Michaela Strachan is one of TV’s best-loved presenters, renowned for her work in the world of wildlife. With much excitement for her upcoming appearances as a guest speaker on board Bolette, both on a sailing to the Norwegian Fjords and during our visit to Michaela’s hometown, Cape Town, we had the pleasure of connecting with her to discuss her remarkable career.
My passion for wildlife has grown with the programmes I've presented. When I was young, my passion was theatre. I left school at 16 and went to Musical Theatre College before performing in a musical on tour and in the West End. I sort of fell into children's presenting, stumbled into children's wildlife presenting and grew into adult wildlife shows.
My first presenting job was on a Saturday morning children's magazine series, The Wide Awake Club, airing on ITV's TV-am. Back in 1986, when I embarked on my career at the age of 20, there were just four television channels. If you happened to tune in at 7:30 on a Saturday morning, we were your only viewing option. From TV-am, I ventured into hosting OWL TV, The Really Wild Show, The Hitman and Her (a late-night music series with Pete Waterman), and Michaela's Wild Challenge, which earned me a BAFTA for Best Children's Presenter.
My journey continued with projects such as Disneytime, Orangutan Diary, Elephant Diaries and Countryfile before leading on to Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch – programmes collectively known as the "Watches", which I currently host. These are my more iconic shows, but there have been many others in between. My career has taken an interesting and diverse path, one I didn't plan, though I've always believed in seizing opportunities and seeing where they lead. I initially started in children's entertainment, and now I find myself deeply immersed in the wildlife and environment genre. It's been fantastically varied, and I've enjoyed it all.
There have been so many. We did a lot of wacky stuff on Michaela's Wild Challenge, including feeding hungry reef sharks in the Bahamas, which was a real adrenalin rush, to say the least. I loved doing Orangutan Diary, where we visited an orangutan rescue centre in Borneo and joined the volunteers to help rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned orangutans. And our filming trip to the Antarctic for The Really Wild Show special is definitely high on my list of memorable experiences.
Once again, there were numerous moments, but one that springs to mind is our visit to the NASA Space Shuttle launch centre in Florida. That week's theme was animals and space, so I had to deliver the opening link as the space shuttle took off. As you can imagine, it was super exciting. We had to arrive at the press area hours before launch. Waiting was nerve-wracking as we knew we only had one chance to get it right. Apparently, it was amazing to see, but guess what? I didn't get to witness it as I was doing a piece to camera, which meant I had my back turned to it. How many people can say they were at a space rocket launch but didn't see it in action?
There have been so many. We did a lot of wacky stuff on Michaela's Wild Challenge, including feeding hungry reef sharks in the Bahamas, which was a real adrenalin rush, to say the least. I loved doing Orangutan Diary, where we visited an orangutan rescue centre in Borneo and joined the volunteers to help rescue, rehabilitate and release orphaned orangutans. And our filming trip to the Antarctic for The Really Wild Show special is definitely high on my list of memorable experiences.
Once again, there were numerous moments, but one that springs to mind is our visit to the NASA Space Shuttle launch centre in Florida. That week's theme was animals and space, so I had to deliver the opening link as the space shuttle took off. As you can imagine, it was super exciting. We had to arrive at the press area hours before launch. Waiting was nerve-wracking as we knew we only had one chance to get it right. Apparently, it was amazing to see, but guess what? I didn't get to witness it as I was doing a piece to camera, which meant I had my back turned to it. How many people can say they were at a space rocket launch but didn't see it in action?
I love the unpredictable spring stories of wildlife that we get to see. We put cameras on various bird nests, bringing us remarkable moments that blow us away each year. Nature writes its own stories, and I enjoy being the storyteller.
Some stories can be brutal, such as when we saw a nightjar mother devouring her chick alive! In hindsight, perhaps not the most enjoyable story to recount. My all-time favourite moment I witnessed involved a common sandpiper who chose to nest by a railway track. Every time a train passed by, she chased it as if it was a predator. I didn't have high hopes for her chicks ever hatching, but in a heart-warming twist during the last show of that season, every single one did.
