All language subtitles for 2026 David Attenboroughs 100 Years On Planet Earth

Hello and welcome to London's Royal
Albert Hall. Tonight we have a very

evening of music and celebration in
store. As you can see, well, all sorts

creatures have turned up and we are all
here for one reason. Today is the 100th

birthday of, well, one of the most
extraordinary people on the planet. And

tonight is all about celebrating the
incredible life of the one and only Sir

David Attenborough.

I've been lucky enough to live through
what well might be considered the golden

age of natural history filmmaking.

I've enjoyed every minute of it.

Thank you.

Good evening and a very warm welcome to
everyone joining us. The 5 ,000 people

here in the Royal Albert Hall and to all
of you at home and thanks to the BBC

Concert Orchestra and to our wonderful
animals, the herds, who work doing great

work around the world raising awareness
for animal conservation.

We are, of course.

All here to celebrate the 100th birthday
of a very special person. His passion

for nature has been thrilling audiences
around the globe for over 70 years.

An unparalleled communicator, his
knowledge and enthusiasm has changed the

we see the world, influenced generations
of scientists and conservationists, and

inspired millions of us to care more for
our precious planet.

Ladies and gentlemen, please join me in
giving a huge birthday welcome to Sir

David Attenborough.

Can you feel the love? I have had the
considerable pleasure of knowing David

a number of years. He's obviously a
broadcaster of utter brilliance.

He will hate me saying that. Because not
only is he a modest man, he's also full

of warmth and good humour.

And he wears his remarkable knowledge
and superstar status very lightly

I was lucky enough to host the
celebration of his 90th birthday. And

then... I pretty much thought that he'd
be ready to put his feet up and enjoy a

few years of well -earned rest.

I was wrong.

In the last ten years, he has been
busier than ever.

Over the last decade, Sir David has
worked on over 18 landmark wildlife

In 2016, he crossed the globe for Planet
Earth 2, using new camera technology to

bring us closer to animals and taking to
the skies at the age of 90. It's

impossible not to be impressed by the
sheer grandeur and splendor and power of

the natural world.

In 2017, David helped to spark a global
movement against plastic pollution in

Blue Planet 2.

There were some pretty difficult scenes,
but it shot so stunningly, told so

beautifully. It engages you and makes
you feel that you can be part of the

solution.

At the age of 93, he travelled across
multiple continents for seven worlds,

planet.

And in 2022, he revealed the secret
lives of the plant world in the dream

planet.

I wouldn't dream of putting my hand
anywhere near it without proper

Ow!

In Prehistoric Planet, David brought
dinosaurs to life in painstaking detail

using cutting -edge visual effects.

He's moved through enormous
technological changes, and yet he's

single one of them.

He's also been at the forefront of
numerous scientific discoveries, from a

record -breaking dive on the Great
Barrier Reef...

to uncovering new species from the
ancient past.

My goodness, it's astonishing.

He's received 18 television awards, but
he isn't even close to hanging up the

blue shirt.

He doesn't know the word, retire.

I've asked him and he said, no, what's
that word? Never heard of it.

And it's a damn nuisance because all the
restaurants who want to retire see

David there on the horizon.

We can't keep up.

Today, his curiosity and passion for the
natural world remain as strong as ever.

It's still a huge thrill to see one
suddenly emerging from the bushes.

So David's a reminder that you can be
100 years old and still be so fascinated

by nature.

And even in his 100th year, he is still
making programmes that are watched and

loved by millions of us across the
world.

What a decade. The man is unstoppable.

Well, as we saw from those moments.

Sir David is nature's greatest
storyteller, championing the wonders and

importance of the natural world through
landmark series like Planet Earth and

Blue Planet, programs packed full of
stunning wildlife images captured using

cutting -edge technology.

Along with the pictures and David's
distinctive presenting and commentary,

is another crucial element, the
wonderful music. Some of the world's

celebrated composers, like George Fenton
and Hans Zimmer, have written

soundtracks for these unforgettable
scenes, reinforcing the awe and emotion

we see on screen. And so, as part of
tonight's celebration, we've plenty of

wonderful music coming up, starting with
a... song from Planet Earth 3, a

collaboration between Hans Zimmer and
the chart -topping indie band Bastille.

please welcome from Bastille, Dan Smith
and the BBC Concert Orchestra with

Pompeii.

To joy

And the

wolf kept tumbling down In the city that
we love

Great clouds roll over the hills

Bringing darkness from above

But if you close your

eyes

Does it almost feel like nothing changed
at all? And if you

close your eyes, does it almost feel
like you've been

here before?

