How was Alex Batty found and were any arrests made?
Kidnapped by My Mum is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer.
For the first time, Alex Batty is telling his story in a brand new documentary – Kidnapped by My Mum. The documentary retraces the route of Alex's disappearance across Spain and France, uncovering not just how he was hidden but the belief system that kept him there. Featuring interviews from Alex, his grandmother and detectives who reflect on the failed attempts to locate him, Alex confronts something far more complicated: how he feels about his mother. Read on to learn more about Alex Batty and the story of his disappearance, including how he was found after six years. Who is Alex Batty? Alex Batty is a 20-year-old man who went missing when he was 11 years old. Born in 2006, Alex was raised by his mother Melanie and his maternal grandmother in Manchester who later became his legal guardian. When did Alex Batty go missing? In 2017 Alex travelled to Spain with his mother, Melanie, and grandfather, David, on what was meant to be a holiday. Neither Melanie nor David was Alex's legal guardian and they were due to bring him back home to his grandmother after a week before Alex disappeared without a trace. Alex was last seen at the Port of Malaga on the day he was expected to return to the UK and his disappearance was treated as a potential abduction. In the six years that followed, Alex was constantly on the move with his mother and grandfather and they lived in communes and caravans across Spain and France, often befriending people who were "spiritual". How was Alex Batty found? Alex was walking for four days before he was found by a delivery driver in the early hours of the morning. Alex was walking alongside the road at 3am, carrying a backpack, torch and a skateboard. The driver told authorities that Alex had told him he had been sleeping by day and walking by night to escape and was surviving by eating anything he could find in fields and gardens. "We stayed in a lot of caravans. We stayed in a lot of houses, always up mountains hours away from any kind of village. One day I just thought, OK I cant take this any more," Alex said during an appearance on Good Morning Britain. "I knew everything was in place for them to leave where we were so if I were to leave, everything would be gone by the time the police arrived." Alex returned to the UK in December 2023 and a week after his return, the Greater Manchester Police confirmed it had launched a criminal investigation into his disappearance. Were any arrests made in the investigation into Alex Batty's disappearance? In 2025, the Greater Manchester Police confirmed it had called off the criminal investigation into the disappearance of Alex Batty. A Greater Manchester Police spokesperson said at the time that a probe into child abduction had been dropped as his family did not support it and there was "no realistic chance of prosecution", as per BBC News. Alex had previously said he did not want his mother or grandfather to go to jail, explaining: "That's why I didn't come home sooner – all I worried about was them getting locked up," with his grandmother agreeing that she didn't want them to go to prison. Det Supt Matt Walker said: "The right thing to do is bring closure to this chapter of Alex and his family's lives, particularly as this is the outcome they wished for." Melanie Batty and David Batty were not charged in relation to the alleged abduction. As noted in the documentary, Melanie declined to comment on the allegations made against her while David did not respond. Kidnapped by My Mum airs on Wednesday 13 May at 9pm on BBC Three. It is available to watch now on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Steven Knight's Oasis documentary confirmed – and will feature major landmark moment for Gallagher brothers
The Peaky Blinders creator will be helming the new Oasis documentary.
Disney Plus have now confirmed the exciting news that an Oasis documentary will be heading our way this year – with it also set to feature the first joint interviews with Noel and Liam Gallagher in over 25 years. While the feature is yet to get an official title, the news will undoubtedly come as a very welcome surprise for fans after the pair reunited for their triumphant tour just last year. It's such a major film event that it's also been announced that the documentary will be debuting in select IMAX and cinemas worldwide for a limited time from 11 September, with the film then landing on Disney Plus later this year. Sign up to Disney Plus from £4.99 a month Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight will also be at the helm of the project as the documentary's creator, while Dylan Southern (The Thing With Feathers) and Will Lovelace (Meet Me in the Bathroom) will be in the director's seats. The film will feature unprecedented access and never-before-seen footage so fans are certainly in for a treat. As per the description for the film: "The feature documentary charts Liam and Noel Gallagher’s triumphant reunion tour Oasis Live ’25, one of the most anticipated rock ‘n’ roll comebacks of our time. "The film is an unapologetically uplifting account of arguably the biggest musical event of 2025, capturing the experience and emotions of the band and their fans across the world. The unique perspective includes rehearsal, backstage and onstage access as well as the first joint interviews with Noel and Liam in over 25 years. "Alongside the band’s sold-out world tour, the film also explores the profound emotional impact of this phenomenal global cultural moment and what their music means to audiences and generations worldwide." On the announcement of the documentary, Steven Knight commented: “I genuinely cannot wait for the world to see this film. I believe it captures the spirit and emotion of a global cultural moment and does justice to the wit and genius of two exceptional people. "I wanted to tell the story of the brothers and the band, but just as important, the story of the fans whose lives the music has touched and sometimes changed forever. It is also the story of how music and songwriting can unite generations, cultures, countries and in a time of spite and division, give us all some reason to hope.” Read more: BBC confirms David Attenborough to return for Blue Planet III in 2026 Popular Alan Carr TV series gets future confirmed with brand new episodes on the way Of course, Knight has most recently worked on Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man, A Thousand Blows and House of Guinness, with Knight also serving as writer for the anticipated next James Bond film. This will certainly be a new string to add to Knight's bow but seeing as he's already one of the most in-demand men in TV and film right now, something tells us this Oasis documentary will be up to his usual high standards. Also commenting on the announcement of the film, Eric Schrier (president of direct-to-consumer international originals, strategic programming and emerging media) said: “Opportunities like this are incredibly rare. “The film is an intimate story of reconciliation, the power of music, and Oasis, one of the most successful and influential acts of all time. It’s a privilege to bring this extraordinary film to the big screen and to Disney+ subscribers around the world.” The currently untitled Oasis Documentary film will open at select IMAX and cinemas worldwide for an exclusive theatrical engagement presented by Disney Plus on September 11 and will stream exclusively on Disney Plus internationally later this year. You can sign up to Disney Plus from £4.99 a month now. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
King Charles and the natural world collide in heartwarming David Attenborough birthday tribute
Attenborough was treated to quite the birthday surprise.
Sir David Attenborough's birthday was marked with a centenary celebration at London's Royal Albert Hall last night (Friday 8th May) – with the occasion also being marked with a very special short film. Entitled A Very Special Delivery and produced by BBC Studios, the short starts with His Majesty King Charles III making a surprise appearance as he pens Attenborough's 100th birthday card. In his segment of the video, His Majesty reflects on his decades-long friendship with Attenborough, recalling the very first time they met when the King was just nine years of age and visited the set of BBC children’s programme Zoo Quest in 1958 with his sister Princess Anne. Complete with pictures of the time and their friendship over the years, the King remarks on Attenborough's way of "revealing the beauty and wonders of nature to audiences around the world in new and marvellous ways". "In so doing, you have shared my determination to highlight the urgent need to protect and preserve this precious planet of ours – and all life on Earth for future generations," he goes on to say. You can watch the video for yourself below. View oEmbed on the source website We then see the letter get sent off via butler to an awaiting Land Rover but as the delivery process starts off smooth, a literal hurdle appears in the form of a fallen tree. Taking matters into its own hands, border collie sheepdog Flynn jumps out with the letter between his teeth and Take That's Greatest Day playing in the background. What then happens is a fitting homage to Attenborough as the natural world clubs together in order to ensure that the letter is safely delivered. With the help of eagles, a hedgehog, a red squirrel, a flock of geese, an otter, a swan, a duck, a fox, a deer and a barn owl, the letter is finally popped through Attenborough's letter box. Read more: BBC confirms David Attenborough to return for Blue Planet III in 2026 Inside the new must-watch David Attenborough documentary as the icon turns 100 Rob Hifle, known for his work on The Crown and Einstein and the Bomb, was on directing duties whilst VFX was done by Lux Aeterna. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: “His Majesty was delighted to feature in this special tribute to a man who has shared his lifetime commitment to the natural world, and has followed each stage of the filming process with great interest. He was only sorry not to meet Lily the magical barn owl in person. "Her Majesty was particularly touched that her mischievous Moley was invited to make a cameo appearance and was on hand with a ready selection of dog treats to help coax a willing performance on the day. "The King and Queen send their warmest wishes to Sir David on his special night and hope he enjoys the resulting film as much as they enjoyed making it.” Jack Bootle, the BBC’s Head of Specialist Factual added: “Sir David has spent a lifetime championing the natural world, so it seemed fitting that the natural world should do something to say ‘thank you’ in this unique birthday tribute. Warm, playful and full of affection, A Very Special Delivery celebrates not only David’s centenary, but also the deep love of wildlife that he shares with His Majesty The King.” Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
BBC confirms David Attenborough to return for Blue Planet III in 2026
The series will focus on the planet’s five key underwater habitats.
Sir David Attenborough will narrate the forthcoming Blue Planet III later this year, as the extraordinary natural history series returns to BBC One. Twenty-five years ago, The Blue Planet offered the first ever comprehensive overview of the world's oceans and was followed by a second season in 2017. From BBC Studios Natural History Unit, the six-part series will take the "wonder, immersion, and discovery of the Blue Planet brand to extraordinary new depths", according to the official announcement. The new series will build on the legacy of the previous two, "redefining the realm of possibility in underwater wildlife film-making. It will reveal brand new and untold stories from magical underwater worlds." The synopsis reads: "Combining our deeper understanding of the oceans with a whole new generation of camera technology including splash drones, long-term remote underwater cameras and a 'mini dome', we can now showcase stunning stories and extraordinary behaviours, previously impossible to film or only recently discovered. "Where Blue Planet II exposed the threats to our oceans, Blue Planet III will also explore stories of adaptation and resilience in this changing world, along with stories of hope and recovery. The series will focus on the planet’s five key underwater habitats: Tropical Seas, Open Ocean, Seasonal Seas, Polar Waters and The Deep. "In our sixth and final episode we turn to the future of our seas and explore what we need to do to protect them in Future Seas." Read more: David Attenborough at 100: The voice of nature – and his increasingly urgent climate warning David Attenborough – 7 covers from a seven-decade career The news was confirmed today (8 May), which also marks Attenborough's milestone 100th birthday. Jack Bootle, BBC head of specialist factual commissioning, commented: "I’m thrilled that David is taking the helm of Blue Planet once again. His extraordinary talent for storytelling has shaped the way generations of audiences understand and connect with the natural world, and his voice remains synonymous with the very best of the BBC’s natural history output." Meanwhile Jonny Keeling, head of BBC Studios natural history unit, added: "We are so excited to have David narrate this new blockbuster series. It’s full of never-before-seen animal behaviour, new locations, new science and heartfelt storytelling. David is the perfect voice to inspire audiences across the globe to love, understand and protect the oceans." Blue Planet III will air on BBC One and iPlayer later this year. Add Blue Planet III to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
David Attenborough issues "overwhelmed" response to huge number of birthday messages as he turns 100
Sir David Attenborough has been "completely overwhelmed" by messages he has received for his landmark 100th birthday. The broadcaster and environmentalist celebrates the milestone today, with a special concert planned in his honour tonight at the Royal Albert Hall. Radio Times also celebrated Attenborough 's birthday with a cover in his honour which included birthday messages from those inspired by him, a closer look at his new documentary and interviews with stars marking his birthday. In a newly-shared audio message, Attenborough said: "I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas. "I have been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings, from pre-school groups to care home residents, and countless individuals and families of all ages." He added: "I simply can't reply to each of you separately, but I'd like to thank you all most sincerely for your kind messages, and wish those of you who have planned your own local events: have a very happy day." Tonight (8 May) the BBC will bring the nation together for a live event honouring Attenborough's groundbreaking career at the forefront of natural history storytelling. As described by the Royal Albert Hall, the event "will take audiences on a journey through a century of exploration and discovery in the natural world, seen through the prism of David’s extraordinary life". Featuring dramatic wildlife stories, accompanied by live music from his programmes, the event will also feature spoken reflections from public figures and leading advocates for the natural world. The celebratory night will be accompanied by the BBC Concert Orchestra, featuring original compositions from some of Attenborough's landmark series. Read more: David Attenborough at 100: The voice of nature – and his increasingly urgent climate warning David Attenborough – 7 covers from a seven-decade career Earlier this year, the BBC announced a slate of new series and archival material to showcase the finest programmes from Attenborough's seven-decade career. The new programmes included Making Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure, Secret Garden and David Attenborough's 100 Years on Planet Earth. Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure featured new interviews with Attenborough and the original production team as they reflected on the making of the groundbreaking series Life on Earth. David Attenborough programming is available across BBC platforms. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
David Attenborough at 100: The voice of nature – and his increasingly urgent climate warning
How seven decades of natural history became a call to action.
