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The Audio Long Read

From the archive: The real David Attenborough

The Audio Long Read

The Guardian

Society & Culture

4.32.4K Ratings

🗓️ 10 March 2023

⏱️ 40 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We are raiding the Guardian Long Read archives to bring you some classic pieces from years past, with new introductions from the authors This week, from 2019: He is the most beloved figure in Britain, and a global superstar. His films long shied away from discussing humanity’s impact on the planet. Now they are sounding the alarm – but is it too late?. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/longreadpod

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is the Guardian.

0:11.4

Here in the UK, we sell amazing products and services the whole world once.

0:16.2

At the Black Fama in Devon, our producers enjoyed on both sides of the Atlantic.

0:21.6

We're McKinnon and Saunders from Manchester and our puppets are watched on six continents.

0:26.2

Whilst that acceleron in Birmingham are sustainable, recyclable batteries are helping power nine countries.

0:32.6

So if you make it in the UK, why not sell it to the world?

0:36.5

For free help from the UK Government, visit great.gov.uk.

0:40.2

The Guardian Archive Longread.

0:56.8

I'm Patrick Barkham. I'm natural history writer for the Guardian.

1:00.6

And I'm the author of The Real David Attenborough, a long read that was published in 2019.

1:06.7

I've been a journalist for 20 years and people always ask me,

1:10.7

who's the most famous person you've interviewed?

1:13.4

And the answer, I've met plenty of prime ministers and I've met Charles and William and Harry,

1:18.8

but the answer's always David Attenborough.

1:21.5

And I'd always wanted to sit down and have a proper chat with him.

1:26.0

I went to meet him at his home in the spring of 2019.

1:31.0

And he answered the door and he looked much like any other freelancer working from home.

1:36.2

He was slightly dishevelled and wearing a big brown jumper.

1:40.9

And we sat for a couple of hours and had a conversation that formed the basis for this long read,

1:46.5

which is a profile of him, exploring his impact and his extraordinary life.

1:51.6

And of course the issue of how vigorously he's campaigned for measures to be taken against

1:56.4

the destruction of the natural world.

...

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