How am I going to be an optimist about
this?

How am I going to be an optimist
about...

If you close your eyes, does it almost
feel like nothing

changed at all?

And if you close your eyes, does it
almost feel like

you've been here before?

Oh, how I'm making it be an optimist
about this.

How I'm making it be an optimist about
this.

Well, thanks very much to the superb
dance smith joined there by the

Choir conducted by Jerome Coon.

Turning hundreds is an extraordinary
milestone for anyone. Here in the UK, of

course, there is a long -standing
tradition that to mark the big occasion,

centenarian receives in the post a
special birthday card from the monarch.

But when that person is David
Attenborough, it seems fitting to go

mile.

Dear David, my wife and I are delighted
to learn that you will

be celebrating your 100th birthday on
May the 8th and wanted to send you our

warmest congratulations on such a
special occasion.

It is amazing to think that you and I
have known one another for more than 60

years.

Indeed, I believe we first met in 1958,
almost a decade before

the age of colour television.

And, of course, our paths have crossed
many times since.

Over those decades, you have revealed
the beauty and wonders of nature to

audiences around the world.

in new and marvelous ways.

In so doing, you have shared my
determination to highlight

the urgent need to protect and preserve
this

precious planet of ours and all life on
Earth for future

generations.

Thank you, then, for all that you have
done.

On behalf of the whole nation, I wish
you a very happy

100th birthday.

Today this could be the greatest day of
all.

Before we run out of time.

Stay close to me.

Stay close to me.

Watch the world.

Tonight.

let's make a new start the future is
ours to find

can you see it can you see

Now let's take a step back for a moment
to the world in 1926.

The Charleston is in full swing, and the
silent movies are all the rage at the

cinema. The future Elizabeth II is born
too, and John Logie Baird gives the

first public demonstration of a working
television.

In that same year, Frederick and Mary
Attenborough welcome David, their second

son.

Kind of extraordinary that the birth of
TV coincides exactly with the arrival of

the single human who would go on to use
it with such mastery.

Now, growing up as a little boy in
Leicestershire with his two brothers,

his earliest years, David's fascinated
by the natural world. He spends hours

roaming the countryside on his little
bike, searching for fossils and insects.

In the mid -1940s, teenage David wins a
scholarship to study natural sciences at

Cambridge and later, in his early 20s,
settles in London with his wife Jane and

their two young children.

Then, in 1952, the year Elizabeth II
becomes Queen and Gene Kelly stars in

Singing in the Rain, David is offered a
job as a trainee producer at the BBC in

what was then called the Talks
Department.

making programmes about everything from
current affairs and science to quizzes

and even knitting.

But David's passion for wildlife hasn't
dimmed, and a chance comes up at work

for him to head off and explore the
world, an opportunity that would change

course of his life forever.

In 1954, the BBC launched a
groundbreaking television series.

ZooQuest followed expeditions around the
world, organised by London zoos, to

film and collect animals, a common
practice in the 1950s.

Collecting for zoos was very much part
and parcel of academic, scientific,

zoological study.

The series brought to the screen places
and animals that had never been seen

before.

was the dragon, the climax of four
months of arduous travel.

Running for almost ten years and watched
by millions of viewers across Britain,

ZooQuest became the most popular
wildlife programme of its time.

It looked enormous, and from its size
and markings, I was quite sure that it

a python.

and therefore non -poisonous, which was
something of a relief.

Animals caught in the field were taken
back to a live television studio.

Helping me control this python is Mr Len
Warren from the Reptile House in the

London Zoo.

But David was never meant to be the
star.

David wasn't initially supposed to be
the presenter.

Tonight, we've got rather different
programme for you.

He started out as the producer of New
Quest.

But when the original presenter fell
ill, David was asked to step in.

My boss said, well, Attenborough, you're
the only other person who was there.

You'll go and do it.

Staff, no fee, he said, I remember, very
quickly.

So I, quite unintentionally, I appeared
on television.

That is the South American jungle as I
first saw it.

Everybody realized pretty quickly it was
a natural turn.

There was this magical quality that drew
you in.

Now, could we see her?

Hello, Jane. Hello. Oh, bless you.

It's that innate passion and curiosity
that makes him so compelling to watch.

Apart from lizards and chameleons, there
were many other smaller, fascinating

creatures to be seen in that patch of
forest.

Little did we know that David's chance
appearance in these globetrotting

adventures would be the start of such an
extraordinary career.