When Sir David Attenborough first became a fixture in British living rooms, his role was not to warn us about the natural world, but to introduce us to it. There was wonder first. Curiosity. The thrill of encounter. From Zoo Quest in the 1950s to Life on Earth in 1979, Attenborough’s great gift was to make the planet feel at once vast and intimate: a place of remote forests, deep oceans, frozen plains and extraordinary creatures, but also one that could be brought, through the strange new magic of television, into the home. For decades, the Attenborough tone was defined by awe. He did not need to raise his voice. The authority was in the hush: the careful pause before a creature emerged, the whispered observation, the sense that he was not conquering a landscape but waiting respectfully within it. He was a guide, not an orator; a witness to marvels that, for many viewers, might otherwise have remained unimaginable. But as Attenborough reaches his 100th birthday on Friday 8 May 2026, the arc of his broadcasting life has become more than a history of natural history on screen. It is also a record of changing environmental consciousness. Across seven decades, the voice that once invited us simply to look has increasingly urged us to act. The early Attenborough programmes were products of their time. They were driven by discovery, collecting, classification and spectacle: the language of post-war exploration translated for television. By the time of The Blue Planet in 2001 and Planet Earth in 2006, the scale had changed. Advances in filming technology made the natural world look more cinematic than ever, but they also made its fragility harder to ignore. The camera could travel further, dive deeper and stay closer for longer. It could reveal beauty, but also damage. Blue Planet II in 2017 marked one of the clearest turning points. Ostensibly a return to the oceans, it became a cultural moment around marine plastic pollution. The images of albatrosses feeding plastic to their chicks, and of waste reaching even the most remote waters, helped bring the issue into everyday conversation. Reuters described the series as having "jolted public opinion", with government and major retailers subsequently announcing measures to reduce plastic use. It was a reminder of something unusual about Attenborough’s place in British life: he could still command a mass audience, but he could also move it. His programmes did not simply document concern; they helped create it. The voice becomes a warning What changed most strikingly in Attenborough’s later years was not his subject, but his emphasis. The wonder remained, but it was now shadowed by consequence. In 2018, addressing world leaders at COP24 in Katowice, Poland, Attenborough – speaking from the "People's Seat" – warned: "Right now, we are facing a man-made disaster of global scale. Our greatest threat in thousands of years. Climate Change." He added that, without action, "the collapse of our civilisations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon." It was not the language of a detached narrator. It was the language of an advocate. Read more: David Attenborough – 7 covers from a seven-decade career David Attenborough's 10 best series from Planet Earth to Dynasties That shift became impossible to miss in Climate Change – The Facts in 2019, Extinction: The Facts in 2020 and David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet later the same year. These were not simply wildlife films with a cautionary ending. They were direct interventions: programmes built around scientific warning, human responsibility and the possibility – still, just – of repair. Netflix described A Life on Our Planet as the story of a broadcaster reflecting on the loss of wild places while offering a vision for what could still be done, the film explicitly framed as Attenborough’s "witness statement" for the natural world and his "vision for the future". That phrase – "witness statement" – matters. This was testimony. Attenborough was no longer only telling us what camera crews had found in jungles, oceans and deserts. He was telling us what he had seen change during his own lifetime. The biographical force of that argument is hard to overstate. Born in 1926, Attenborough has lived through a century in which human beings have transformed the planet at extraordinary speed. His longevity gives his warning an unusual moral weight: this is not a young activist imagining a possible future, but a broadcaster comparing the present with a living memory of abundance. An activist, but still Attenborough For all that, Attenborough’s evolution into a climate advocate has not made him sound like someone else. His authority still rests on restraint. He does not typically speak in slogans. His later programmes still begin with beauty because that has always been his method: show people what exists, then show them what is being lost. The call to action lands because it follows the evidence of the eye. That may be why his environmental turn has been so powerful. Audiences who might resist being told what to think have spent decades trusting Attenborough to show them what is there. When that same voice says time is running out, the warning feels less like a campaign line than a conclusion reluctantly reached. He has also resisted simple despair. Even his starkest films tend to end with the possibility of recovery. A Life on Our Planet argues not merely that humans have damaged the planet, but that restoring biodiversity is the route back to stability. Our Planet, released by Netflix in 2019 and narrated by Attenborough, similarly combined spectacle with an explicit focus on how climate change affects living creatures. There is a tension here that has defined late Attenborough: the voice of wonder has become the voice of alarm, but not of hopelessness. His message has hardened, but it has not curdled. Nature, in his telling, is wounded but not passive; given space, it can recover. The tragedy is that humans have caused the crisis. The hope is that humans can choose differently. The burden of being believed View Green Video on the source website In an age of fractured media, polarised politics and climate misinformation, Attenborough remains one of the few public figures able to speak across generations. But that trust carries a burden. A warning from Attenborough is not easily dismissed as fashionable panic. It comes from someone whose life’s work has been to look closely at the natural world, explain it clearly and avoid unnecessary drama. When he says the crisis is urgent, the urgency is amplified by all the years he spent not speaking that way. That is the story worth tracing at 100. Not simply the celebration of a broadcasting legend, though he is plainly that. Not simply the career of a man who helped define the BBC’s natural history tradition, though he did that too. But the gradual transformation of a public voice: from explorer to educator, from educator to witness, from witness to advocate. At 100, Sir David Attenborough’s legacy is often described in terms of what he has shown us: the gorillas, the whales, the birds of paradise, the frozen worlds and hidden kingdoms. But his later legacy may lie in what he has asked of us. To look, properly. To understand what is being lost. And, while there is still time, to act. Read more: Inside the new must-watch David Attenborough documentary as the icon turns 100 Attenborough at 100: Chris Packham and more of TV's best wildlife experts mark David Attenborough's birthday David Attenborough programming is available across BBC platforms. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Sky to air new documentary film on Manchester Arena bombing, 10 years on from terror attack
"This is a film that gives space to the voices of those who were there," said the documentary's executive producers.
Ten years on from the bombing of Ariana Grande’s concert at the Manchester Arena, Sky has announced a new documentary film about the tragedy. The feature-length documentary, titled The Manchester Arena Bombing, will come to Sky Documentaries and NOW in 2027. The tragedy unfolded on 22 May 2017, when a suicide bomber attacked audience members at the end of Grande’s concert at Manchester Arena, which formed part of her Dangerous Woman tour. Twenty-two people were killed, many of them children and young adults, and hundreds more were injured, making it the deadliest terror attack in the UK since the 7/7 bombings. The new documentary film will “unpick the full story that night”, featuring first-person testimony to reflect the experiences of those most affected, and honour the memories of those who passed away. The film will also "explore how, almost a decade on, the true and lasting impact of the attack is only now coming into focus". The documentary has been produced by All3Media company RAW (The Body Next Door), while Sophie Oliver (Boyzone: No Matter What) serves as director, and Tom Sheahan and Liesel Evans as executive producers for RAW. Sheahan and Evans said in a statement: "This is a film that gives space to the voices of those who were there – what they lived through, how they helped, and how they continue to carry it with them today, nearly 10 years on." They added: "The film will follow a chronological arc – beginning with the anticipation, excitement, and euphoria of the concert itself, through the final songs, the explosion, the hysteria, the escape, and the rescue, to the days, weeks, months, and years that followed, and the extraordinary public response that unified not just Manchester, but the nation as a whole.” Hayley Reynolds, head of documentary commissioning at Sky, added: "The Manchester Arena bombing was a defining moment in recent British history and, for a generation too young to remember 7/7, their first experience of such a brutal act of domestic terrorism. "Ten years on, it remains vital to remember what happened and reflect on its lasting impact." The Manchester Arena Bombing will be available on Sky Documentaries and NOW in 2027. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
David Attenborough – 7 covers from a seven-decade career
Sir David Attenborough will celebrate his 100th birthday this month.
This month, Sir David Attenborough will be celebrating his 100th birthday, a landmark celebration for one of the nation's most beloved broadcasters. Over the course of his career, that spans across seven decades, Attenborough has helped bring the wonders of the natural world into millions of homes worldwide, through a variety of documentaries across the BBC and multiple streamers. Through landmark series like Life on Earth, The Blue Planet and Planet Earth, Attenborough has remained a constant voice in modern nature broadcasting, while also shaping public awareness around conservation and climate change. Over the years, Attenborough has graced the cover of Radio Times several times, and to mark his special birthday, we have collated a cover from each decade. Click through the gallery below. View Gallery on the source website In celebration of his 100th year, some of TV's best wildlife experts shared birthday tributes to the man who inspired them, including messages from Chris Packham, Steve Backshall and Martin Dohrn. Packham wrote: "One hundred years ago there was a new life on earth. If you were strolling through Isleworth in west London, you might have heard the faint crying of a newborn baby, nothing really of note, just another human on the planet about to embark on the trials of life. But as it’s turned out, that precious infant has grown into the most influential advocate for life our little blue planet has ever had – David Frederick Attenborough. "I can trot out a long and miserable list of individual humans who have changed, indeed are changing, the world for the worse. Horror and suffering tattoo their infamy onto our history. But how about those who have made the world a better place, and not just for us but for every other species that creeps, crawls, slithers and slimes? Only one truly holds that accolade. A man whose passion and enthusiasm for life, and an infectious desire to communicate that to us all, has grown to command a global audience and enrapture young and old alike. "In 100 years a lot changes, humans leave our living planet and journey into space, we discover distant galaxies, develop antibiotics and organ transplants, compose symphonies and paint great art, invent television and artificial intelligence. Along the way we fight and kill each other, but despite this our population quadruples to 8 billion. And this comes at a terrible cost for the rest of life, which has declined or been destroyed. We have even broken our climate. So amid the celebrations, consider the sadness this causes the man who has travelled to every corner of the earth and tried to protect it all and us. "But without the world’s greatest ambassador for life, where we would be? Worse off, for sure. Somewhere in a jungle is a fly that still buzzes, due only to the energy and efforts of our wonderful birthday boy. Happy Birthday Dave, the world loves you!" You can read the rest of the messages here. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
David Attenborough's 10 best series from Planet Earth to Dynasties
Across the course of over 70 years, Sir David Attenborough has done more than anyone to open our eyes to the beauty and savagery of the natural world – and to bring into stark relief the human race’s responsibility to address the environmental impact of its collective activity. To mark the great naturalist's 100th birthday, we look back on ten of his best TV series since we first saw him on air in 1954. 1. Zoo Quest - 1954 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer "Not to be used again as an interviewer – his teeth are too big." Thank goodness no-one heeded the notes of an anonymous BBC executive following David Attenborough’s on-screen breakthrough in Zoo Quest, which ran for nine years. The format took natural history out of the studio and into the wilds of Borneo, Madagascar and beyond to find Komodo dragons, lemurs and other exotic creatures to bring to London Zoo. Already attached to produce, it was a trick of fate that ignited his screen career: he’d stepped in when presenter Jack Lester, curator of the zoo’s reptile house, was struck ill. Setting a precedent for Attenborough’s shows, Zoo Quest was a trailblazer in TV technology too – though aired in black and white, it was shot in colour some 13 years before this became standard at the BBC. 2. Life on Earth - 1979 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer The subject of a ‘making of’ special marking Attenborough’s centenary (BBC1, 8pm, 8 May), this milestone set the template for the set piece-rich continent-spanning epics we know and love today. A decade on from commissioning Kenneth Clarke’s Civilisations as controller of BBC2, Sir David had similarly lofty aims with this million-mile globe-trotting trip: to trace the story of evolution. Applying Charles Darwin’s theories to 600 species in habitats from South American rainforests to Australian caves, it’s best remembered for Sir David’s delightful encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda. Having perched on all-fours to debunk myths about their aggressive behaviour, he became a welcome plaything for a female and two youngsters. 3. Life in the Freezer - 1993 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Less than half a century since humans first set foot in Antarctica, Sir David and crew braved three years of blizzards to capture the lifecycle of the desolate and remote region. Working with scientists based in the area, it surveyed the endurance of humpback whales and many varieties of penguins and seals over the seasons. Memorable moments included camera operators swimming with dangerous leopard seals - one of which presents them with body of a penguin - and tracking a grey-headed albatross that has travelled several hundred miles to bring food to its hungry chick. 4. The Life of Mammals – 2002 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer From delivering a piece to camera with a Kalahari meerkat keeping watch on his shoulder to witnessing the teeth-flashing mating of Sri Lankan macaques, the nut-cracking techniques of Congolese chimps, bison rutting at 30mph and orangutans washing socks, this is practically an Attenborough greatest hits package. Through emerging infrared technology, audiences glimpsed big cats’ nocturnal hunts for the first time, while explicitly environmental messaging came to the fore at the climax of the series, in which Sir David questioned humans’ overreach and raised population control as a potential saviour of the planet’s ecosystem. 