Michaela Strachan talks Springwatch & Chris Packham relationship

The TV presenter has hosted the iconic BBC nature programme for 14 years, having previously worked on The Really Wild Show and Wide Awake Club.

She recently finished as runner-up on ITV reality show Dancing on Ice, competing last year with professional partner Mark Hanretty.

Michaela had an exclusive chat with the Oxford Mail this week and spoke about her love for Springwatch.

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Michaela Strachan with a gorilla. (Image: Michaela Strachan / Not Just A Wild Life UK Tour)

“It’s such a lovely programme to do, and it’s still a show that has a reasonable viewership that makes you proud to still do it,” she said.

“I mean, budgets for a lot of programmes have been cut and cut and cut to the point that it makes them impossible to make.

“So, you know, it’s still a high-quality programme that I love doing, and we’ve got such a lovely, loyal audience of people that look forward to it every year.

“They say the famous line, ‘that’s what we pay our license fee for’, and you just feel every year that you’re stepping back into a family, not only with the people you’re filming with but with the viewers as well.

“So, it’s a really lovely television programme to be part of. And obviously it’s British wildlife, so what’s not to love.”

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Michaela Strachan. (Image: BBC / Jo Charlesworth / PA)

Michaela also spoke about her longtime co-star Chris Packham who she has worked for over three decades on various projects.

“I’ll be talking quite a lot about Chris and my relationship with him in the second half of the live show because it has been a very long relationship,” she said.

“We met on The Really Wild Show in 1992, and we worked together a bit there.

“Then we did another couple of series for Animal Planet, Big Five Little Five and Postcards From The Wild, and we had a gap, before we then came back together for the Watches.

“And as I say in my show, I can think of only one other presenting duo who have worked together for that long, and that is Ant and Dec.

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Michaela Strachan on The Really Wild Show with Steve Backshall and Nick Baker. (Image: Michaela Strachan / Not Just A Wild Life UK Tour)

“I can’t think of any other duo that has lasted long, and are still really good friends and still presenting programmes together and getting on.”

When asked if she was excited for 2026′ Springwatch, Michaela responded: “Always! We’re going to Northern Ireland, so we’ll be there for three weeks in May.”

The 59-year-old was speaking ahead of her ‘Not Just a Wild Life’ live tour, which begins next month and features a date in nearby Newbury on Wednesday, April 29.

You can find more coverage from the Oxford Mail’s exclusive interview with Ms Strachan on our website in the coming days.