It was the beginning of 70 years of
broadcasting.

This little fellow is newly hatched.

Just imagine if that presenter hadn't
been ill, we may never have had David

the broadcaster.

That was the end of our Zoom quest.

Good night.

wildlife presenter, naturalist and
author, Chris Packham, and wildlife

and conservationist, Anna Dimitriadis.
Thank you both very much for joining me.

I think you were enjoying that piece of
film as much as I was. Chris, first of

all to you, can you kind of
contextualise for us what ZooQuest did

at home? I mean, it was all new, this
stuff.

Well, look, Kirsty, it was 1954.

At that point, only 2 % of the UK public
ever left the UK.

So we not only have to think of David at
this point as a presenter, but also an

adventurer and an explorer.

And some of the places he visited, you
couldn't book a biplane or a ferry.

It took an enormous amount of ingenuity,
and it was somewhat dangerous. He was

fraternising with cannibals on some
occasions.

But the mission was clear.

He wanted to bring that wildlife back to
the UK audience. It was only one

channel, the wonderful BBC, but getting
that...

back to the audience was tricky because
they were working with this.

I mean, we look at it now, it looks so
antediluvian, doesn't it? But at the

time, that was what they had.

Well, look, this is the sound recording
device fresh from the Antiques Roadshow.

And frankly, it looks like it's been
cobbled together in cold it, doesn't it?

have no idea how... I mean, it's heavy,
unreliable and not terribly sensitive.

This was the camera that we were using.
And this is a clockwork camera.

You wind it up. You wind it up, and as
the mechanism unwinds, the film is drawn

through it.

Typically, of course, it finishes just
before the animals start mating or

or something like that. I mean, it's
almost impossible to look through. And,

course, it's film, inordinately
expensive, which meant that poor David

a one -take wonder to do his pieces.

Just as well he was kids, right? Well, I
mean, some of them were a little bit

ropey.

We'll gloss over that. Less polish.

Yes, less polish is nice. Anna, if I can
come to you. You are a noted filmmaker.

You are working with the newest
technology.

You have brought some of the newest
technology along with you tonight. I

it's rare, it's expensive, it does
clever stuff. Explain it to us, would

Yeah, so this is the actual camera that
I use whilst filming Big Cat 24 -7. And

what's funny is seeing the size of this
camera, because I thought that modern

cameras were supposed to be getting
smaller.

But this one is, yeah, quite chunky.

But what it's doing is it is seeing heat
rather than light.

So it means that when we're following
big cats through the bush, we can see

maybe even before they've spotted it,
which is remarkable. So I'm going to try

it out on you guys.

Wave, everyone.

The glasses crew looking brilliant.

Wow. So the whiter, the hotter.

So let's go up and see.

What's going on over here? Who have we
got? Who have we got here?

Who's that? Hang on a sec.

Let's get you in focus. Who's that?

I know that face.

Is that Benedict?

That is a very, very famous actor, I
believe.

You look quite hot.

I mean, we could go on for half an hour,
but we can't go on for half an hour

because there's so much to fit in. I
want to thank you both very much for

the time. That was fascinating.

And guess what? The technology worked.

Aren't we happy about that? We are.
Thanks very much for joining us.

Now, back in his ZooQuest days, David
wasn't just the producer, then presenter

on the programme. He was also the sound
recordist.

And he travelled the world.

He'd get recordings then to use as
background music in the film.

When he was shooting Zoo Quest in
Paraguay, David was so captivated by the

music, he decided to use one particular
piece as the theme tune for the series.

Pacarp Capana was named after the
Paraguayan bellbird, a small but rather

little creature whose distinctive call
resembles a bell ringing.

Well, David, as a little birthday gift,
we are joined now by Francisco Iglesia

playing the Paraguayan harp with a
special performance of the bell bird.

That was magical, wasn't it? Thank you
to Francisco Iglesias.

Well, ZooQuest was David's first major
series as a wildlife presenter, but his

success wasn't just on screen. He was at
the same time enjoying a stellar rise

to the top of BBC management.

In 1965...

David became controller of a brand new
channel, BBC Two, where he

broadcasting by introducing Europe's
first colour television service.

Then, in 1969, he was promoted to
director of programmes, meaning pretty

was in charge of all BBC TV's output.

At the same time, he commissioned
landmark series, including Civilisation

Sense of Man, and launched the
pioneering comedy show Monty Python's

Circus. But even though he was very good
at all that management stuff, it wasn't

where his heart lay. And so in 1973,
David chose once and for all to swap his

office suit for a safari suit.