5. Life in the Undergrowth – 2005 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Taking advantage of advances in microscopic cameras, the BBC Natural History Unit team broke new ground with this intimate look at invertebrates from the common housefly to Amazonian venomous centipedes. Sir David told the story of how invertebrates became colonial pioneers of the land 400 million years ago and narrated a string of standout scenes, including a scorpion’s desert courting dance, a bumblebee colony stinging the queen to death, the mass emergence of winged cicadas after 17 years underground, and a caterpillar emerging as a wasp after the latter lays its eggs into the pupating insect’s body. 6. Attenborough’s Paradise Birds - 2015 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer "A film I have wanted to make for 40 years," declared Attenborough of this particularly personal documentary, in which he shares his lifelong passion for “"he most romantic and glamorous birds in the world", which he’d first encountered in picture books aged nine. Amid discoveries about how the birds learn their distinctive performative dance displays, he debunks some of the myths that have surrounded them since their discovery 500 years ago. Most moving is watching him look on in wonder during a close encounter with a bird in Qatar, where a sheik’s personal collection represents the largest breeding group of the species in the world. 7. Dynasties (plus Dynasties II) - 2018, 2022 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Chimps, emperor penguins, lions, tigers and painted wolves are regular stars of Attenborough’s series, but this series dug deeper into these animals’ stories. Each of the five animals got their own episode in this look at the survival strategies of endangered species, which pulled few punches in depicting nature’s brutal savagery. Attenborough was outshined momentarily, as another David was the star of the series: a plucky young chimpanzee who staged a winning comeback to his troop after a brutal fight. Elsewhere, cattle farmers’ fatal poisoning of a lion and her cub laid bare the series’ core conservation message: how humans’ encroachment into animal habitats is threatening their survival. 8. Planet Earth (plus Planet Earth II and III) - 2006, 2016, 2023 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Arguably Attenborough’s magnum opus, the original globe-spanning series was the BBC’s first high-definition showcase and captured the very first filmed footage of snow leopards, plus a piranha feeding frenzy and a wild camel chase. Series two upped the ante even further, capturing legendary sequences of racer snakes chasing baby iguanas to their grisly end, a giraffe shrugging off a leaping lion, and the sneaky shoplifting macaques of Jaipur, in stunning 4K. Seven years on, the trilogy wrapped up with Sir David returning to Raine Island in the Great Barrier Reef almost 70 years on from his first visit, to starkly conclude that the green turtle-populated territory could be gone within 30 years. 9. Seven Worlds, One Planet – 2019 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Albatrosses desperately trying to save chicks blown out of their nests by violent storms, penguins outmanoeuvring orcas, Sumatran rhinos finding sanctuary in deep jungles, anacondas stalking Capuchin monkeys, hamsters living in Vienna’s graveyards… this whirlwind tour of the seven continents (one per episode) threw up multiple jaw-dropping moments. But it’s the surreal underwater world, featuring pink and purple starfish, urchins, anemones and - gulp - giant spiders, filmed by divers drilling through deep layers of ice, that lingers in the memory. 10. Ocean with David Attenborough - 2025 Where to watch: Disney+ In recent years, streamers like Netflix and Disney+ have occasionally wooed Sir David away from the BBC with big budgets and simultaneous global releases in return for his expert eye and dulcet tones. Released in cinemas for his 99th birthday, this unflinching film exposed the violent impact of industrial bottom trawling of Earth’s lowest depths and offered glimmers of hope for protecting ocean life, from kelp forests to vast marine reserves. "After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea," concluded Attenborough. Though the film carries his warning "we are almost out of time," he remains cautiously optimistic: "The ocean can recover faster than we had ever imagined." View Green Video on the source website More David Attenborough documentaries available to stream Secret Garden - 2026 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough takes audiences into the hidden wild world of Britain's backyards, travelling to Oxfordshire, Bristol, The Lake District, The Wye Valley and The Western Highlands. The Blue Planet (and Blue Planet II) - 2001 and 2017 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Described as the first ever comprehensive series on the natural history of the world's oceans, audiences are submerged underwater as Attenborough examines a different aspect of marine life across eight episodes. The original series was followed up 16 years later, after filming over four years in 39 countries, in more than 125 international trips. Dinosaurs: The Final Day with David Attenborough - 2022 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer In a story told with astonishing detail, Attenborough reveals the last day of the dinosaurs, using new evidence from a prehistoric graveyard dating to the day an asteroid devastated our planet. Wild Isles - 2023 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Celebrating the wonders of British and Irish wildlife, the series investigates how woodland, grassland, freshwater and ocean habitats support all kinds of wildlife. Climate Change: The Facts - 2019 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: 2019 Following one of the hottest years on record, Attenborough takes a closer look at the science of climate change and potential solutions. The hour-long special features interviews with some of the world's leading climate scientists and explores recent extreme weather conditions, such as unprecedented storms and catastrophic wildfires. Attenborough and the Sea Dragon - 2018 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer In this standalone episode, David Attenborough investigates the discovery of a 200 million year old Ichthyosaur fossil on the Jurassic Coast in southern England. Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster - 2024 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Follow David Attenborough on yet another investigation: the giant skull of a prehistoric sea monster - often referred to as the Tyrannosaurus rex of the seas. Attenborough's Ark - 2012 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer All aboard! David Attenborough picks 10 animals he would most like to save from extinction, explaining just why they are so important before outlining the work of biologists who are helping to keep them alive. Attenborough and the Giant Egg - 2011 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough returns to the island of Madagascar where he filmed one of his first ever wildlife series, Zoo Quest. This time, he's on a very personal quest as he explores the history of the elephant bird and what led to his extinction. Attenborough's Wonder of Eggs - 2018 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough has always had a passion for bird eggs. But how is an egg made? Why are they that shape? Why lay an egg at all? Tune in as Attenborough reveals the wonder behind miracles of nature. Attenborough's Passion Projects - 2016 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer In celebration of David Attenborough's 90th birthday, the BBC brought together four of his favourite films: A Blank on the Map, Lost Gods of Easter Island, Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives and Darwin's Tree of Life. Attenborough and the Mammoth Graveyard - 2021 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough joins archaeologists excavating mammoth remains, uncovering Britain's biggest mammoth discovery in almost 20 years. Attenborough's Wonder of Song - 2022 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough chooses seven of the most remarkable animal songs and explores the significance of each in the lives of their species. Wild London - 2026 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer After a life spent travelling the globe, the world’s most famous naturalist turned his attention closer to home to explore the wildlife of England’s iconic capital in his most recent documentary. Making Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure - 2026 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer To celebrate 50 years since David Attenborough's most ambitious project ever, 1976's Life on Earth, the remarkable story behind the BBC’s most famous wildlife blockbuster is told in this behind-the-scenes documentary. Frozen Planet (plus Frozen Planet II) - 2011, 2022 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Frozen Planet, released in 2011, examined life in the Arctic and the Antarctic following the likes of Polar Bears and Penguins. 11 years later, the second installment was released which which explored all of Earth's frozen habitats. Kingdom - 2025 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Narrated by David Attenborough, Kingdom follows four rival families, leopards, hyena, wild dogs and lions, all trying to claim a rich corner of Zambian paradise as their home. Who will succeed in ruling this precious kingdom? Deep Ocean: Kingdom of the Coelacanth - 2025 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Attenborough looks into the ocean's depths to discuss the coelacanth, a primeval fish hidden for 400 million years. A Perfect Planet - 2021 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough looks at how without volcanoes, there would be no life on Earth. Although destructive, magma from the planet’s molten core builds land, and mineral-rich ash from eruptions fertilises the surface. Parenthood - 2025 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Attenborough looks at animal parents in the wild and their unique strategies to overcome the challenges presented by their habitats. The stakes are high, since their success ensures the future of life on Earth. Asia - 2024 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Join Sir David Attenborough as he takes you across our planet's largest continent. Mammals - 2024 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Found on every continent, and in every ocean, Mammals are some of the most adaptable animals on our planet. Join David Attenborough as he follows the journeys of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom. Africa - 2013 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer This five-part BBC natural history series explores the stunning landscapes and undiscovered creatures of Africa's five major regions. Life - 2009 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer The iconic documentarian looks at the extraordinary ends to which animals and plants go in order to survive. Featuring epic spectacles, amazing TV firsts and examples of new wildlife behaviour. Attenborough's Life in Colour - 2021 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough reveals the extraordinary ways in which animals use colour: to win a mate, to fight off rivals and to warn enemies. The Life of Birds - 1998 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer A natural history of bird life narrated by David Attenborough. The Green Planet - 2022 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Dive into a world where a single life can last a thousand years, with David Attenborough. See things no eye has ever seen, and discover the dramatic, beautiful plant life of Earth. Life Story - 2014 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough brings us the universal story that unites each of us with every animal on the planet, the story of the greatest of all adventures - the journey through life. The Mating Game - 2021 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Finding a mate isn't just about love - the survival of an entire species could depend on it. Sir David Attenborough reveals spectacular scenes of courting and companionship. The Private Life of Plants - 1995 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough documentary series exploring the life cycle of plants. Attenborough at 90 - 2016 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer In celebration of his 90th birthday, Sir David Attenborough shares extraordinary highlights of his life and career with broadcaster Kirsty Young, including the inspiring people he has met, the extraordinary journeys he has made and the remarkable animal encounters he has had across the globe. Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur - 2016 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Going beyond the remits of our contemporary natural world, Attenborough tells the story of the discovery and reconstruction in Argentina of the world's largest-known dinosaur, a brand new species of titanosaur. Measuring 37m long - close to four London buses put end to end - and weighing 70 metric tons, it now holds the record as the biggest animal ever to walk the earth. The Trials of Life - 1990 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer A nature documentary series, presented by David Attenborough, exploring why animals behave the way they do. Lost Worlds, Vanished Lives - 1989 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough unearths secrets of fossils, breathing life into Earth's distant past. Extinction: The Facts - 2020 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer With a million species at risk of extinction, David Attenborough explores how this crisis of biodiversity has consequences for us all, including putting us at greater risk of pandemic diseases. Attenborough: 60 Years in the Wild - 2012 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Here, the veteran documentarian reflects on how the planet has changed during his career. David Attenborough - The Early Years - 2013 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Sir David Attenborough recalls key moments from his early broadcasting career and shares the stories behind them. The Miracle of Bali - 1969 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough gives an introduction to Bali, its people and their varied arts, with the main focus on Peliatan village. Elsa the Lioness - 1961 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Visiting Joy and George Adamson in Kenya, Attenborough meets Elsa the lioness and her cubs shortly before Elsa's death. The People of Paradise - 1960 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Attenborough discusses his journey through the South West Pacific in search of vanishing south sea rituals and customs. Adventure - 1965 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer David Attenborough follows the River Zambezi from its source in the centre of Africa, 2,000 miles to the Indian Ocean. David Attenborough: A Life on Air - 2002 View oEmbed on the source website Where to watch: BBC iPlayer Michael Palin presents a profile of the television career of David Attenborough, from controller of BBC Two to his wildlife programmes such as Life on Earth and The Blue Planet. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
I’ve directed a documentary on the Children of the Blitz - and this is why I hope it brings them catharsis
The children who lived through the Blitz have a powerful message for us, says the director
