Featured Image Credit: Karwai Tang/WireImage/Getty Images/David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for Apple
Topics: Celebrity, Documentaries, Environment, Sir David Attenborough, TV And Film
Rhiannon Ingle
Topics: Celebrity, Documentaries, Environment, Sir David Attenborough, TV And Film
David Attenborough is arguably one of the UK's most beloved celebrities following his decade-spanning career as a British broadcaster.
The 98-year-old, who is best known for writing and presenting in conjunction with the BBC Studios Natural History Unit, is the recipient of a whole bunch of accolades including several BAFTA Awards and a Peabody Award (2014).
However, his title changed forever when he was knighted by the late Queen Elizabeth II in 1985 officially making him Sir David Attenborough.
And then, some decades later, was appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2022 at a special ceremony carried out by the then Prince Charles.
Advert
Now, David has been on the earth now for nearly 100 years and is considered one of the UK's most cherished stars.
However, a Planet Earth III executive producer has since shared what name you should never call him and exactly why the environmentalist 'hates' it so much.
Speaking to the Metro at the Planet Earth III Live in Concert event, which David will host when it comes to London and Manchester in October, Mike Gunton revealed that the presenter 'hates' being referred to as a 'national treasure'.
"He hates it, by the way," Mike said.
The producer, who has been working with David date since the late 1980s to help with the BBC documentary The Trials of Life: A Natural History of Behaviour, continued: "I say hates it… If anybody says he’s a national treasure, he sort of slightly raises his eyebrows and says, 'Really?' That’s a generational thing."
When the outlet noted that David’s work is 'of far greater importance than a title', Mike agreed: "You’ve hit the nail on the head."
Looking back on the work he and David have done together on The Trials of Life,
Mike explained: "One of the reasons why I was hired was to go on location with him and come up with all these crazy things of getting him climbing termite mounds and all the rest of it.
"So lots of the things that I’ve done with him have been saying, 'I’d like you to do this, David I’d like to climb up the top of this tree'.
"On the Private Life of Plants when he was 94, 'I’d like you to row across this lake'. He’s always been completely up for that."
The producer praised: ‘"The thing that he brings when he’s on camera, on-screen is - and it goes back to what you’re saying about the national treasure - he’s not interested in himself at all.
"He’s just interested in telling you, in the most interesting and joyful and intense way, what’s exciting and interesting about this piece of natural history. That’s unfakeable - that only comes from fantastic knowledge and fantastic passion."