Life on Earth was the first global
wildlife series ever filmed in colour.

It was the most ambitious and most
expensive natural history project of its

time. We set out to tell the greatest
story in all the world, the history of

life, of evolution.

Over three years, David and the Life on
Earth team covered a million miles,

visiting 40 countries and filming more
than 600 species.

That series was groundbreaking.

He opens up the world of natural history
to every single person.

It was full of behaviour, animals doing
things that most people had no idea

about.

Everyone watched Life on Earth. It was
just so vibrant and exciting.

It was the blockbuster that was on
telly.

Worldwide, 500 million people tuned in.

There is, of course, one iconic sequence
that has gone down in history.

And it is... The gorillas. The gorillas.
The gorilla sequence.

Mountain gorillas in Rwanda.

Everyone remembers that.

With the help of the American
conservationist Diane Fossey and her

crew were able to get close enough to
film David with the gorillas.

There is more meaning and mutual
understanding in exchanging a glance

gorilla than any other animal I know.

We see the world in the same way as they
do.

And it's very, very rare that there is
any violence within them.

So it seems really very unfair that man
should have chosen the gorilla to

symbolise all that is aggressive and
violent.

And that's the one thing that the
gorilla is not, and that we are.

With David, there is an empathy with
nature and creatures.

There's a real connection between him
and what he's looking at.

The gorilla scene became something much
more special and more magical than they

could ever have imagined.

I honestly don't know how long it was.

I was simply transported. I mean, it was
extraordinary acceptance.

It's just so genuine.

It's just pure immersion.

Mary is...

grinning with pleasure.

That's what says it all. The fact that
he's not intimidated, he's not scared,

he's laughing.

He's laughing because he's got a gorilla
on his belly.

They've accepted him.

They've accepted him as one of them.

This remarkable encounter

transformed how people saw gorillas,
revealing them as gentle, intelligent

creatures.

There will never be a theme like this
again.

He is in heaven.

Extraordinary, really. I mean, it was
one of the most privileged moments of

life.

I dream about it.

Truly astonishing footage. Well, the two
young gorillas from that magical moment

were called Pablo and Poppy, and they
went on to lead long lives and to have

families of their own. We have been sent
an update on how the direct descendants

of those two youngsters are doing today.

Good, okay. My name is Felix
Ndagijimana. I'm the director of the

Gorafan programs in Rwanda.

When David Attenborough visited in 1978,
Pablo was about four years old,

and Poppy was around two years old.

Fifteen years after that encounter,
Pablo went on to lead his own group, and

has become one of the longest -studied
guerrilla families.

Pablo's closest living relatives are his
son, Sibabak Ishavu, and four

grandchildren.

Poppy became the oldest female on record
to give birth at 41 years old.

Poppy has three living daughters, seven
grandchildren, and one

grand grandchild.

Mountain gorillas are one of the
greatest conservation success stories.

In the 1980s, The mountain gorilla
population in the Virunga Mountains was

than 250 individuals.

Now, their global number is estimated to
be around 1 ,000 individual gorillas,

with roughly 600 in the Virunga
Mountains.

And that really means that there's a
strong genetic connection to the

that lived when David Attenborough
visited in 1978.

Their population has steadily increased.

thanks to sustained efforts to study
them, to protect them, and to conserve

their forest habitat.

Life on Earth raised awareness of
mountain gorillas and changed the way

thought about them.

It was a key turning point in the
gorilla's success story.

Well, that's wonderful news, isn't it?
And, of course, important work by the

Diane Fossey Guerrilla Fund, and thanks,
if you like, for that update there.

Well, David has visited every continent
on the planet and must be one of, if not

the best -travelled person who has ever
lived.

Joining us tonight is someone who's a...
pretty close rival in that respect.

From their first meeting back in the
early days of the BBC, the pair remain

friends to this day. Please welcome to
the stage Sir Michael Palin.

Welcome.

So nice to see you.

So nice to see you.

I was going to say you've known David
for a very long time, but that sounds a

little bit rude. You've known David for
a long time.

Tell me about the first time you met.

Well, the first time, I mean, I never
saw ZooQuest, which was a great worry

me, but my father wouldn't have a
television.

He thought it was ungodly at the time.
But anyway, later on, when David was in

control of programmes at the BBC, I met
him at the BBC party and I was...

one of the Python team who were
complaining about the fact the BBC

very badly and put us on late at night.
And that was when David was the only

member of the BBC staff who actually
confronted us. And I trotted out my sort

complaints. And he said, well, you know,
taking it off and not seeing it, that's

the way a cult is made. He was right.

