BBC Springwatch star makes painful admission on decision to quit show after seven years: 'Like leaving home'
Kate Humble presented alongside Chris Packham for two years
BBC
Former Springwatch presenter Kate Humble has branded her departure from the show in 2011 as a "bit like leaving home" and has opened up about her decision to leave 13 years on.
The BBC series was first aired in 2005 where Humble co-hosted with Bill Oddie until his exit in 2009, after which Chris Packham stepped in.
Packham continues to present the series alongside step-daughter Megan McCubbin, Michaela Strachan, Gillian Burke, and Iolo Williams, bringing viewers the latest news in agriculture and the ever-changing wildlife.
Humble recently sat down with Reach PLC to look back at her time on the show and explained how tough it was to make the decision to walk away from the show she loved dearly.
"It was a bit like leaving home, I loved Springwatch. I was enormously proud of it and it was enormously challenging in all the best sort of ways."
When asked about the unpredictability during the live broadcasts, Humble added: "I mean, [it's] terrifying, you know, you're working with animals on live telly, you can't get them to turn up at eight o'clock and do something spectacular.
Kate Humble left the series back in 2011 after seven years
BBC
"I would hear the countdown to on-air in my ear and think, 'I have literally no idea what's gonna happen', and, you know, working with all the incredible naturalists, and conservationists, and filmmakers and all the people that I've worked with over the years - it was amazing."
Despite the ongoing challenges, Humble noted how over time it "stopped scaring me" and explained: "But, the honest truth is, it stopped scaring me.
"There is a quote that people attribute to Eleanor Roosevelt, which is, 'Do something that scares you every day', and I really live by that, and when Springwatch stopped scaring me, I thought, 'this is such an important programme, it has done so much'.
"I mean, I still have people come up to me now and say, 'I work in conservation because of the Springwatch', and I knew all programmes need refreshing, you know, things need a new approach a new set of eyes," reports OK! Magazine.
"And for me, when it stopped scaring me, I thought this is the time that I need to step away and someone else needs to come in because they'll keep it going and that's the most important thing that Springwatch keeps going.
The star is adamant that she will not be returning to the BBC series
PA
"So it was really hard decision in some ways. But also it was a really easy decision because I knew for me it was the right thing to do, even though as I say, I felt bereft."
Whilst many would love to see Humble return to their screens and back on the Springwatch rota, the star herself has ruled out her return as she continues to dedicate her time to wildlife and climate change causes through her work with LNER.
She added: "I kind of think there's no reason for me to go back to Springwatch, you know, it is done beautifully. It still entrances and inspires and that's what it's always done.
"I need to just keep doing what I do - trying to tell stories and inspire people to look after this incredible planet that we live on - in the best way that I know."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
The latest series of the show was slammed for taking a fan favourite segment
BBC
The latest series aired back at the beginning of June, but viewers were immediately left unimpressed as they spotted a major format change to the show.
Mindful Moment - which is a serene, peaceful segment where the camera pans the most beautiful moments in nature - was missing from the first episode and was replaced by the cruel nature of snake attacks.
Fans were quick to question where the missing segment was and slammed the show for airing such horrific scenes.