Megan McCubbin has become quite the sensation on Springwatch.
The stepdaughter of Chris Packham, she’s previously had to fight her share of “nepo baby” claims, but this series has seen the 20-something brunette fly the nest as it were. For suddenly it’s Megan who has been making the headlines - and it’s clear Chris no longer needs to take her under his wing. If indeed he ever did anyway.
For Megan, 28, has been charming audiences on all fronts - first by ruffling feathers when her cheeky beaver innuendoes lit up social media. And then going viral after presenting a whole live segment from Scotland while being under attack from a giant swarm of midges.
Having been raised from the age of two by stepdad Chris, she’s, of course, used to the dangers of working on a really, really wild show. But as she bids goodbye to her fourth - and most talked about - series of Springwatch, it’s clear Megan’s fame is about to soar even higher.
Speaking to us from Glasgow, she’s, quite frankly, bemused by the online fuss about her recent beaver slip-up. All she asked was “Have we seen any beaver action?”
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But it was enough to prompt prudish fans to go wild on X, messaging bosses: “This is a family show.” One suspects most viewers however didn’t really give a dam (ahem). Yet Megan, 28, insists any innuendo was not deliberate.
“I mean if an animal’s called a beaver, unfortunately it’s called a beaver,” she says. “And there’s only so many ways you can say that. You can be a bit playful and a bit silly with things and you hope to make the audience laugh at some point.
Megan shares a close bond with Chris Packham (DAILY MIRROR)“But with the whole beaver item, there was no intentional innuendo. I mean, just seeing that beaver live the other day, I [was] so excited. It was just great beaver action. You can’t rename an animal, it’s called what it’s called. You say the word beaver and people start giggling.
“I mean, it is the scientific name of an animal but people have fun with it and if it makes people laugh that’s all part of the fun!” Talking of such things, Megan’s quick to laugh when asked if she preferred beavers to boys growing up.
Indeed her teen years were definitely more concerned with learning about animals than dating and make-up - much to Chris’s relief, no doubt. “Beavers to boys?! I love that,” laughs the zoologist.
“I always loved wildlife. That was always part and parcel of growing up. I was always the kid that was late to class because I was picking up earthworms from the path if it rained because I didn’t want anyone to tread on them. And I always wanted to look after the wildlife that was locally around my school and around my home. So I was a bit nerdy with the wildlife!”
Megan now shares a lot of these weird animal facts she’s learned on the podcast The Frog’s Bollocks, which she presents with her Springwatch wildlife cameraman boyfriend James Stevens. And with the show wrapping its final episode of its 20th series this week, Megan’s excited to start another project that means a lot to her.
Megan has always been interested in wildlife (DAILY MIRROR)For today she was unveiled as the new Champion for Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic gardens in Sussex, and home of the Millennium Seed Bank. With an incredible 2.4 billion seeds from around the globe stored in the bank, Megan is keen to support its search for science-based solutions to some of the planet’s most pressing challenges.
Presenter and GP, Dr Amir Khan was also announced as a Champion today, with the pair looking forward to joining Wakehurst ambassador and Oscar winner Cate Blanchett in highlighting the stunning 535-acre site as a must-visit place in coming months, particularly as the wild meadows are coming into their own.
Megan, for one, is a fan of the rewilding craze, championed by many celebs (and former Prime Minister’s wives). Indeed, in what might be music to the ears of many homeowners everywhere, she believes mowing the lawn is one thing we should all be leaving off the chores list this summer.
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“It is easy to overlook the UK’s meadows, but in reality they are incredible microcosms packed with wild flowers, grasses and wildlife rarely seen elsewhere. So let’s kind of hold off mowing for the summer so you can have a little bit of Wakehurst wherever you are,” she says.
Chris and Megan visited Snowdonia for their Summer Road Trip (BBC NHU/Megan McCubbin)“You’ve just got to start somewhere, sow a few seeds and let things go a little bit wild. By increasing the amount of biodiversity that we are coming into contact with we also increase our mental health in a direct correlation.
“So there’s not only benefits for the wildlife, but also for us too.” Talking of mental health, part of the strong bond she shares with Chris, 63, is due to them both being neurodiverse.
He began dating her mum when Megan was two and practically raised her, along with her real dad who remained on the scene. She was always visiting Chris on set and they bonded over their passion for wildlife.
But Megan is also dyslexic while Chris has spoken about his autism. And that brought them even closer together. They regularly support each other at work.