So we were a cult.

And as your friendships developed, and
as I say, you're incredibly, of course,

from all your brilliant programs, very
well -traveled yourself.

Is there any sort of sense of
competition? I've been here, you've been

you haven't been there?

Oh, yeah. It was very competitive.

Really? David and I had books out about
the same time. I think his was Life on

Air, and mine was something silly about
going across the Pacific or something

like that.

And whenever we were together at book
launches or book festivals, we'd always

compare figures. And David would say,
how many have you seen?

I said, oh, five million last time.

Really?

David, you could lie to David very
easily.

He was very sweet, just to get on board.

You said in that film, you said one of
the things that is so powerful, and I

think probably it's something that we
all recognise, is the connection.

with what he's talking about. That's, I
think, one of the aspects that makes him

such an extraordinary broadcaster.

Well, he just looks as though he's happy
to be there, and he wants to be there.

And he wants to meet these people, and
he wants to see these animals.

It's not something he's been asked to
do.

It's something which really fulfills
him. And I suppose I feel the same when

travel. That's the whole point. The
people you meet are what the programme

about. It's not about you.

It's really about the world as you see
it.

Michael, I'm going to ask you to stay
with us.

For David then, of course, travel meant
venturing to the ends of the earth to

bring us footage that had never been
filmed before. The trials of life, the

living planets and life of birds pushed
the boundaries of natural history

filming into a whole new era.

After life on earth, David's career went
stratospheric.

And he became a regular presence on our
screens, bringing us the latest gripping

wildlife stories from around the world.

As an eight -year -old kid, I look
forward to Sunday evenings when a big

comes out. Ah, come on. What are you
going to teach me? Over the next few

decades, he authored eight major series,
each with a different theme. David

always wanted to complete a whole
bookshelf, really, of all the animal

Life of bird, life of mammal, private
life of plants, which were all about

behaviour. These engaging chicks are so
inquisitive.

It starts to get really interesting.
It's much more immersive.

He was just getting stuck in.

Oh, dear.

David also had an uncanny ability to
make animals appear right on schedule.

One of the challenges when you really
want to get an amazing interaction with

David and animals is the animals never
read the script.

We've got to get this animal to turn up
on this moment at this time and right on

cue and do this thing. It's never going
to happen.

Action. And top of the menu right now
is... For David, there was an incredible

job at just rolling with it. But it also
requires a high intelligence.

The blue whale, when it comes up right
on cue.

There!

The blue whale!

It's a hundred feet long.

If I were doing a piece of camera and a
blue whale suddenly appeared over my

head, I'd run a mile.

It seems he could even talk to the
animals themselves.

We started to think to ourselves, is he
actually Dr. Doodle?

Nobody knows why it happened.

But when you make strange noises here,
seabirds fall from the sky.

How are you? Nice to see you.

Hello.

It wasn't always clean sailing.

Once they come back here onto their own
patch of shingle, there's almost

anything, including me.

But David went that extra mile to bring
viewers something different.

This, six feet beneath the surface of
the earth, is the cellar of the colony.

David reacting to this amazing bull
elephant seal. And for that, he must

It is just a broomstick between him and
four tons of blubber.

In his now trademark blue shirt and
cocky trousers.

Boo!

David would stop at nothing to bring the
awe and wonder of the natural world

into people's living rooms.

I think that was pretty clear.

I mean, Michael, it seems from watching
all those clips there that he has been

almost everywhere. In your conversations
with him, has he ever betrayed a

certain place that he didn't make it to
that he wish he had? Well, I mean,

David's a more intrepid traveller than
myself.

If I see a swamp, I walk round it. David
jumps in it.

But I think at one time I had been to
more places and it got quite

I think, I'm not quite sure, but I'd
been to both poles before David had been

either of them. Okay.

And I mean the North and South Pole. I'm
not talking about Warsaw.

But,

no, there was one place which I think
I'd been to and David never actually

got to or began to get to, and that's
Everest.

Yeah, we're just seeing a photograph of
it. Where are you there? That's right.

That's me at base camp at Everest at
about 15 ,000 feet. I went up to about

,000 feet.

And you climbed it, did you? I didn't
climb up to the top of Everest, no.

All right. I was too busy, Kirsty, too
busy. I had another programme on, you

know, I was doing some light
entertainment.