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. This month it will be 85 years since the end of the Blitz, Nazi Germany’s eight-month bombing campaign targeting British towns and cities. To mark that anniversary, we have made Children of the Blitz, a documentary featuring some of the dwindling band of Blitz survivors – the men and women now in their late 80s, 90s and centenary years who, as children during the Second World War, suffered unimaginable terror with long-lasting consequences. People like Patsy, 90, from Belfast. An incendiary bomb landed on the roof of her house while she was sheltering underneath the stairs with her mother. The house was destroyed, with Patsy’s mother pulling her out of the rubble. Or 90-year-old Jean from Sheffield, who lost her mother when a German bomb with a delayed action fuse exploded as she was hanging out the washing. Making this documentary felt purposeful, because this may prove to be the last opportunity to record the testimony of these incredible survivors. Moreover, most of us know less about what happened 85 years ago than we think we do. The expression “Blitz Spirit” is still used today to conjure up the supposedly indomitable nature of the British, while black-and-white footage of St Paul’s Cathedral surviving amid the flames shapes our geographical view of the bombing raids. But the truth was more nuanced. People’s spirits could fall as well as rise – and the Blitz didn’t just affect London, the raids caused dreadful destruction in Hull, Coventry, Liverpool, Cardiff, Belfast and many more cities. The commonly held belief that most British children were taken away from danger is also mistaken; around two thirds were not evacuated. Consequently, over 7,000 children were killed, and a similar number were wounded. Thousands more were left traumatised. The lives of the survivors featured in Children of the Blitz were shaped by the experience of growing up under German bombs. For many, it stole their childhood and devastated their communities. For some, the trauma of what happened is still palpable today. When Patsy from Belfast is interviewed, she rubs a piece of material she still carries with her to calm her nerves. Another participant, 101-year-old Dorothea, can still feel the physical sensation the air raid sirens gave her as a child. The past is manifest in the present, and the children of the Blitz are still experiencing it. Yet spending time with Patsy, Dorothea and others was ultimately an uplifting experience. Until I made this documentary, I had imagined that Blitz survivors might be emotionally constricted after being conditioned to bottle up their innermost feelings. I now understand the motivation in keeping their fear and heartbreak locked away. These children took the pain of what happened on themselves so they wouldn’t burden others. As Monica, 94, from Croydon says, “In those days, you took on a lot of responsibility when you were young.” Now, coming towards the end of their lives, they are sharing their childhood experiences while, I hope, finding some catharsis in the process. Meeting them has made me reflect on how I take safety for granted, mistaking it for a birth right, rather than recognising it as something hard-won and in need of protection, as their generation saw first-hand. Gill, 87, lived through the Coventry Blitz; as a child she saw the sky illuminated by flames. She lived through a world war and now, as she looks at the growing number of conflicts around the world, Gill is frightened for her grandchildren. At the end of the film she says, “It could so easily happen again.” We need to hear that, and we need to think about it. We must not forget the consequences of war for children. Children of the Blitz is at 9.00pm on Monday 11 May on BBC Two. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast
Sarah Beeny: "Having cancer hasn't changed me"
With cancer behind her, the property expert has hit the road with the family band.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What’s the view from your sofa? We’ve got two sofas by the TV, so we all have a seat [Sarah and her husband, Graham Swift, have four sons]. I dyed the sofa covers plum to hide some stains, but I didn’t do it that well, so it’s patchy in places. But I like a home to look lived-in. What have you been watching? I’m an absolute sucker for a stand-up comic. I love Russell Howard, Dara Ó Briain, Sarah Millican and especially Michael McIntyre – he’s hilarious and never unkind. One of my favourite things he said was that leaving your dirty plates on top of the dishwasher is like taking your kids halfway to school and saying, “That’s it. I’m done. You can walk the rest of the way.” From Channel 4’s Property Ladder in 2001 to your most recent show Help! I Bought It at Auction, do you feel you have helped influence the rise of property shows on TV? I think Channel 4 was just following public interest. It’s probably rather cynical to say, but that show came at a time when budgets were being cut for television, and so instead of having proper researchers, they thought, “We’ll just get people who are already in the industry who know all the stuff anyway.” From day one, they’d say, “We’re going to do this,” and I’d say, “No, no, that’s not right.” Have property shows changed? We now have so many channels that everyone’s grabbing a headline. One of the things I think may be a mistake in television is that they’re all chasing the TikTok audience. Instead of thinking, “We’ll educate and TikTok can titillate,” they’re thinking they’ve got to titillate, too. Would David Attenborough get a show commissioned now or would they be thinking, “My God, no, that’s so boring?” And yet he is the man, isn’t he? In 2022 you were diagnosed with breast cancer. Why did you decide to share your journey so publicly in the 2023 documentary Sarah Beeny vs Cancer? Because when they say, “You’ve got cancer,” what you hear is, “What kind of coffin do you want?” It was about dying. Eventually I realised that treatments have come on so much, it’s more likely that you won’t die, and I wondered if other people had thought the same as me. Also, I wanted my sons to be able to talk to anyone they wanted to about it, so I didn’t want it to be a secret. And I was going to lose my hair, so I just thought I had to go public and that way I could tell the story the way I wanted. I’m proud of it, because I had thousands and thousands of letters from people saying it helped them and their families. Has your experience of cancer changed your definition of success in any way? No. I don’t think I would want to honour cancer with anything. Each to their own, but cancer doesn’t define me. It’s not changed my life. Having four kids has defined me – and having a husband, being on telly, meeting lots of people and having loads of successful businesses. Did you ever worry about showing your family on screen? I was very protective of the boys when they were little, but when we made New Life in the Country [2020-25], we asked them individually if they wanted to be in it. They were all old enough to make their own minds up. I strongly disagree with the implication that under 18, you haven’t got a brain and then on your 18th birthday you suddenly have all the wisdom in the world. They say home is where the heart is. But where do you feel most at home? It’s so trite to say this, but wherever my family is. I’m lucky, because I’ve got my kids, husband and a really big extended family who I’m incredibly close to. I’m currently on tour with the band that my husband and boys formed, called The Entitled Sons. I love being their groupie. The latest issue of Radio Times is on Tuesday – subscribe here. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Unheard Princess Diana audio tapes to air as part of new documentary series
The series will "challenge the reductive narrative that has too often framed Diana as a victim of her circumstances".
Never-before-heard tapes of Princess Diana discussing the breakdown of her marriage to Prince Charles will be heard for the first time in a new docuseries. Diana: The Unheard Truth, which is set to be released in August 2027 to coincide with the 30th anniversary of her death, will feature private taped conversations Diana had with her friend James Colthurst in 1991, which formed the basis of Andrew Morton’s book Diana: Her True Story. The tapes, which will be spread across three episodes for the series, feature intimate revelations, including Diana’s thoughts on her struggles with bulimia and her then-husband King Charles’s relationship with Queen Camilla. They also include the late Princess’s thoughts on her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, Sarah Ferguson and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor. In the three decades since Diana’s death, less than one hour of the material has been heard publicly. The docuseries is coming to our screens courtesy of Love Monday TV, which has secured full access to the archive tapes in partnership with Morton and Colthurst, who also feature in the series. Details on where it will be broadcast or stream are yet to be announced. Love Monday TV said the series will "challenge the reductive narrative that has too often framed Diana as a victim of her circumstances". Instead, it will show "a resilient, perceptive, and relatable young woman, finding herself in the brightest of global spotlights, and navigating the challenges with grace, self-awareness, and determination". We'll also hear "her infectious humour and twinkling laughter, as she reveals the truth about life inside the most famous family in the world", as well as "her dreams for a future that could have been; a new chapter in which Charles goes off into the sunset with Camilla, leaving Diana free to carve her own path". Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. As well as the tapes, the docuseries will also feature perspectives from those closest to Diana including Delissa Needham, a prep schoolmate, hairdresser Sam McKnight and astrologer Penny Thornton. Other perspectives set to appear in the series include dancer Wayne Sleep, former bodyguard Ken Wharfe, royal press secretary Dickie Arbiter, photographer Kent Gavin and Daily Mail journalist Richard Kay. It follows a recent episode of Reporting History on ITV which shared previously unbroadcast footage of Princess Diana's famed visit to Angola in January 1997. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Where is Alexander 'Sandy' McKellar now? Subject of Netflix's Should I Marry a Murderer
The three-part series is available to watch now.
When Caroline Muirhead met Alexander McKellar in 2020, she could never have imagined the rollercoaster her life was about to take. While McKellar seemed "perfect on paper", a confession changed everything and rocked Muirhead to her core, with her story being told in a brand new Netflix documentary, Should I Marry a Murderer? The three-part series "explores the moral dilemma at the heart of this story," says director Josh Allott. "Do you choose to keep that secret and live with the awful consequences or reveal it and destroy the person you love and everything you’ve hoped for?" But what exactly did Alexander McKellar confess to Muirhead and where is Muirehead now? Read on find out more. What did Alexander 'Sandy' McKellar do? In September 2017, Alexander McKellar was driving under the influence of alcohol and collided with 63-year-old cyclist Tony Parsons. Parsons was on a 100-mile solo bike ride for charity when McKellar struck him, though he was not immediately killed on impact. Alexander, along with his brother Robert who as in the passenger seat, fled the scene to hide the car before returning to hide Parsons's body. The brothers hid the body in a pit used for the disposal of animal carcasses. How was Alexander 'Sandy' McKellar caught? McKellar was eventually brought to justice for his crimes three years later after confessing to his girlfriend. When Caroline Muirhead asked McKellar if there was anything in his past that could affect their future, he disclosed details of the crash to her and drove her to where he and his brother disposed Parsons' body and belongings. Muirhead left a can of Red Bull in the area as a marker for the police to find. The brothers were arrested in December 2020 and Parsons' body was recovered for forensic investigation in January 2021. Where is Caroline Muirhead now? After the trial, Caroline moved to the seaside, became sober and focused on rebuilding bonds with loved ones. She is now in a new relationship. "Making the documentary meant revisiting the darkest of times, and none of that was easy," Caroline told Tudum. "But it has also been a cathartic experience. For the first time in several years, I now have hope for the future and the freedom to begin the next chapter of my life." Where is Alexander 'Sandy' McKellar now? In August 2023, Alexander McKellar was convicted of culpable homicide and trying to defeat the ends of justice, and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, and he continues to service this sentence. Robert McKellar was sentenced to five years and three months imprisonment after pleading guilty to trying to defeat the ends of justice. Ruth McQuaid, Procurator Fiscal for High Court, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS), said: "These brothers failed in their attempts to obstruct and evade justice. "These were heinous and calculating crimes which brought untold distress to Mr Parsons’ wife, children, and grandchildren. They were left in the intolerable situation of not knowing where he was or what had happened to him. "The fact that Anthony’s disappearance was subject to a major missing persons enquiry for several years meant his family were left in the dark over his whereabouts. "But all the time, Alexander and Robert McKellar were going about their everyday lives knowing that, in fact, he was dead and that they had buried him amongst animal carcasses. "They kept this secret with wilful disregard for Mr Parson’s family. Our thoughts are with those who have been affected by the unconscionable and brutal actions of these two men." Alexander's lawyer, Brian McConnachie, said in court: "He is not an evil man. He acknowledges that he has done a terrible thing which has caused untold distress to the Parsons family. He would do anything he could to alter the decision he took in September 2017, but he cannot rewind the clock." Should I Marry a Murderer? is available to watch on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Emily Maitlis to front 'landmark' documentary on The Epstein Files – 7 years after infamous Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor interview
Maitlis is "determined that this series will provide answers, not just raise more questions".
Channel 4 has commissioned a "landmark" documentary series examining the Jeffrey Epstein case, presented by award-winning journalist Emily Maitlis. This series comes seven years after Maitlis's interview with the then Prince Andrew about his links to Epstein. Channel 4 has announced the series will deliver "unprecedented access, explosive testimony and forensic analysis of the documents, networks and powerful individuals connected to Epstein’s decades-long criminal operation". Featuring first-hand testimony from survivors at the heart of the story, the series will focus on how Epstein managed to get away with his actions for so long. "I’ve spent my career covering stories that those in power would rather we didn’t," said Maitlis. "The Epstein case is that story writ large — a web of wealth, influence and impunity that destroyed lives and was shielded by institutions we are supposed to trust. The survivors have waited long enough. I am determined that this series will provide answers, not just raise more questions." In 2019, Epstein died in his prison cell while awaiting trial for federal charges of sex trafficking minors and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of minors. He had previously served jail time for procuring an underage girl for prostitution and soliciting a prostitute. Louisa Compton, head of news and current affairs, specialist factual and sport, Channel 4 commented: "The Jeffrey Epstein story is an exposure of how power protects itself, how wealth distorts justice, and how abuse can be hidden in plain sight for decades. This series will confront the uncomfortable truth at the heart of the case: what it reveals about the world we live in, and who it is designed to serve. Emily Maitlis, whose interview with the former Prince Andrew became one of the defining moments in the public reckoning with the Epstein case, is the perfect person to lead this investigation." Daniel Pearl, executive producer and creative director, Lion Television added: "We are excited to be working with the absolutely amazing Emily Maitlis and Channel 4 on this landmark series, with Emily at the helm, audiences can expect rigorous, fearless journalism — the Epstein story, finally told in full." This isn't the first documentary to take a look at Epstein's crimes, with Netflix examining the financier in Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich, which saw many of his victims share their stories publicly for the first time. The Epstein Files w/t will air on Channel 4. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Louis Theroux production company confirms "archive-led" Katie Price documentary with unseen footage
The documentary will chat the last 30 years of Katie Price's career.
