Chris Packham's Biography

Who is Chris Packham?

Chris Packham was born on 4 May 1961 in Southampton.

He studied at the Zoology department of Southampton University, after which he trained as a wildlife film cameraman.

He moved to presenting nature related programmes including the Really Wild Show from 1986 to 1995.

Chris Packham amassed numerous credits many via his own production company Head over Heels.

He returned to the BBC in 2009 when he became a co-presenter on Springwatch, followed by Autumnwatch and Winterwatch.

In 2016 Chris Packham wrote an autobiography, Fingers in the Sparkle Jar: A Memoir. Chris Packham has Asperger’s Syndrome.

His girlfriend Charlotte Corney owns the Isle of Wight zoo.

His sister is the fashion designer Jenny Peckham.

Chris Packham is known as an active campaigner on naturalist and environmental issues.

He is vice-president of the Wildlife Trusts and the RSPB.

In 2017, he was the host of Me and My Dog on BBC Two.

In April 2017, he was found not guilty of assault, having been arrested after an altercation whilst filming a documentary about bird-trapping on Malta.

In June 2017, it was announced that BBC Two had commissioned a documentary Chris Packham: Me and My Asperger's, in which the presenter discusses his autism and gives us an insight into how it shaped his life.

In September 2017, the BBC announced that Packham was to make a documentary for BBC Two about T Rex.

In February 2019, the BBC revealed a new commission Population with Chris Packham.

In the same month they also commissioned a BBC Digital production Nature Dates, presented by Chris Packham and Love Island's Jack Fincham.

In December 2022, the BBC announced that it had commissioned Dogs In the Wild: Meet The Family - a three part series narrated by Chris Packham.

In 2023, BBC Winterwatch returned to BBC Two from Tuesday 17 January with Chris Packham broadcasting live along with Michaela Strachan from Wild Ken Hill in Norfolk.

In the same year he hosted a five part series Earth for the BBC and PBS.

In 2024, he won the Royal Television Society award for best presenter for Inside Our Autistic Minds.