But rather remarkably, we've got this
thing here. Yeah, I was wondering what

this is. Now, this is a bit...

of Everest.

I don't know where the camera is.
They'll find you. There we are. This is

of Everest discovered in 1924 expedition
and in 1926 it was donated

to the British Museum I think or
something like that. Natural History

And this was the year of course of
David's birth. So this bit of Everest

presented to David.

Well, we've presented to the Natural
History Museum, and then to David. I

know if he's actually seen it, but here
it is. Yeah, I think it's actually got

to go back to them. I don't think he
gets it. Yeah, I think it's got to go

There we are.

Sorry about that.

Thank you very much.

Thanks to Michael Taylor.

So no actual live animals here tonight,
but we are delighted to have squeezed in

a python.

Yeah.

What are you going to do? The huge
success of the life collection was

pretty swiftly by another significant
step forward. In 2006, Planet Earth was

the first wildlife series to be filmed
entirely in high definition using aerial

camera systems that captured animal
behavior for the very first time.

Then, in 2016, Planus Earth 2 raised the
bar even further, allowing crews to get

in amongst the action, giving audiences
a fully immersive experience.

The accompanying music was upbeat and
joyful.

A standout track came from the Icelandic
band Sigur Rós, called Hoppipodla,

which translates as hopping in puddles,
capturing a sort of childlike sense of

awe and wonder. Here to play for us live
tonight, Sigur Rós.

with Hoppy Fodler.

Satsang with Mooji

Oh no.

I'd put a

Wasn't that fantastic? A huge thank you
to Sigurd Roth and to the Scholar

Cantorum of the Cardinal Vaughan
Memorial School, conducted there by

Ames. Thank you so much.

Well, this might be Sir David's 100th
birthday, but it's given us all a

wonderful excuse to celebrate in all
sorts of imaginative ways, from taking

the big screens at Vicki...

Piccadilly Circus here in London, to
school pupils in Stratford -upon -Avon

releasing 100 butterflies in his honour.

And, of course, countless people from
all over the world want to wish David

happy returns. Here are just a few of
those messages.

Sir David, happy birthday.

And how lucky we are to be able to get
this opportunity to thank you.

for all the things that you've told us
and taught us.

Taught us is a wrong word.

Happy birthday, Sir David.

Happy birthday, Sir David.

Dear Sir David, here's wishing you a
very happy birthday from high up in the

Himalaya. Happy 100th birthday from all
of us at Glastonbury Festival.

Getting you here to appear on the
Pyramid Stage was one of the greatest

of my life.

All of us.

In Coldplay, here in the jungles of
Malibu, California, we send you so much

and respect to say happy 100th birthday.

Your work continues to be so
instrumental to so many of us.

You have been such an incredible
inspiration to the whole nation, myself

included. I certainly wouldn't be doing
what I do today were it not for your

incredible programs.

I'm one of your hugest fans.

You have been me through so many
chapters of my life.

Your voice is a gift to this earth. You
are a national treasure.

You've inspired me as a young kid to
follow my dream and become a wildlife

cameraman. It's because of you.

I embrace you and wish you all the best
for this monumental birthday.

Thank you so much for everything you
have given all of us throughout these

years. The world is a much better place
with you in it. Your legacy is gigantic.

And I hope you know that, and I hope you
feel celebrated and loved today as you

deserve to. Happy birthday.

I really hope that you're able to keep
inspiring children just like me for

to come, because you're truly one of a
kind.

Happy birthday, Sir David.

On behalf of all bears everywhere, thank
you.

Sometimes a television moment becomes a
national talking point.

Planet Earth 2 brought us some
unforgettable encounters, and what we're

see is certainly one of the most
gripping television moments that I've

seen. Fast -paced, heart -stopping, and
with over 200 million views, this is

wildlife drama at its best.

Shot on a remote volcanic island in the
Galapagos, the producer described

filming this next sequence as being like
a car chase in an action movie,

starring an unlikely hero, a little baby
marine iguana.

For maximum impact, it's filmed from
both the baby iguana's perspective and

of its arch -nemesis, the sinister racer
snakes.

We join the story as the last of a
clutch of five babies has just hatched.

BBC Concert Orchestra is about to bring
this moment to life for us tonight. And

for those who don't like snakes or are
of a nervous disposition, I would urge

you to look away now.

A near -miraculous escape.

The lucky survivors could begin learning
the unique way of life demanded by this

hostile island.

Well, that was first shown in 2016.