At the end of The Really Wild Show run, we produced some hard-hitting specials that I was so proud of. We covered the bear bile industry in China, the bush meat trade in Cameroon, shark finning in the South China Sea, working elephants in Thailand, tiger conservation and circus animals. I'd always wanted to work on some authentic journalistic specials, and I think it was brave of the BBC to let us create them for a young audience.
Absolutely flattered! The group Scouting For Girls wrote a song called Michaela Strachan. It includes the lines, 'Michaela Strachan you broke my heart when I was twelve' and 'It ain't gonna happen for me and the Strachan.' Brilliant! I saw them perform it live at a concert in Brighton, and it was amazing to see a huge audience singing along.
Once again, there have been so many, but two in particular spring to mind. The Great Migration in Kenya was awe-inspiring, with thousands of wildebeest and zebra embarking on their river crossing in the Masai Mara. Closer to home, witnessing the spectacle of a starling murmuration against a backdrop of the most glorious sunset was captivating. The unique aerial ballet performed by thousands of birds was just beautiful.
I support the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), and I'm involved in a saltmarsh restoration project. My passion for animal welfare extends to Animals Asia, where the Moon Bear Rescue campaign strives to end the barbaric practice of bear farming and the bear bile trade. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, dedicated to rescuing elephants in Kenya, is another cause close to my heart, as are the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, which rescues, rehabilitates and releases orphaned orangutans in Borneo, and Secret World, a rescue centre for British wildlife in Somerset. Back in South Africa, SANCCOB in Cape Town, known for their efforts in rescuing sea birds, particularly African Penguins, have also received my support. I have had a personal connection with all of these organisations and the privilege of documenting their incredible work.
It’s a place that I know Fred. Olsen visits, which is Antarctica. It’s just one of those places that’s a real privilege to visit. I went there during my time on The Really Wild Show, and I mean, talk about epic landscapes. It’s a phenomenal place with massive icebergs, penguins, whales and dolphins. I just loved it. It’s the last wilderness and much of it is still undiscovered, and I find that really exciting.
I support the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT), and I'm involved in a saltmarsh restoration project. My passion for animal welfare extends to Animals Asia, where the Moon Bear Rescue campaign strives to end the barbaric practice of bear farming and the bear bile trade. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, dedicated to rescuing elephants in Kenya, is another cause close to my heart, as are the Borneo Orangutan Survival Foundation, which rescues, rehabilitates and releases orphaned orangutans in Borneo, and Secret World, a rescue centre for British wildlife in Somerset. Back in South Africa, SANCCOB in Cape Town, known for their efforts in rescuing sea birds, particularly African Penguins, have also received my support. I have had a personal connection with all of these organisations and the privilege of documenting their incredible work.
It’s a place that I know Fred. Olsen visits, which is Antarctica. It’s just one of those places that’s a real privilege to visit. I went there during my time on The Really Wild Show, and I mean, talk about epic landscapes. It’s a phenomenal place with massive icebergs, penguins, whales and dolphins. I just loved it. It’s the last wilderness and much of it is still undiscovered, and I find that really exciting.
I really enjoy Kenya. I was very lucky to visit Kenya on a family holiday when I was a little girl, and I think that planted the seed that has now grown into a passion. I remember sitting on the top of a safari vehicle and looking out at the wildlife in the plains of Africa, and I felt like I was Joy Adamson at the time. One of the best places to see wildlife is the Masai Mara. It’s an extraordinary place, and you feel like you’re in a different land.
Cape Town is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. When I first arrived there, I just found there was this incredible energy from Table Mountain and the sea, and the city is sort of sandwiched between the two. The people are lovely and the culture is fascinating. There’s some amazing wildlife, as well as some great food and wine. What’s not to like?
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Remarkable moments
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Sámi Culture
Remarkable moments