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Chris Packham shares story behind long-running joke Springwatch fans have missed

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Chris Packham with Michaela Strachan and Iolo William on the set of Springwatch (Image: BBC/Jo Charlesworth)
Chris Packham with Michaela Strachan and Iolo William on the set of Springwatch (Image: BBC/Jo Charlesworth)

It could be the Silence of the Lambing season on Springwatch this series because co-host Chris Packham is considering sneaking the names of movies into his chat.

The star usually shoehorns song titles into the BBC wildlife programme. He reckons the running joke “adds another dimension” to the show. Chris, 62, said: “I have done it for years and the BBC never knew it was happening. Due to my eclectic taste in music they did not know what I was talking about.

“Half of the people I was working with did not know The Smiths’ back catalogue or The Clash as well as I did, let alone The Jesus and Mary Chain or The Damned. I also did Oscar winning film titles from the 1970s onwards. I may sneak music references into the new series... it could be film titles this time.”

At the Royal Television Society Programme Awards in Central London, he added: “It gives me something to concentrate on as when I am talking about something like wildlife for an hour I find that quite hard. My mind can wander so it gives me something to do.” Chris, who is autistic, started sneaking song titles into the show more than a decade ago.

In 2012, he squeezed in 49 songs and albums by David Bowie. The following year he crammed in 70 tracks by The Clash, including Should I Stay or Should I Go within minutes of the first episode starting. The show returns at the end of May.

Ashleigh Rainbird

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