And it was the following year that Blue
Planet 2 hit our screens, one of the

most influential movies ever made.

It opened our eyes to plastic pollution,
with the subsequent public outcry

driving some global corporations to
commit to much more sustainable

and even leading to some governments to
pass new laws to help protect the

world's oceans.

Here to tell us more about what's known
as the Blue Planet Effect are two of our

leading wildlife broadcasters, Liz Bonin
and Steve Baxall. Thanks so much for

joining us this evening.

Liz, if I can start with you. I mean, we
remember the moment that, you know,

using plastic straws now or not paying a
little bit of a fee for a plastic bag

now seems ridiculous to us. How can you
explain, how can you contextualize why

it was that this program...

resulted in, you know, change is
difficult and this program resulted in

do you think it did? It built tremendous
momentum in so many ways, Kirsty,

didn't it? I think it starts with
thinking about the decades of

programs that David and the crews and
the production teams had crafted and

continued to improve upon so that the
origins got ever closer to wildlife,

immersed. They began to really
experience nature, to understand it and

to care.

So by the time you have Blue Planet 2,
which was... stunningly crafted, each

episode just staggeringly beautiful,
first and foremost. But then you have an

image of a sperm whale trying to eat a
plastic bag, mistaking it for food, or

albatross with plastic in its stomach.

The audience cared, and they wanted to
do something about this.

And David even said that he was
astonished. I mean, the response was

He was really astonished at the public
action from schools to organizations to

policies.

even in England, so they increased the
charge for plastic bags.

Lots of single -use plastics were
banned.

And now, to date, over 100 countries
have implemented national -scale bans on

single -use plastic.

The UN itself announced a global
agreement to stop

plastic pollution that led to the
Plastic Treaty.

I mean, all of that was just incredible.

Steve, I think, you know, we, the
public...

felt it. What is interesting about David
is he reaches well beyond the public

and he reaches into the community who've
been slogging away for a long time at

this. What do you think his skill is in
doing that and speaking to scientists

and speaking to inventors?

I think, well, hello you all. Hello,
Professor David, obviously as well. I

one of the most important things is
trust.

You know, Sir David is often voiced as
being the most trusted person in the

world, which is quite a flex.

But that hard -worn earned trust over
decades means that when he speaks, we

listen and we know that what he's saying
comes from scientific facts and he

really believes it. And I think that
now, particularly in this time where

so hard to tell fact from fiction,
having a voice like Sir David's that you

is trustworthy is just everything.

Liz, one more. We're running out of
time, but one of the interesting things

know from our world, the television
world, the cameras go off and people go

to the next job. The cameras go off for
Sir David's.

The cameras are down, and I don't think
viewers understand just how much work

David does on his time off, the amount
of connection he makes with people on

ground who are cleaning the reed beds
and who are clearing out the brambles.

connects, he supports, he champions
them. With the Wildlife Trust, he

16 million pounds for the British
Wildlife Appeal. He traveled the country

once but twice, visited over 25 ,000
people, and he believes in

With the Cambridge Conservation
Initiative, he collaborates with 10

conservation organizations tirelessly
across sectors as well. I mean, this is

the kind of work that this man does on
his day off. I feel so bad stopping you

because I know you could go on.

Thank you both for joining us. Thank you
so much.

So we can, of course, all agree that
David is without doubt the best -known

wildlife broadcaster of our time. His
influence and reach has extended to

meetings with prime ministers and
presidents, to mixing with royalty and

radio DJs. There really is rather a lot
to this multifaceted man.

What is he?

He's not an archaeologist, is he?

He's not a naturist, he doesn't go
around naked, does he?

Was he? The director said, cut, and the
cameraman put the light out and about to

hit me straight in the face.

Entertainer.

Musician.

Dancer. Royal advisor.

For the radio.

Actor.

David, have a lovely trip.

Raconteur. I took out my hand and I
heard myself say, good afternoon.

David has played many different roles
across his career.

Everybody knows David Attenborough.

He's more than just significant.

He's considered to be an almost
indispensable figure.

And for us all to just lean in, even if
we don't know fully why it is, what is

it about this man that makes me think,
oh yeah, I know, I'll listen to anything

that you say to me.

So David Attenborough's voice is iconic.

I thought it would be good for you to
narrate the beginning of Adele's new

video. Really?

Will Adele be cross with me? I think
Adele would probably love this more than

anything in the whole world.

She, like all pop stars, needs to hunt
to survive.

But there's a problem.

