Gillian Burke | |
---|---|
Born | 1974or1975(age 48–49) |
Nationality | Kenyan/British |
Alma mater | University of Bristol |
Occupation(s) | producer, TV presenter |
Years active | 2000–present |
Children | 2 |
Gillian Burke (born 1974or1975 [1] ) is a natural history television programme presenter, producer and voiceover artist. [2] She is best known for co-presenting BBC nature series Springwatch and its spin-offs since 2017.
Burke studied biology at Bristol University, and subsequently worked as a researcher for the BBC's Natural History Unit. [3] She worked as a producer and director on several series for Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel, and as a voiceover artist, [4] before becoming a regular presenter on Springwatch in 2017. [3] As part of her role, Burke has also presented its seasonal spin-offs Autumnwatch and Winterwatch.
In 2019, she hosted Nature's Strangest Mysteries: Solved (Animal Planet), and in 2020 narrated Thailand's Wild Side (National Geographic Channel). [5] [6] [7] In 2020, Burke became vice president of the Wildlife Trusts. [8] In 2022, Burke took a break from presenting The Watches programmes due to schedules clashing between roles.
Burke was born in Kenya, and moved to Vienna at the age of ten. [8] Her ancestry is Afro-Trinidadian, Seminole, Mauritian and Somalian; her mother was a journalist and worked with the United Nations. [9] As a teenager, she developed an interest in wildlife through photography. She now lives in Cornwall with her two children. [3] She is an ambassador of the rainforest protection charity Cool Earth. [10]
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