Entertainment

Jack Fincham to join Chris Packham for nature programme

He will go birdwatching with the Springwatch star on Nature Dates.
He will go birdwatching with the Springwatch star on Nature Dates. He will go birdwatching with the Springwatch star on Nature Dates.

Jack Fincham will explore his passion for nature with Chris Packham in a new programme for the BBC.

The Love Island winner, who was an enthusiastic bird watcher while he competed on the ITV2 reality show, is hoping more people will fall in love with the UK’s wildlife with a new digital show called Nature Dates.

The first episode will see Fincham receive beginner’s guide to bird-watching from Packham, who was his childhood hero, as the pair walk around London’s Walthamstow Wetlands, watching out for cormorants, coots, and an elusive kingfisher.

Chris Packham and Jack Fincham
Chris Packham and Jack Fincham Chris Packham and Jack Fincham (BBC) (Dan_Wilton)

Fincham said: “I’ve loved nature ever since I was a little kid. Nature Dates is a dream come true – walking around amazing areas and seeing all sorts of animals.

“This time Chris takes me round a nature reserve and helps me spot some really beautiful birds right in the heart of London.

“I’m hoping people follow my example and go and ask someone on a nature date – could be with a friend or someone they fancy.

“There’s always something to talk about, and you can find romance in nature, you just have to get out there and look for it.”

Packham said: “Going birding with newbies is always great – especially when they are as keen as Jack.

“He wasn’t exactly a birding virgin though, he has quite a bit of knowledge but was desperate to see his first kingfisher.

“Luckily I delivered and he was delighted! Actually that’s an understatement – he was delirious! A man who knows that the world’s best birds are fully feathered!”

Nature Dates will be available to watch on BBC iPlayer, YouTube and social media from February 13.