Sky has announced a brand new documentary series charting the life of Katie Price, urging the nation to look again about what they think they know about the media personality. Katie Price: Nothing to Hide is an intimate four-part series - made by Louis Theroux's Mindhouse - bringing a documentary lens to her story, combining unseen footage with first-time testimony to deliver "a revealing portrait of one of Britain’s most enduring celebrity figures". Coming to screens this summer, the archive-led documentary will go beyond the headlines, with intimate access to Katie and those closest to her - some for decades, some for pivotal moments, and some whose stories have never been told - to candidly examine the consequences of placing herself, and those around her, at the centre of public attention. The synopsis continues: "Since emerging as her alter ego ‘Jordan’ on Page 3 of The Sun in 1996, Katie Price has become one of the most photographed women of her generation. Her life has played out across newspapers, magazines, reality television and social media - from marriages, motherhood and multi-million pound contracts to scandal, cosmetic surgery, bankruptcy and betrayal. " A teaser trailer for the documentary has also been released, with Price at the helm prepared to tell her story. View oEmbed on the source website Arron Fellows, co-founder and creative director, Mindhouse said: "Katie’s 30 years in the spotlight have been truly extraordinary. This series doesn’t shy away from - in Katie's own words - ’the good, the bad and the ugly’; and this is an unexpected re-appraisal of a woman many people feel they have already figured out. "Paddy and the team have spoken to a range of contributors who have crossed paths with Katie at different junctures of her life - through the ups, the downs and everything in between - and in doing so have crafted a series that is as jaw-dropping and unpredictable as it is tender and surprising. I can’t wait for people to see it." Hayley Reynolds, head of documentary commissioning, Sky commented: "Katie Price is one of the defining figures of modern British fame, and her story offers a powerful lens on the culture that shaped it. We’re thrilled to be partnering with Paddy Wivell and Mindhouse Productions to continue Sky Documentaries’ reputation for raw and unfiltered documentaries about Britain’s biggest icons, whose stories also say something about the world we live in." Katie Price: Nothing to Hide will be available on Sky and NOW this summer. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Why are so many politicians turning to the world of TV when power fails?
Michael Portillo is so good at what he does on TV it's easy to forget he was once an MP. The same isn't true for everyone...
If the late politician Enoch Powell genuinely believed what he said about all political lives ending in failure, he’d surely have been flummoxed to witness the second coming of Michael Portillo. Nearly 30 years after the shock loss of his Enfield Southgate seat, the former Conservative MP stands beaming on the border of North and South Korea, with remarkable sang-froid for a man sporting cherry tomato chinos in one of the world’s most ferociously guarded military zones. Portillo’s new BBC series Great Korean Railway Journeys finds him meeting monks in temples and trading blows with taekwondo masters. A generation of viewers could be forgiven for having no idea of his political hinterland, and knowing him only as TV’s resident train enthusiast, whose biggest daily decision is between the strawberry slacks and the cornflower blue blazer – or why not both? Even for those with deeper memories, Portillo has long shaken off his Westminster years, a rollercoaster from his “Thatcher’s favourite” tag to the ignominy of 1997. In fact, he once told me of his abrupt political exit: “It was a very useful experience. It forced me to expand my horizons, which was obviously necessary.” No doubt, it’s helped that his rebirth – via an invitation to front 1998 Channel 4 series Portillo’s Progress – has heralded such a successful second act. Portillo is by no means the only figure to swap the corridors of power for the shiny floors of TV studios. In 1979, long before any ex-cabinet member’s rite of passage included hosting a podcast, or MPs, some still-serving, opted to line their pockets, sorry, I mean reach out to their constituents, with a foray into the celebrity jungle, Harold Wilson hosted an episode of BBC chat show Friday Night, Saturday Morning, when viewers were treated to the bizarre – some might say self-indulgent – spectacle of the former PM interviewing guests, including his own interlocutor Robin Day, his own impersonator Mike Yarwood, and his own wife, Mary. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. Much longer in the presenter’s chair was former MP Robert Kilroy-Silk, who made the “people’s talk show” his own for nearly 20 years. Sadly, his ITV quiz show Shafted proved less enduring, cancelled after four episodes and named the worst British show of the 2000s by the Penguin TV Companion. The move from Westminster to White City isn’t assured. Reality TV regular Edwina Currie’s early-2000s Currie Night was curtailed after a year, while Neil and Christine Hamilton’s Posh Nosh – in which the never-say-die pair descended on a stranger’s home in their Bentley to prepare a slap-up banquet – inexplicably failed to go beyond a pilot series. And for those who successfully make the jump, it’s not without complication. The sight of former shadow chancellor Ed Balls swinging his Strictly stuff to Gangnam Style was a singular television delight. Having him interview his own wife, the then-home secretary Yvette Cooper, on breakfast television proved more challenging for viewers, 8,000 of whom complained to Ofcom. If politics is "showbusiness for ugly people", is showbusiness politics for people whose heart was never really in it in the first place? I can’t imagine Dennis Skinner or Tony Benn trading the bench for the TV host’s chair, although I’d have paid good money to see Baroness Trumpington present The Weakest Link. In our age of optics, where the world’s most powerful man perfected his schtick down a lens, you’d think a return to politics would be a seductive prospect for such camera lovers. However, it seems not. Portillo also told me: “There’s no itch. Politics hasn’t changed, but I’ve changed.” Besides, not even the finest of Westminster’s ermine-lined robes can compete with his world-conquering wardrobe. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Great Japanese Railway Journeys airs Monday–Friday at 6:30pm on BBC Two. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Attenborough at 100: Chris Packham and more of TV's best wildlife experts mark David Attenborough's birthday
The next generation of broadcasters share birthday tributes to the man who inspired them all.
In a week's time, Sir David Attenborough will celebrate his 100th birthday – an occasion the whole nation will be happy to mark. The broadcaster, who is being honoured with special programming on the BBC, has influenced many wildlife experts who have gone on to front important documentaries of their own. To acknowledge this, Radio Times has gathered a number of birthday well wishes for Sir David from some of those famous faces. This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Chris Packham, naturalist and broadcaster One hundred years ago there was a new life on earth. If you were strolling through Isleworth in west London, you might have heard the faint crying of a newborn baby, nothing really of note, just another human on the planet about to embark on the trials of life. But as it’s turned out, that precious infant has grown into the most influential advocate for life our little blue planet has ever had – David Frederick Attenborough. I can trot out a long and miserable list of individual humans who have changed, indeed are changing, the world for the worse. Horror and suffering tattoo their infamy onto our history. But how about those who have made the world a better place, and not just for us but for every other species that creeps, crawls, slithers and slimes? Only one truly holds that accolade. A man whose passion and enthusiasm for life, and an infectious desire to communicate that to us all, has grown to command a global audience and enrapture young and old alike. In 100 years a lot changes, humans leave our living planet and journey into space, we discover distant galaxies, develop antibiotics and organ transplants, compose symphonies and paint great art, invent television and artificial intelligence. Along the way we fight and kill each other, but despite this our population quadruples to 8 billion. And this comes at a terrible cost for the rest of life, which has declined or been destroyed. We have even broken our climate. So amid the celebrations, consider the sadness this causes the man who has travelled to every corner of the earth and tried to protect it all and us. But without the world’s greatest ambassador for life, where we would be? Worse off, for sure. Somewhere in a jungle is a fly that still buzzes, due only to the energy and efforts of our wonderful birthday boy. Happy Birthday Dave, the world loves you! Steve Backshall, wildlife presenter David Attenborough has been like a favourite uncle, always there providing sumptuous stories and an endless insight into the natural world. While renowned as a great naturalist, his finest ability is as a storyteller – he can hold us spellbound. I’ve been lucky enough to meet and even work with David on several occasions, and have always been impressed with his humility, enthusiasm and childlike wonder. He still has that childlike quality about the natural world around him. That’s probably what sets him apart from naturalists Wallace, Humboldt and of course Darwin, through to the most overexcited natural history buffs of today! And throughout it all there is always his hushed voice, the relaxed nature of his stories, the sense that there is always time to save a word, a phrase or a wild moment. We are deeply blessed that he chose our field as his area of expertise. Martin Dohrn, wildlife filmmaker David Attenborough would seem to be a very lucky person. But often people confuse luck with hard work. I remember going to Costa Rica to film for the BBC series, Life in the Undergrowth, about invertebrates. It had been raining constantly when we arrived and didn’t stop for us. David was due in a few days and we needed to prepare a piece to camera involving a special tree with a little pool in the trunk, where a year previously a beautiful giant damselfly had been filmed laying eggs. Going to look at the tree trunk, everything looked dreadful in the dripping gloom and there were no damselflies. The rain stayed until just before David arrived and then, suddenly, it stopped and the sun came out. The following morning, we went to film at the damselfly tree pool. It was a beautiful scene, but there were still no damselflies. We decided to film anyway while the sun was out. Halfway through, incredibly, a damselfly appeared, landed right by the camera lens so that she and David were perfectly framed together – the holy grail of many wildlife shows where an actual person is presenter, and particularly so for one about insects. The damselfly tested the water then left – as if she had read the script. David laughed at the ludicrousness of her perfectly timed arrival, then continued without missing a beat, as if this was how we’d rehearsed it. Of course we were all lucky, but in the end David’s skill (which may have been with him since he was born, or which he may have honed over decades) made the moment. The rain returned pretty much as David left for his next assignment. Megan McCubbin, wildlife TV presenter and conservationist The iguana v racer snakes – you know the story! An iguana hatchling makes a break for its life across volcanic rocks with speedy snakes on its tail. The world held its breath watching this story unfold, with David Attenborough’s quiet yet powerful voice guiding us through it. This sequence – from Planet Earth II – is one of my favourites, but was filmed decades into a career that began in a very different world. Big bulky cameras, never-before-explored habitats and a young producer that would shape natural history television for ever. Sir David doesn’t simply document the natural world, he makes connection and curiosity accessible to millions. He’s had an enormous influence on my life through an accumulation of spellbinding moments. He teaches us to sit with the complexities of our planet, to notice its beautiful details and to feel the weight of our impact, by showing us how to love and conserve it. At 100, his career isn’t just about the facts or footage, it’s always been about perspective: the world is extraordinary, if you’re willing to really look. Happy birthday, Sir David! The world is a lot brighter and infinitely more beautiful because you taught me how to look and listen with real intention. Jack Baddams, Springwatch ornithologist It’s hard to overstate the impact The Life of Birds had on my life. I was five years old when it was broadcast [1998] but already burgeoning with an innate affinity for the feathered. This was long before a quick search on your phone could bring up a thousand images of animals from far-flung reaches of the globe. Attenborough was showing me the world’s birds for the very first time. Many scenes – such as the kiwi, snuffling for sandhoppers along a beach, as Attenborough lay only a metre behind this flightless, nocturnal oddity – live in my mind to this day. Some 26 years later, it inspired me to seek out my own meeting with this bird in a dark New Zealand forest. As the kiwi bumbled through the leaf litter, I became acutely aware that I was living my very own re-creation of that scene, fulfilling the dreams of a wide-eyed child, set in motion by Sir David more than two decades earlier. The brilliance of The Life of Birds continues to shine through with new generations. A clip of Sir David being floored by an aggressive, testosterone-fuelled male capercaillie (the world’s biggest species of grouse) in the Scottish Highlands still does the rounds on social media. Despite the battering he’s taking from this turkey-sized bird, Attenborough is a consummate professional and dutifully tries to complete his piece to camera while being chased and falling over the heather. But it’s a visit to the forests of south-eastern Australia – where the superb lyrebird is famed for its ability to mimic almost any sound and weave them into one of the most complex songs heard on planet Earth – that has found online immortality, with more than 40 million views on YouTube. I’m sure many of us have memorable sequences from Attenborough’s long career. Mine poured petrol onto a passion that has shaped my life. For the impact that Sir David had on me, and for every other kid who stared wondrously at the world’s wildlife that he brought to our screens, I will for ever be thankful. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Michael Jackson documentaries worth watching and where to stream
Here are five you can tune into right now.
