From swimming alongside hippos in Botswana’s Okavango Delta to exploring the underwater caves of Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula, this adventurous wildlife host and presenter takes you through various thrilling experiences.
Steve Backshall
Has crafted a profession around thrill-seeking, inquisitiveness, and admiration for nature.
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I am a huge geek when it comes to nature,” he confesses, “and it’s what drives me. It totally engrosses me. Just the other day, I found myself rambling about a specific type of cephalopod for 15 minutes. This hasn’t changed even after all this time.
professionally for 27 years
I continue to discover something novel each day.
For example, did you know that tasting a banana slug produces an effect similar to Novocaine? It can make your tongue go numb—some individuals have even utilized this to alleviate toothaches. Certain types of squids discharge ink containing dopamine, causing their predators to feel euphoric and disoriented, thus losing interest in pursuing them.
The son of two
British Airways
The ground crew, during his youth, Backshall frequently traveled globally with his parents or assisted in caring for rescued creatures at their small farm in Bagshot, Surrey.
He obtained a diving license along with a bachelor’s degree in bioscience.
Canterbury Christ Church University
– steps that eventually resulted in his ideal position as the “adventurer in residence” for the
National Geographic Channel
in 1998.
After numerous dangerous adventures, Backshall led CBBC’s
Deadly 60
In 2009, it surged into popularity, enchanting an entire era with stories of poison, claws, and fangs.
Currently, Backshall resides in Henley-on-Thames in a riverside house that produces electric power, which is supplied back to the grid, along with his spouse who is an Olympic rower.
Helen Glover
Having met in 2014 at an event
Sports Relief
During the event, they have three children: Logan, who is seven years old, and five-year-old twin siblings Kit and Willow.
Has becoming a dad made him cut back on risky activities? “I’ve done incredibly wild stuff, some quite recently,” he confesses with a smile. “However, nowadays, I’m beginning to pursue more ‘regular’ work opportunities since I have
three young kids
Anything that allows me to stay at home and collect my children from school at 3 pm is what I’m leaning toward. I’ll continue with expeditions since that’s my forte, but having a mix of activities and maintaining balance is crucial.”
Lately, Backshaw has focused on increasing awareness regarding
sewer contamination in British rivers
—an issue very important to him, considering his family often goes canoeing and paddling on their nearby section of the Thames.
He has likewise started a podcast.
That’s Just Wild
, alongside wildlife biologist Lizzie Daly and eco-journalist Sarah Roberts, exploring the wild and uncertain realm of nature.
The natural world is astounding—and we must protect it,” asserts Backshall. “There could be up to 20 million different species out there, each with its own peculiarities, excitement, and intrigue. Losing even a single one would be nothing short of tragic.
At 52, Backshall might understandably desire a more relaxed lifestyle, yet he seems to opt for jobs that keep him nearer to his family as his kids are still young.
retirement
, he maintains, is still far from reach.
Following a career dedicated to venturing into some of the globe’s most isolated and dangerous locations, his upcoming adventure leads him deep into the Slovenian cave networks in pursuit of the olm — an uncommon, blind salamander so secretive that scarcely anyone has managed to see one.
There have been times when I’ve thought, ‘You know what? I’m finished with this. I am utterly exhausted,'” Backshall remarks. “I’m not 20 anymore, and after being on the road for months, I really miss my family. Especially since many of the locations I visit lack cell service—I end up completely cut off from everything.
If that sensation turns into an everyday occurrence, then perhaps it’s time for me to leave. Having the opportunity to explore different parts of the globe and witness incredible sights is such a blessed role, and if I’m no longer cherishing this experience, maybe I ought to consider another path. However, only time can tell when exactly that might happen.
Sir David [Attenborough]
He’s still working on various tasks here and there, and he’s 99 years old!
“It can be tough and a little lonely on occasion, but it’s still the most fun, brilliant job I could imagine, so why would I give that up?”
That’s Just Wild
can be found on all prominent podcast platforms
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