director Edward Berger stormed into Hollywood in 2022 with his Oscar-winning epic All Quiet On The Western Front.
1 mins
October 29, 2025
Daily Express
Triple stabbing suspect 'arrived on back of lorry
Man dead and teen injured
2 mins
October 29, 2025
Daily Express
'Until Kemi repudiates the modernisers' agenda I don't think the Tory party has got much future'
THE Conservative Party may be heading for oblivion under the leadership of Kemi Badenoch, according to former Prime Minister Liz Truss.
3 mins
October 29, 2025
Daily Express
OAPS MUST BE GIVEN A 'FAIR DEAL' IN BUDGET
SUE Cook has urged Rachel Reeves to deliver “a fair deal” Budget for OAPs, protecting the pension triple lock and ruling out a tax raid on the most vulnerable.
3 mins
October 29, 2025
Daily Express
Queen: You've got poppies coming out of your ears
THE Queen pinned the final poppy to a remembrance display crafted by women's institute members - with a little help from the rest of the world.
1 mins
October 29, 2025
Daily Express
Three of the best soar again
THREE iconic Second World War planes flew in formation for a memorial flight, with the majestic sight providing inspiration for the current generation of pilots.
1 min
October 29, 2025
Listen
Translate
Change font size