BBC wildlife presenter Terry Nutkins dies aged 66

Popular wildlife presenter Terry Nutkins has died following a battle with leukaemia.

Nutkins’ agent confirmed to the beeb that the presenter passed away yesterday afternoon at the age of 66.

He was a personality on BBC wildlife formats such as The Really Wild Show and Animal Magic. He worked alongside Johnny Morris on Animal Magic, a long running programme for children, that saw Morris give the animals ‘voices’ and the creatures conversed with each other. The show was axed by the BBC in 1983, however it wasn’t long before Nutkins was back on Children’s BBC screens.

The Really Wild Show launched in 1986 and ran for seven years with Terry, which saw the programme win a host of awards during his time, including a BAFTA. Nutkins, the lead host on the show co-presented with Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan. The studio-based television centre production brought facts and features about all kinds of creatures from big cats to porcupines and crocs. The series was later revamped to an on-location factual documentary. It last aired in 2006.

Nutkins was born in Marylebone, London, in 1946. From an early age he became fascinated by wildlife and spent many hours at London Zoo. He also in his teens spent time in Scotland looking after otters in the West Highlands.

Other programmes to feature Terry include Countryfile, My Life as an Animal and I’m Famous and Frightened.

Terry had been receiving treatment for the past nine months for acute leukaemia. He died at his home in Glenelg, Scotland, and is survived by his wife, eight children and eight grandchildren.