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael has been a huge box office success in its opening days, despite negative reviews from critics. Following its first weekend of release, the film launched with $97 million in the US and $217 million globally, breaking the box office record for a musical biopic – which had previously been held by Bohemian Rhapsody. The movie, which features Michael's real-life nephew Jaafar Jackson, charts the life and legacy of the late musician from his early beginnings as a member of the Jackson 5 through to his 1987 Bad tour. With a decision yet to be made on whether there will be a follow-up to the movie, exploring Michael's later life, there are a number of documentaries available to watch that chart much of the singer's life, including the allegations made against him in the late '90s and early 2000s. If you're looking to watch more about Michael Jackson, these are five documentaries to tune into. Leaving Neverland 2: Surviving Michael Jackson Released: 2025 Where to watch: Channel 4 Leaving Neverland was first released in 2019 and featured Wade Robson and James Safechuck as they alleged they were sexually abused by Michael Jackson. Leaving Neverland 2 covers Robson and Safechuck's attempt to take their allegations to trial. The Jackson estate responded to the original documentary, calling it "the kind of tabloid character assassination Michael Jackson endured in life, and now in death". "The film takes uncorroborated allegations that supposedly happened 20 years ago and treats them as fact," they added. You can read the statement in full here. The 2019 film is currently unavailable to stream in the US, after the Jackson estate sued HBO, claiming the film went against a non-disparagement clause in a 1992 contract between the singer and HBO over the rights to Michael Jackson in Concert in Bucharest: The Dangerous Tour. In 2024, a settlement was reached between the estate and HBO, with a spokesperson for the network telling The New York Times: "It was resolved amicably." Louis, Martin & Michael Released: 2003 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer The interview that never was. In the early 2000s, Louis Theroux set out on a mission to interview Michael Jackson and in trying to attain that, he examined the world that surrounded him and those who worshipped him. Finding himself on the same hotel floor as Michael Jackson during a visit to the UK and a trip to Las Vegas that saw Theroux interview Joe Jackson in bizarre conditions to speaking with Jackson's friend Uri Geller who arranged an interview with Martin Bashir and Jackson that ultimately became Living with Michael Jackson. Michael Jackson: An American Tragedy Released: 2026 Where to watch: BBC iPlayer This three-parter charts the life of Michael Jackson from "child prodigy to global pop icon", exploring each major moment in his life. It tracks early beginnings in the Jackson 5, to allegations of abuse, to his death in 2009 while planning a comeback. The documentary features contributions from major figures in Jackson's life, including his sister La Toya Jackson, singer Dionne Warwick, his manager Dieter Wiesner, bodyguard Bill Whitfield, family attorney Brian Oxman and prosecutor Ron Zonen. Michael Jackson: The Trial Released: 2026 Where to watch: Channel 4 This documentary focuses on the 2005 trial of Michael Jackson, featuring exclusive footage and previously unheard audio tapes of Jackson, those close to him and the Los Angeles police. People v Jackson was a 2005 criminal trial. Jackson had been charged with molesting 13-year-old Gavin Arvizo at his Neverland Ranch. Jackson denied all accusations and was acquitted on all counts. Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall Released: 2016 Where to watch: YouTube Directed by Spike Lee, this documentary film chronicles the rise of Michael Jackson through the creation of his solo album, Off the Wall. This period of Jackson's life is explored in the biopic, with this documentary likely to feature further context behind his rise to fame. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
We celebrate Sir David Attenborough's 100th birthday in this week's issue
Sir David Attenborough at 100! His life, his mission and his legacy.
This week's issue has been a long time in the planning, and with good reason. Reaching the age of 100 is an extraordinary achievement, but to reach that milestone as the person who has documented the profound changes in our natural world makes it something truly special. For decades Sir David Attenborough has brought the wonders of the natural world into our homes, shaping how we understand the planet. Generations of viewers have grown up with his voice as a guide charting the beauty of the world and, increasingly, its fragility. This issue is a reflection on an extraordinary career and on a legacy that continues to evolve. And hopefully there is more to come. His message has never mattered more. Spending time with Sir David, even briefly, only deepens that admiration. Some years ago, I was fortunate enough to work with him on a cover shoot for RT in the butterfly house at Syon House in west London. As we waited for the perfect shot, the photographer suggested it would be wonderful if the butterflies were to land on him. Sir David paused, then sighed: "If you'd told me that before, I wouldn't have worn this blue shirt. I need a white one." All eyes turned to me. Off came my shirt and we swapped. No fuss, no drama, just a simple, practical solution. If only everyone in TV were like Sir David. Sadly, reader, I did have to give the great man his shirt back. The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Also in this week's Radio Times: Dame Joanna Lumley on still working and looking absolutely fabulous at 80. Lucy Punch returns in a new series of hit comedy Amandaland. Steve Coogan goes back to the 90s, playing a former copy who's waging war against illegal drugs. Add Radio Times as a Preferred Source on Google Keep up to date on what’s worth watching with your favourite entertainment news from Radio Times – see more of our exclusive news and interviews featured prominently in Top Stories when using Google. Did you know you can now order a previous edition of Radio Times magazine with our back issues service? Add David Attenborough's documentaries to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Inside the new must-watch David Attenborough documentary as the icon turns 100
From mountain gorillas to military tanks, Sir David Attenborough's wildest adventures are revisited in a new documentary to celebrate his 100th birthday.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. Bullets flew past David Attenborough’s head as furious soldiers flagged down his minibus. “The road was blocked,” he would later write in his diary. “There was no escape”. It was January 1978 and the 51-year-old was filming Life on Earth, the series that would seal his reputation as Britain’s greatest natural history programme-maker. The presenter and his crew had come from the Virunga mountain range in Rwanda, heading for Kigali and the plane back to London. They were carrying gold – the footage of Attenborough interacting with gorillas that would become one of the most famous scenes ever broadcast on television. And now it was all at risk. The Rwandan soldiers suspected that the BBC crew were, in collaboration with conservationist Dian Fossey, making a film critical of the Rwandan authorities’ failure to protect the mountain gorillas. The crew was driven to the local police headquarters and interrogated. After a night of hotel arrest, Attenborough and episode director John Sparks were taken to an army compound. Sparks wondered if they were going to be shot. “They were taken out and pretty much put up against the wall,” says Victoria Bobin, director of Making Life on Earth: Attenborough’s Greatest Adventure. Then, as the situation threatened to unravel, they were released. Just how close they came, as Attenborough puts it, “to losing everything”, is one of the revelations in Bobin’s documentary, which marks Attenborough’s 100th birthday by going back half a century to the broadcaster’s greatest television triumph. The 13-part 1979 BBC series, made with Warner Brothers, was an ambitious attempt to explain the development of life on our planet. Filming took three years and had the team crossing the globe as Attenborough attempted to cover “every aspect of animal behaviour” in over 100 locations. The result was truly event television; the brilliant graphic design of the opening credits and Edward Williams’s fanfare opening sound-track was followed by astonishing scenes of animals. The nation was hooked. It was said that the pubs were quieter on transmission nights and episodes attracted over 15 million viewers. A further 500 million people would watch around the world. To make the new documentary, Bobin took Attenborough to a small cinema, played a selection of episodes from the original series, pointed a camera at him and asked the great man to remember, a process aided by his impeccably kept diaries. “He has phenomenal recall,” says Bobin. “And he’s a lot of fun to be with, still excited about things at nearly 100. It’s easy to forget his age, because his passion for programme making is undimmed.” As Attenborough approaches his century, that passion is still at work in television, most recently in Secret Garden, where he brought his questing intelligence to the patch outside our back doors. “He is in remarkably good health,” says Mike Salisbury, who was an assistant producer on Life on Earth and went on to produce, amongst other series, The Life of Birds and The Life of Mammals. “I think the thing that worries him most is losing the power of his mind, because he has an incredible memory and is an incredibly good writer; he is a profound thinker about culture and conservation and the future of the world. But his mind is as sharp as ever.” As well as Life on Earth itself, the new documentary employs footage of Attenborough’s earlier career, exploring the backstory of how the series came about. Attenborough had achieved some fame in the 1950s as the presenter of Zoo Quest, a programme that (unthinkably now) went on expeditions to find animals for London Zoo. But it was sheer chance that he came to be seen on our TV screens. “Unfortunately, immediately after the very first programme, Jack [Lester, curator of reptiles at London Zoo] became ill,” Attenborough recalls in the documentary. “But it was in the Radio Times and the boss of television, said, ‘Well, Attenborough, you’re the only other person who was there, so you go and do it’. So, I had to appear because nobody else could that job.” Attenborough’s derring-do (he ran after anteaters and caught baby alligators in his jacket), clean-cut looks and enthusiasm chimed with the times, and Zoo Quest became immensely popular. By the mid-1960s he had retreated behind a desk as a dynamic controller of BBC Two. But all the time, he “longed to return to filming wildlife” and continued to plan a series showing how evolution had happened. First as BBC Two controller and then as director of programmes across the BBC, he was considering the technology that telling the story would require. In 1967, Attenborough oversaw the arrival of colour television in the UK with coverage of tennis at Wimbledon. Then, in 1969, he launched Pot Black and Kenneth Clark’s Civilisation. For the first time, snooker balls and the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel were seen in something like their true hues. What if he could do the same with leopards and jellyfish? In the early 1970s Attenborough was in line for the job of director-general. He claims he would have been a poor DG: “I don’t have political skills. I don’t have political sensitivities. I may know about birds of paradise,” he tells Bobin, “but I certainly don’t know about prime ministers.” In 1973 he resigned as director of programmes and convinced the corporation to okay Life on Earth, with him as writer and presenter. View oEmbed on the source website The budget was more than £1 million and when the team started filming they were using the most advanced cameras, film stock and lenses. Today, the series seems like a message from a long-gone analogue world. There were no mobile phones to connect the crew. It was shot on reels of film that were sent back to a lab in the UK and then to the Natural History Unit in Bristol before they could be sure they had the scene they needed. There were other dangers. At one point in the mountain gorilla episode, director John Sparks thought an adult female was going to pull Attenborough’s head off. Going down into Arizona’s Grand Canyon, Attenborough had a violent allergic reaction to the donkey he was riding and his eyes closed up. In Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, their hotel was commandeered by an Iraqi tank division. Yet the team never doubted Attenborough. “When people’s heads are drooping, it’s cold and awful, and we’re not getting anywhere, or the plane’s engines are broken and we can’t take off, he was really good at making a joke about it,” says Salisbury. “He’s a marvellous person to boost morale when you’re down. I’ve never heard David say, ‘This is awful. I don’t want any more of this.’ He would always find something positive out of a situation.” When the Life on Earth crew arrived in the Comoros Islands off the east coast of Africa, the left-wing government had just been overthrown by French mercenaries, who shot the president. Permissions to foreign television crews were cancelled, but Attenborough persuaded officials to let them film. Apart from the gorilla scene, the series featured several never-before-seen moments, including a lion hunt, a male frog spawning a youngster out of its mouth and, in the Comoros, a living coelacanth fish. Yet Life on Earth didn’t begin with gorillas or lions hunting in Tanzania – rather, the first episode was concerned with primitive algae. “I think that was very confident of them,” says executive producer of the new documentary Mike Davis. “One American co-producer at the time said, ‘An episode about green slime, are you crazy? How do you hook an audience across 13 hours?’ Today’s commissioners probably wouldn’t be brave enough with the audience’s attention span.” Certain things have been a constant with Attenborough: his desire to bring knowledge to a wider audience, his belief in the power of television and, although he probably wouldn’t admit it, no small amount of courage. It took guts to face the angry soldiers, and to sit with gorillas. Though, fantastically, much of the encounter – which was intended to illustrate the evolutionary importance of oppositional thumb and forefinger – wasn’t caught on film. “I was just about to start talking about the oppositional thumb and forefinger,” says Attenborough. “When I felt a hand come on top of my head. It was the adult female, she twisted my head, looked straight into my eyes and put a finger in my mouth.” Attenborough crawled back to director John Sparks and said, “Did we get much? And he said, ‘Well, we got a bit. I was waiting for you. I didn’t want to run out of film while you were explaining about the thumb and the forefinger’.” It turned out to be more than enough. Attenborough’s corpus of natural history programmes – Blue Planet, Frozen Planet, The Life of Birds, The Life of Mammals and the rest – indeed, our conception of what a nature documentary should be, all began in the Rwandan forest. Attenborough now says, “It was one of the most privileged moments of my life.” As we mark his 100th birthday, it’s one of ours as well. The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday – subscribe here. Making Life on Earth: Attenborough's Greatest Adventure is on Sunday 3 May at 8pm on BBC One Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Liz Bonnin reflects on the moment David Attenborough was handed a gun to shoot a caiman - and an explosion followed
Liz Bonnin will be among the stars marking Sir David Attenborough’s milestone birthday in a TV special hosted by Kirsty Young from the Royal Albert Hall.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. It’s unlikely there will be any birthday banners, balloons or party poppers in the Attenborough household on Friday 8 May. For there’s one thing that centenarian-to-be Sir David isn’t a fan of, and that’s a fuss. Which is a shame. Because on this very special day in his extraordinary life he’s likely to be at the centre of quite a lot of it. His typically heavy postbag will be further swollen with cards from scores, perhaps hundreds, of well-wishers both familiar and unknown. There’ll be calls from family and from his many colleagues and, of course, messages from royal admirers to savour. And then there’s the birthday bash – the star-studded tribute, led by his good friend Kirsty Young, that’s being held in his honour at London’s Royal Albert Hall and will air that night on BBC One. “Oh, he is going to hate all of the attention,” laughs Liz Bonnin, who will be one of many people on stage and screen helping celebrate his birthday milestone. “He will not be comfortable with all the love and the gushing because he is just so modest.” One of the themes of the evening – which is likely to feature a few surprises alongside Chris Packham, Steve Backshall and music from the BBC Concert Orchestra – will be how Attenborough has changed not just attitudes about the environmental challenges we face, but the lives of those now responding to those challenges – Bonnin among them. “I was nine at the time and I remember Life on Earth being repeated on TV. “When the gorillas sequence came on, I was captivated by this man and how engaging he was. It changed my life.” So much so that Bonnin went on to gain a Masters in wild animal biology and later started work with the BBC. It was while she was still learning her craft that she was introduced to Attenborough for the first time. “I got the opportunity to say hello but I was overwhelmed and couldn’t string a sentence together. But I also remember feeling that everyone wanted a piece of him.” It was something she observed in later years after she’d got to know him much better and, in her eyes, made his star shine even brighter. They were both attending the reopening of the Cambridge Museum of Zoology and Attenborough was, as usual, in great demand. “Standing quietly in the corner of this busy room was the son of one of the curators,” she recalls. “I saw David clock the boy and just walk over and start talking to him. That humanity, that generosity of time. That was the day I realised who he truly was. It’s always stayed with me.” One memory that’s stayed with Attenborough is an incident that he described to Bonnin in an online interview he did with her in 2021. He revealed that when he was travelling through what was then British Guiana in the mid-1950s for his series Zoo Quest, he was handed a gun by a cattle rancher and invited to shoot a caiman – a south American alligator – that was resting in a swamp. “I foolishly, no innocently pulled the trigger,” he told her. “There was an explosion and the caiman arched into the air with a huge splash and the entire scene was destroyed. All the birds screamed and disappeared and I sat there appalled. It was the first and last time I shot anything. That moment of the wonder, of this community of diverse birds and reptiles and what I had done to it, has lingered in my mind ever since.” “It’s an extreme example,” says Bonnin, “but to have had that experience and for it to have stayed with him says a lot about who he is.” Who he is, as will be clear during the 90-minute, televised Royal Albert Hall celebration, is an inspiration to millions, particularly those working in conservation. Bonnin has seen first hand just what an impact a handshake or a quiet word has. “I don’t think many people realise how much time David has spent travelling the length and breadth of the country, and the globe, connecting with conservationists and policy workers.” So if, through Radio Times, Bonnin could send Attenborough a birthday greeting, what would she want to say? “It would be a little less happy birthday and more of a thank you. Thank you for inspiring us, thank you for your humanity, for being the voice of our conscience and the voice of our planet and thank you for showing us what we can be when we’re at our best.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Best Netflix documentaries to watch right now
From murder, mayhem, madness and tigers to a sex-trafficking scandal that hit the headlines, Netflix has a wide range of documentaries to inspire you.