“Sometimes my pronunciation can be a little bit off,” explains Megan. “If I get a word in my head one way, it is really hard to say it in a different way. Or once I’ve got a story in my head one way it can be hard to change it. [So] if I pronounce something wrong and he’ll notice it in a rehearsal, he’ll send me a message and go ‘Say it like this’.
Megan opened a new annexe or ‘wing’ at the National Bird of Prey Hospital near Andover (Jonathan Buckmaster)“And then if he goes off on a tangent somewhere, I tend to bring him back as well. So we are both able to support each other. Growing up in quite a neurodiverse house was great. It opens up your mind to seeing things in a whole new way.”
Particularly when it comes to fashion sense, in Chris’s case. What does Megan think of his snazzy style we see on Springwatch? “Honestly. That’s the least of it,” she teases. “There’s a lot worse lurking in his wardrobe.”
She adds: “[But] He’s got a style and I respect that. I like someone that’s got something a bit different.” Chris and Megan’s mum split when she was still at home. But she sees him as an extra parent.
“Technically my mum and Chris were never married. He’s technically not my stepdad but it’s the easiest thing to [call] him other than 'my mum’s ex-boyfriend who raised me', which is a bit more of a mouthful,” she laughs.
Megan with Springwatch wildlife cameraman boyfriend James Stevens (Dave Benett/Getty Images for National Geographic)
Megan has been interested in animals since she was a child (Instagram)“I’ve got three parents. I’ve got a really great relationship with my dad. I’ve got a great relationship with my mum and a great relationship with Chris. I’m very lucky to have three very supportive parents and am very grateful for it.”
Asked if she would like Chris to walk her down the aisle on her wedding day, it appears Megan’s not thinking about wedding bells anytime soon. “Oh my!,” she laughs. “Yeah. I don’t know. I haven’t thought that far ahead. I’m not really a girly girl like that!”
There has of course been the inevitable “Nepobaby” criticism, since she joined Springwatch in 2020, 11 years after Chris made his debut. But she had actually already had a career and paid her dues working on everything from documentaries on BBC3 to producing reports for Al Jazeera new channel.
She brushes off the critics like she did the midges in that now infamous viral clip. “No, it doesn’t,” she says, when asked if the term bothers her. “It really doesn’t. And I respect it. Look, I’m so aware of the privilege that I’ve been brought up in.
“I’ve been so lucky to have the experiences that I’ve had. Having Chris in my life has opened up so many different experiences from travelling, seeing animals around the world.
Megan says she's 'lucky' to have had Chris in her life (Collect Unknown)“And I grew up on film sites. I grew up around cameras. I grew up around this entire industry. It’s everything that I’ve ever known. And don’t get me wrong, I’m still learning every single day.
“I’m very privileged to do the job and I’ll do it for as long as they allow me to. I’m very, very grateful, but I don’t get myself down with negative comments.” It’s that kind of level-headedness which helps her in some of the more difficult animal scenarios.
“The midge one is a classic,” she says. “Scotland, especially on the West coast, is known for its midges. Now midges are a really important source of food. They’re an integral part of the food chain.
“But unfortunately, when I was live presenting Springwatch, I was an integral part of their food chain!” It seemed she should have seen it coming.
“Looking back, the crew all had midge nets on their heads, they were covered head to toe,” she says. “I had my net on until two seconds before going live. But the moment you get the countdown in your ear, I had to swing the net off and allow [myself] to be swarmed!
“I’m quite lucky that I don’t react too badly to them. They annoy me and bite me, but I don’t kind of swell up or anything. [Yet]It’s quite hard concentrating when you’ve got midges in your eyelashes and in your scalp and in your mouth and everywhere else.”
With skills like that she should be shoo-in casting for the next I’m a Celeb. You can’t even phase her when she comes face to face with a shark. Indeed, in Megan’s mind, the only real villain in Jaws is not the shark, but Steven Spielberg - for giving the fish such a bad rep.
“I’m a big advocate for sharks and lots of people are quite scared of them,” she says. “Steven Spielberg has really given them a hard time - their reputation. I mean, it was a great film. I love the film, but it did kind of foster this fear of these man-eating animals in our waters. But I’ve been in the water diving with sharks so many times and my experience of them has been nothing but curious, intelligent animals that are just wanting to figure out what you are...”
Rather you than us Megan. There’s probably not too many sharks likely to pop up on the next Springwatch. But as she’s leading the Scottish reports, maybe a dip with Nessie will be on the cards. Just sowing the seeds for producers....
Springwatch is available on BBC iPlayer now. Megan McCubbin is the new Champion for Wakehurst. Find out more here.
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