Chris Packham CBE

Chris Packham is a television presenter, naturalist, award winning photographer and author. He is a live presenter on BBC's BAFTA award winning Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch series and has presented many television programmes since the beginning of his broadcasting career in 1986 when he was a presenter on The Really Wild Show.

Two of The Really Wild Show series won BAFTA awards for Best Factual Children's Programmes and received three further nominations. Since that time Chris’ career in television became ever more established until today when he is considered one of the top TV naturalists in the UK.

Notable programmes include Blue Planet Live (BBC), Asperger’s and Me (BBC), Earth Live and Yellowstone Live (National Geographic Channel), Chris Packham: Forever Punk. In 2015 Chris was featured on The Tonight Show, the hit US series starring Jimmy Fallon (NBC) where he sent a Black Vulture flying to Jimmy as he stood in the audience and he also introduced him to a Porcupine.

In 2016, in the publication of his memoir, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar, Chris Packham publicly revealed that he has Asperger’s syndrome. The book details his childhood obsession with the natural world and the intense bond he formed with a kestrel stolen from its nest.

From a therapist’s chair many years later he looks back on the influences that shaped his life and the heartache that brought him very close to the edge. Achieving critical acclaim, this memoir became a Sunday Times Best Seller and was voted Britain’s favourite piece of nature writing in an online poll organised by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).

At the turn of the century Chris Packham ran a hugely successful production company called Head over Heels, making programmes for Animal Planet, National Geographic, ITV and the BBC. He has the honour of being a pro-active president, vice president and patron of some notable conservation charities and regularly expounds his entertaining, pragmatic and enthusiastic, occasionally controversial views, on the environment and its care.

Chris is the current Vice President of the RSPB, which he considers a great honour as the charity is a formidable force in conservation in the UK and globally. Like many, he has been a keen and long term supporter. He was awarded a CBE for his conservation work in the 2019 New Year’s Honours.

His sister is British fashion designer Jenny Packham whose clients include The Duchess of Cambridge, Angelina Jolie, Anastacia, Taylor Swift, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, Dame Helen Mirren and Jennifer Lopez

Since the age of 37 Chris has suffered with Ménière's disease — an inner ear problem that can cause dizzy spells, sudden attacks of vertigo and hearing loss. In 2003, at the age of 42, he began seeing a therapist after the death of his dog. As his work with the therapist concluded in 2005, Chris Packham was diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. He also revealed he has suffered from severe depression and had twice contemplated suicide.

Chris has a couple of old cars which don't get much exercise, a couple of dogs who can't get enough exercise, has no fondness for unnecessary exercise himself but reads and writes continuously.

He dabbles in the art market and wishes he had a Miro. His top-ten favourite birds has a hundred in the list, he wants to see a Philippines Eagle before he dies and thinks Audrey Hepburn has no known earthly equal. He cannot sing and cannot dance.

Nature & Wildlife After Dinner Speeches
Popular as an after dinner speaker for all manner of corporate, private and association dinners throughout the UK, Chris Packham also performs to thousands of people on his public theatre tours and gives regular illustrated lectures drawing on his library of foreign and British photographs on topics ranging from scientific zoology through to beginning nature photography.

He makes personal appearances at wildlife parks such as Woburn, Chester, London, Marwell, Paignton, the Hawk Conservancy Trust, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, the Isle of Wight Zoo and many smaller collections. He has opened galleries and exhibitions at the Natural History Museum, Dinosaur Valley Museum, Leicester Museum, Cardiff Museum, the National Museum of Photography and Nature in Art. He has performed an educational
show with live animals for the BBC at many venues.

Since 1992 he has also led private groups as an ornithological and photographic tour guide to the Mediterranean, the West Indies, Scandinavia, India, Cuba, the Indian Ocean Islands, The Gambia, Peru, Botswana, South Africa, Costa Rica, Antarctica, Papua New Guinea.

Clients often ask about purchasing books for giveaways and delegate packs. Below you’ll find a selection of products by Chris Packham CBE. Click the images to view on Amazon's website. For bulk orders, please speak with your Booking Agent.