When it comes to documentaries, you know you can never go wrong with Netflix, which boasts a huge collection of fascinating non-fiction content. From headline-making titles like Tiger King and The Tinder Swindler, to true-crime shows like Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenét Ramsey, Unsolved Mysteries and What Jennifer Did, there are docuseries for everyone's tastes. New to Netflix is A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough, an intimate documentary that revisits the naturalist's first encounter with a baby gorilla in 1970s Rwanda, following the animal’s descendants today in a moving, conservation-led story of family, legacy and survival. A recent release is Being Gordon Ramsay, which follows the celebrity chef as he embarks on his most ambitious project yet - the opening of five culinary experiences in one of London's tallest buildings, 22 Bishopsgate. But the six-part series also offers an emotional glance at his personal life, as he delves into his childhood and fatherhood. There's also Louis Theroux's latest documentary, Inside the Manosphere; thought-provoking film MH370: the Plane That Disappeared, which looks into the theories surrounding the vanishing of the Malaysian flight in 2014 and stranger-than-fiction tale Sweet Bobby: My Catfish Nightmare, which tells the story of Kirat Assi, a woman who lost a decade of her life to a catfishing ordeal. For those crazy about canines, Gunther's Millions is the story of a German Shepherd said to have inherited $400 million from his countess owner in 1992 – a fortune managed by family friend Maurizio Mian. If those don't appeal, why not try Homicide: New York, the series that follows detectives and prosecutors as they revisit their most challenging homicide cases? Or how about Can I Tell You a Secret?, a chilling three-part series about the UK's worst cyber-stalking case? Or if natural history is more your thing, then Our Universe narrated by Morgan Freeman should hit the spot. Whatever you're after, there are so many great documentaries to choose from on Netflix and we've listed our favourites down below for you to start watching. Meanwhile, for those wanting something a bit different, we’ve also created shortlists of the best Netflix movies and the best Netflix series, as well as the best Netflix comedies.
Netflix unveils serene first look at much-anticipated Kylie Minogue documentary
The documentary features new interviews with Kylie Minogue.
Netflix has unveiled a first look at its upcoming documentary exploring the life of one of music's most enduring icons: Kylie Minogue. Across three episodes, Kylie opens her personal archives and reflects on a life that "captivates, inspires and soundtracks multiple generations". Told through a lifetime caught on home movie cameras, personal photographs and new interviews from the singer herself, the documentary captures "the woman behind the hits". "And how she has faced public scrutiny, personal loss and illness with grit and grace, earning respect far beyond her own fandom," the synopsis concludes. The first-look image, which you can see above, shows Kylie sitting on a porch wearing a cosy, warm top and looking down the camera with a smile. The docuseries will also include insights from friends, family and collaborators – including Dannii Minogue, Jason Donovan, Nick Cave and Pete Waterman. The three-parter has been directed by Emmy and BAFTA award-winner Michael Harte (Three Identical Strangers, Still: A Michael J Fox Movie, Beckham) and produced by John Battsek's Ventureland – the team behind Wham! and Beckham. Ventureland is currently in production on a number of projects, including a Netflix docuseries about the legendary football manager José Mourinho. 2025 was a big year for Kylie, who embarked on her Tension world tour and secured her first UK Christmas number one. View oEmbed on the source website Kylie will be available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media. Add Kylie to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Springwatch legend Michaela Strachan talks body confidence: "I never define cancer as ill health"
The presenter on first meeting "work husband" Chris Packham and 40 years on TV.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. What’s the view from your sofa? I have a telly sofa, but my second sofa is much more interesting because I live in Hout Bay in Cape Town. Looking out, I’ve got Table Mountain National Park on one side and the valley and sea on the other. It’s absolutely stunning. I moved to South Africa 24 years ago because I fell in love with my partner Nick [Chevallier, a cameraman/producer]. There’s always a bloke involved. What have you been watching? I’ve just started a Netflix documentary called Glitter and Gold: Ice Dancing. It’s about the drama, the tears, the dangers and the high-stakes world of ice dance. Well, you were the runner-up of Dancing on Ice in 2025... I look in awe at what they do. People said I was graceful, but jeepers, I was a sack of potatoes in comparison. I completely threw myself into Dancing on Ice. I embraced the false eyelashes, the hair, costumes... I wanted to keep skating, maybe compete in the more lax, geriatric adult stages, but after finishing, I found out I’d torn my hamstring and glutes. I’m still doing physio and it’s frustrating. Where do people tend to recognise you from? It depends on your age, but there are the Wide Awakers, The Really Wild Show fans, the Springwatchers. In the 80s and 90s, I was fodder for the newspapers: if you were blonde and bubbly, you were labelled a bimbo. I was doing a wacky children’s show, wearing my hair in a pineapple [a high ponytail], with ridiculous earrings on and just being daft. Everybody used to say, “You’ve got to get out of children’s telly” and I used to think “Why? I love it!” I had such fun. Now I’m in edutainment. I counted that I’ve done 50 different series. We have to mention your “work husband” Chris Packham... What Chris and I have is unique and special. When I first met him, I thought he was going to hate me. He was funky, edgy, a geek. He liked the Clash, I liked Kylie. I thought, “Jeez, how’s this going to work?” I’ve learnt a lot about his autism. When I see him, I give him a hug and he stands there looking awkward, but he loves it because it’s me. After ill health with breast cancer and a double mastectomy, did it affect your body confidence? I never define cancer as ill health. You’re really well one day, then you’re told you’ve got cancer and you’ve got to have an operation to get rid of it. I never felt ill. Body confidence-wise, I suffered from anorexia when I was a teenager, and since then, I’ve been very into, “Let’s just be fit, let’s look after my body.” I’m not a health freak, but I eat pretty well. I’m not a heavy drinker. I’m quite a disciplined morning exercise person – hiking makes me happy. How do you feel about recently turning 60? There are a lot of people who retire or are empty nesters, and they can lose their purpose. I’m lucky, because I’m 60 and I’m still working and passionate about what I do. Also, the four kids are grown up, but two of my stepchildren and their partners and babies are living with us at the moment, so we weren’t empty nesters for long. Go find your new community, your new identity. How did creating your tour make you reflect on 40 years on TV? People often ask, “How have you lasted so long?” You’ve got to turn the volume up a bit, but ultimately, you have to be authentic. I know that my enthusiasm irritates some people, because I read the mean comments online. I remember someone saying, “I always thought she was rubbish, she’s still rubbish, I don’t know how she’s still on television.” I felt like writing back and saying, “Well, here I am, so your opinion must be the minority, mate.” The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
ITV's beloved 7 Up series will end after 62 years with "epic and moving" final chapter 70 Up
The emotional conclusion is coming to ITV later this year.
ITV's long-running 7 Up documentary series is concluding with an "epic and moving" final instalment later this year. In 1964, 7 Up was screened for the very first time and every seven years since, cameras have returned to capture a journey from childhood to teenagers to adulthood, through careers, marriage, divorce, parenting, bereavement and more. And now, 70 Up, will allow viewers to join the participants for the last time as they reflect on their triumphs, trials and tribulations and what happened to their hopes and dreams. In the finale, the participants will look back at their lives in a way very few people ever have, caught on camera and recorded for ever. The finale will feature Tony, the "cheeky chap" who wanted to be a jockey before becoming a London cab drive, as well as Neil, who once dreamed of being an astronaut. Plus Bruce, the public schoolboy who wanted to be a missionary, Symon, who has fostered more than 120 children, shy Paul, who is now a grandparent and Jackie, who left Scotland with a new partner. ITV has teased: "Sue will talk about marrying Glenn and decades working at Queen Mary University of London, while Peter has more music news. KC John who wanted a powerful career and lawyer Andrew, the prep school boy who famously read the FT, return. Alongside them is Suzy, the young ballerina who hated her private school. "The series will remember fondly the late Lynn, part of the trio of friends. Meanwhile, we hear from Charles who left the programme at 21. And the series will also include a poignant and moving interview with the late Nick, the farmer’s son who fulfilled his dream to become a nuclear physicist." View oEmbed on the source website Jo Clinton-Davis, controller of factual ITV and commissioner of 70 Up said: "The 7 Up story is much more than a TV documentary, it’s a document of our times. A truly distinctive landmark piece of film-making that has become part of our cultural fabric. In the evolving stories of our cast we see the universal themes of life play out. It is the series that made me want to get into television. "It is the series that I am beyond proud of having been involved in since 56 Up. It is a tribute to Michael Apted who will forever be associated with it and to the continued dedication and remarkable skill of Claire Lewis. Yet in Asif Kapadia we have an outstanding director who will bring his passion, creativity and incredible flair whilst safeguarding the very precious ‘Up’ legacy. Ultimately, this is a tribute to the courage of all the cast who continue to share their lives with us so we can see our lives in them." While Asif Kapadia, director of 70 Up commented: "In 2014 I named the Up Series as my favourite documentary of all time. Who knew that two decades later I would have the incredible honour and privilege to be asked to direct 70 Up, the legendary documentary series. I love the show! I have watched it all my life, first as a child with my parents and siblings, growing up in East London and then as an adult. I was lucky to meet Michael Apted a few times. View oEmbed on the source website "I first came in contact with Apted when he interviewed me after he saw SENNA and he liked the fact I directed drama and documentaries, like him. Directing 70 Up has been a dream project for me, the ultimate portrait of human life, working with my amazing editors Andrew Hulme and Patrick Saxer, we had the challenge of cutting hours of archive material shot over decades, while also looking at the nature of documentary filmmaking itself. I hope the audience feel my team and I have done the epic series justice with the closing chapter." What remains at the heart of the films will be questions of class, education, wealth and the all important thread of whether it holds true to say: "Give me a child until he is seven and I will show you the man." Mike Blair, creative director at MultiStory Media and executive producer of 70 Up added: "It has been a privilege to be part of this truly groundbreaking series - one that I have followed my whole life. It is a bittersweet moment drawing it to a close. "But in Asif Kapadia we found a director who has paid homage to what has gone before because he believes, like the rest of us, that it is very precious. It is the end of a historic television journey and we hope everyone – particularly the people whose lives we have followed for decades - will feel these films are a fitting tribute." 70 Up will air on ITV later this year. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
National Geographic unveils first look at Stanley Tucci's "captivating" travel series
Stanley Tucci is returning for a second season of his Emmy-nominated series Tucci in Italy – and fans finally have a first look at what's to come. The upcoming season, which launches on Tuesday 12 May, follows Tucci as he returns to Italy and visits five new regions – Naples and Campania, Sicily, Le Marche, Sardinia and Veneto – to trace the link between Italy's historical landscape and its culinary traditions, where the ritual of the shared meal remains the ultimate expression of its people. The new trailer provides a closer look at what's to come on Tucci's journey as he invites audiences on a journey to the country he loves. Snippets include him trying a lot of food, learning about its rich history and drinking plenty of wine. You can watch the full trailer below. View oEmbed on the source website "In Italy, food is never just food. It’s memory, identity and, sometimes, a full-blown argument," said Tucci. "This season, we explore how the past continues to shape the present, one region and one extraordinary meal at a time. I’m so pleased to share these captivating stories and these wonderful people with you." The synopsis teases: "In season 2, Tucci visits new regions, including Le Marche, a lesser-known destination he’s never featured before. Located in central Italy along the Adriatic coast, the region's rich culinary delights have largely escaped the attention of international tourists. "In Campania and its famed capital, Naples, he celebrates a once-forgotten vine grape, and in Veneto, he deliciously wades into the passionate culinary debate over the origins of tiramisu. "Stanley also explores two very different Islands: Sardinia, where he looks into the relationship between food and longevity, and Sicily, where multicultural history has left a delicious mark on its food." Tucci in Italy premieres on Tuesday 12 May at 8pm on National Geographic. All episodes will be available to stream on Disney+. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Trust Me: The False Prophet intro song – who is the singer behind the track?
