The much-loved naturalist and young poet Aneeshwar Kunchala will get up close to everything from primates, giraffes and sea lions to Komodo dragons at two popular zoos
It has been said you should never work with children or animals, but telly wildlife fanatic Steve Backshall is a big advocate for combining both.
“I think you should only work with kids and animals,” he muses. “There’s so much energy and unpredictability from both. The most exciting times in life are when you’re on your toes when you don’t know what’s going to happen.” Now the double BAFTA-winner is hoping his passion for nature will capture the hearts of an even younger audience â as he ventures into preschool kids TV for the very first time.
The much-loved naturalist â famed for his long-running CBBC series Deadly 60 â has buddied up with eight-year-old Britain’s Got Talent finalist and environmental poet Aneeshwar Kunchala for a new 20-part CBeebies series. Starting on Monday, Steve and Aneeshwar Go Wild sees the duo getting up close to everything from primates, giraffes and sea lions to Komodo dragons at Chester Zoo in Cheshire and Knowsley Safari Park in Merseyside.
For someone who’s been attacked by a deadly cobra and charged at by a killer elephant, it’s arguably less daring than Steve’s usual pursuits. Yet, given he and Olympic rower wife Helen Glover, 37, have three preschool children Logan, four, and three year-old twins Kit and Bo â it’s also more personal than anything previously undertaken.