The four part series is available to watch on Netflix now.
Trust Me: The False Prophet is a brand new true crime series on Netflix, following cult psychology expert Christine Marie and videographer Tolga Katas, who set out to document and support "a community in crisis". In 2011 Warren Jeffs, the president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (FLDS), was sentenced to life in prison for sexually assaulting two underage girls. His imprisonment left the community "fractured and adrift" and as Christine and Tolga got to know those within, they soon learned of Samuel Bateman, a now convicted sex offender. At the time, Bateman welcomed the cameras and believed Christine and Tolga were creating a documentary that would spread his message, but he was unaware they were secretly gathering evidence of his crimes. "When we moved here, we didn’t intend to do a documentary at all," Christine told Tudum. "We saw some things that we thought should be documented, and we were doing that as a service to the people." Each of the four episodes begins with a song closely linked to the title – and viewers have found themselves wondering the voice behind it. Read on to find out more. What is the intro song in Trust Me: The False Prophet? The song is called Trust Me by Lola Blanc, and is available to stream wherever you listen to your music. Blanc is Christine's daughter, who shared a video confirming the familial link on social media. "So proud of my mama @dr.christinemarie and @nomzia_b and @tolgakatas and everyone else! I’m so glad we can finally talk about this y’all," she wrote in the caption. Christine shared her support in a comment and wrote: "This was so great and sweet. You are the best, most talented daughter a mother could ever dream of having. I love you baby!" View oEmbed on the source website Trust Me: The False Prophet is available to watch on Netflix now. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media. Add Untold to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Untold series on Netflix to feature Vinnie Jones, Jamie Vardy for "raw, unfiltered" new episodes
This will be the first time the series will have a UK focus.
Netflix's critically acclaimed Untold series is coming to the UK for the first time, pulling back the curtain on epic events and personalities in the world of football. In three standalone episodes, the docuseries will feature Jamie Vardy, Liverpool's 2005 Champions League winning team, and Vinnie Jones, as the series goes beyond the headlines and upends what fans thought they knew. Beginning on Tuesday 12 May, the episodes will premiere weekly, promised to be "packed with grit, resilience, heartbreak, dressing room banter and the wild truth behind the scenes". Jamie Vardy will be the focus of the first episode, featuring unseen archive, raw dressing room tales and interviews with Vardy, his wife Rebekah, teammates, managers and his oldest friends. The synopsis reads: "Untold UK: Jamie Vardy shows how a lad from Sheffield smashed records, tore up the rulebook and made a mockery of what's supposed to be possible in the modern game. This is football's ultimate underdog story – told exactly as Vardy lived it." Premiering on Tuesday 19 May is Liverpool's Miracle of Istanbul which "relives every heart-stopping moment on that unforgettable night whilst chronicling the team’s volatile journey to the final". The synopsis continues: "Under the new, unconventional management of Rafa Benítez, their top striker, Michael Owen, departing for Madrid, and rival teams circling their captain, Steven Gerrard, Liverpool were experiencing a demoralising season and needed a miracle. "Fuelled by sheer grit and determination, this team of underdogs managed to achieve the unthinkable." Finally, on Tuesday 26 May, the documentary will feature Vinnie Jones and plans to deliver "the raw, unfiltered story behind the headlines and dives two footed into the 'Crazy Gang' legacy and the fallout from a controversy that nearly banished Vinnie from the game for good". Told through his own words, Jones will chart his journey from the building sites of Wealdstone to FA Cup glory at Wembley and the hills of West Hollywood, revealing the true story of his rise, fall and remarkable comeback against the odds. Untold UK begins on Tuesday 12 May on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £5.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media. Add Untold to your watchlist on the Radio Times: What to Watch app – download now for daily TV recommendations, features and more. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Michael Portillo reveals two near-death experiences he encountered in Japan – and the most futuristic thing he found
Hot sand baths, risky sushi, robot carers... Japan delivered no end of thrills and surprises for the railway enthusiast.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. So, Michael, you went to Japan and they buried you? Up to my neck in black sand, yes. Hot springs are a big thing out there because of all the volcanic activity, and I went to one on Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands, where the subterranean waters heat the sand, and they bury you in it. It’s supposed to be good for all sorts of bits for you – people swear by it for the circulation, digestion and so on. It’s really no odder than going to a sauna. Except in a sauna you’re not buried. What if they forget to exhume you? It’s doubtful you could get yourself out, but there are people on hand to help. They stuck a parasol on my head to protect me from the sun – although it then poured with rain, and it was one of those pretty paper ones so not terribly effective at keeping me dry. I won’t be hurrying to do the whole thing again, though I did love Kyushu. Not far from Ibusuki, where they buried me, is a very beautiful volcano called Sakurajima, which translates as “Cherry Blossom Island”. It’s perfectly volcano-shaped, and it’s one of Japan’s most active, so everyone in the area is drilled on what to do if it erupts. We saw all these tiny tots going to school in their pink hard hats and carrying survival cases. You survived another near-death experience with a dinner, didn’t you? Yes, there was the pufferfish. This is the Japanese delicacy that naturally contains a deadly neurotoxin with no known antidote, so chefs have to have something like 20 years of training before they’re licensed to prepare it. I tried it at Shimonoseki, on the main island, Honshu, and you have this real feeling of playing Russian – or Japanese – Roulette. What does it taste like? I’m guessing... fish? It tasted extremely like fish. It was quite pleasant – neither the best nor the worst fish I’ve ever had, though possibly the most exciting, given that I was dicing with death. It was certainly better than the fried octopus balls I had in Osaka, but nowhere near as good as the sushi. That was gorgeous. Sushi chefs, too, have years and years of training, and to see it carved in front of you, with all this delicacy and artistry, is tremendous. I’d never understood this before, but the chef told me the most delicate thing to do is swallow the entire piece of sushi in one go – and these are quite large pieces. Now mine is not a small mouth, but nonetheless conversation was not possible for some time after each mouthful. You didn’t suspect they were giving you extra big bits just to shut you up? I did not. That’s simply not the way the Japanese think. In fact, I found them incredibly friendly. Thanks to Google Translate, you can sit down with people anywhere and have a chat – if they don’t speak English, they simply pass you their mobile phone, you speak into it, and it’s immediately translated for them. It’s now very easy for foreigners to get about, too. On the Tokyo subway, for instance, there are signs and announcements in English. In fact, each station has its own jingle. So if you’re a routine commuter, you don’t even have to look up from your iPhone – you just hear the jingle, have a Pavlovian reaction and leave the train. Please tell me subway-stop jingles weren’t the most futuristic thing you experienced. No, at Waseda University, also in Tokyo, I met these robots they’re developing to help elderly people, though I think they have some way to go. There was one that’s meant to turn people over in bed – it sort of sticks an arm under your knees, and another one goes on your back, and it’s meant to give you a little flip. It didn’t throw you halfway across the room, did it? No, the opposite. I think it was used to more delicate Japanese forms rather than a heavy Westerner. I’m not a slight creature, so I had to give it a bit of help. Then there was another one that’s meant to take your shirt off and hang it up. It did that all right, but when it was offered one of my jackets, which are heavier, that was too much for it. It just dropped it on the floor. Did it do that on grounds of taste, because the AI objected to my colourful wardrobe? I don’t think so. Great Japanese Railway Journeys, Monday–Friday 6.30pm BBC Two The latest issue of Radio Times is out now – subscribe here. Great Japanese Railway Journeys airs Monday–Friday at 6:30pm on BBC Two. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Chernobyl disaster survivor reveals haunting vision after explosion – and shock at people today who don't know about the horrors
Forty years after the nuclear catastrophe at Chernobyl, those who were at the very centre recall the deadly details.
This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine. For decades, Sergei Belyakov had the same recurring nightmare. He was inside the Chernobyl Power Plant in Ukraine, soon after the explosion on 26 April 1986 that created the worst nuclear disaster in history. “I turned down a short corridor which seemed to be yellow everywhere – the floor, the walls, the windowsills,” he says. “Suddenly I realised the yellow colour was thousands of butterflies, all dead.” Yet this haunting vision was not the conjuring of dark imagination but a sight he saw with his own eyes, little more than three months after Reactor Four at Chernobyl blew apart. Belyakov, then a 30-year-old university chemistry lecturer in Dnipropetrovsk, 390 miles south-east of the nuclear plant, was one of the thousands of Soviets drafted in to clean up the lethal radioactive waste – a necessary step before the giant reactor could be entombed in concrete to limit the further spread of radiation. “It was on one of my first days that I saw the butterflies, perhaps 2,000 of them,” he says. “I never understood how they got there. It was absolutely surreal.” His is one of many disparate stories in Chernobyl: Inside the Meltdown, a four-part series to mark the 40th anniversary of the accident. Others include Igor Kirschenbaum, one of the few surviving workers of those who were inside the control room of Reactor Four when the accident happened, during a safety test. “Given the command to start, I pushed the shutdown button to disconnect the generator from the grid,” recounts Kirschenbaum, then 28. “There was a terrible noise, thunder, dust falling from the ceiling, everything shook. A turbine operator said, ‘The ceiling has partially collapsed.’ I thought maybe he’d been hit on the head and was confused. He said, ‘I’m not crazy. You can see the stars.’ So I went and looked, and you really could.” No one grasped that the reactor had been destroyed, but an evacuation began. Kirschenbaum got in an ambulance with injured colleagues, who started vomiting. “So the ambulance stopped to let them out, right opposite the destroyed reactor. There was a strange blue glow from it and we got out to see better, standing there amazed.” It was days before he realised there would be deaths from the disaster, “and that was a shock for me”. By contrast, Belyakov’s knowledge of chemistry and radiation meant he always understood the seriousness of the accident. Even so, among thousands of men conscripted to help within the 30km exclusion zone created around Chernobyl, Belyakov was a volunteer. “My wife was afraid for me. My son was eight at that time, but I wanted to help my country. I thought I would be collecting data in the exclusion zone, but I was assigned to manually clean up the radioactive material inside the station. It never crossed my mind to refuse.” Thus, he joined the men who became known as “liquidators”. During his 40 days on site, Belyakov’s work included using a forklift truck to move radioactive material to a waste burial ground. But on six days he worked the most dangerous shift of all as a “bio-robot”, clearing nuclear rubble from the reactor roof using only a shovel. It was potentially so lethal that even in heavy protective lead gear, those working there were allowed on the roof for barely two minutes at a time. Belyakov says, “Hundreds of us would queue for hours on 25 window-less flights of stairs. Then you arrive at the doorway to hell. I was psyched up, heart pumping. There was no time to think of being afraid. We wore industrial respirators with goggles which steamed up. It was like a torture chamber, but you had a job to do: run out, climb a couple of ladders, then dislodge the melted graphite with just a shovel. “Afterwards I had a metallic taste in my mouth and couldn’t look at the sun. My nose was clogged. I was very physically fit at the time, and lost 20kg during my 40 days there. Back home I couldn’t walk 100 metres without holding a wall to catch my breath. I had problems with my kidneys and immune system, and we were told not to have more children in case our genes had been affected. “Now I meet people who have never heard of Chernobyl, which is incredible to me. But I don’t think of myself as courageous for having volunteered. It was my duty. If not us, who?” The latest issue of Radio Times is out on Tuesday 14 April – subscribe here. Chernobyl: Inside the Meltdown begins Sunday 19 April at 9pm on National Geographic. Check out more of our Documentaries coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.