The signal is poor and she hasn't
upgraded her handset since 1999.

Hashtag flip phone.

Hello. Hello.

Tonight on Life on Earth.

His distinctive presenting style has
been impersonated for decades.

A walking tree can achieve speeds of up
to 50 miles an hour, especially when

it's in a hurry.

And here we are.

My next guest is a knight of the realm.
A leviathan of the natural world. He is

David Attenborough. The original king of
the jungle, it's Sir David

Attenborough! And he has long been a
star attraction on the chat show Sofas

Britain. Frogs take the tadpole into
their mouth and start speaking with

mouthful. So they carry them around. And
then they go, and the little frog pops

up. I hope you don't take it the wrong
way, but that sounds disgusting.

Beloved by millions across the planet,
he has been inspiring us for

Young people listen when Sir David
speaks because they have grown up with

He's just so famous, but in a lovely
way.

He's one of those people that's just
like, what would the world be without

That's why I'm making a biscuit of him.
Love the design, and I love the

execution of it as well.

He had no idea about celebrity or
anything. He was invited to go to

He thought maybe he'd be talking to a
couple of hundred people.

It's this enormous roar, and he stung
them.

And then he went... Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you.

People just... He hasn't just shown us
the world. He

has brought us together.

Thank you very much.

Extraordinary. Well, David has been
inspiring millions of people across the

globe for decades.

Generations of us have grown up
listening to his inimitable voice. And

children... He's sparked a lifelong love
of nature. He's always been passionate

about teaching new generations about the
wonders of the natural world. They,

after all, are the future guardians of
our planet.

Inspired by David, Blue Peter viewers
are on a mission to create something

beautiful in his honour.

that Sir David Attenborough would like.
That the beach doesn't need anymore,

like shells and seaweed.

This guy. OK.

Some driftwood.

Oh, feather!

Whoa, look at this guy.

Sir David Attenborough has inspired me a
lot. He, like, knows so much about

animals. How does he remember all of
that stuff?

Look at this crab.

When he tells me facts, I soak them up,
because if I know more about animals, I

can help them better.

A whelk egg cake.

Wow! I think people think of David
Attenborough as a hero.

He's doing all this work that nobody
told him to do it. He just thought

he should do it, which is a brilliant
idea.

A metal shell.

That would work.

The planet depends on us, so we all need
to work together to live a good life.

I think we've got all we need from here.
Let's go.

I think David Attenborough gives you a
bit of hope.

He really makes people think about their
actions.

Let's see what we can find.

Even though you might be a small person,
you can make a big, massive difference.

Whoa. Oh, wow.

Look, his feathers.

It's, like, kind of really silky at the
top. I think that people who only care,

like, a touch about the environment, I
feel like they should just pause, stop.

and listen.

If everyone were like Sir David
Attenborough, the world would be such a

place.

Wow, this tree is so cool. How long do
you think this tree's been here for?

As long as David Attenborough's been
alive.

Yeah!

I got my blue Peter Green badge by
making a speech on Sir David at school.

said that he wants everyone to change
and he believes everyone can change.

When I grow up, I would really like to
be like him and try and inspire as many

people as I could to make them change
the planet and make it better.

Right, guys, let's get started.

Maybe we should do some pine cones. I'm
going to put some seaweed on it.

Do I add another feather? Oh, yeah, go
ahead.

Right, it's ready.

Yay!

We hope you like your card.

We want to thank you.

On behalf of every child you've ever
inspired.

We promise to follow in your footsteps.

And always try to help. And protect our
world. Happy Birthday Sunday!

And here with a place of honour on stage
is that beautiful card. It looks

fantastic and I promise you I will make
sure this evening that Sir David safely

receives it. Now, we are delighted and
deeply honoured to be joined by someone

who has known and worked alongside David
for many years and who shares his

enduring commitment to protecting the
natural world. Here to pay tribute to

David and his life's work, please
welcome His Royal Highness.

the Prince of Wales.

The standing ovations are for David
tonight.

Good evening, everyone.

And watching back those clips, I hadn't
appreciated how many times David liked

to take his shirt off when filming.

I shan't be copying him tonight.

It is a rare privilege to celebrate a
century of life, but it is rare as still

when that person has transformed the way
we see the only home that we have.

planet earth david for decades your
voice has been a constant in our lives

guiding us through rainforests and
oceans over mountains and into the very

fabric of life through your boundless
curiosity gentle wisdom and unwavering

dedication you have opened our eyes to
the beauty of our planet and to its

fragility reminding us of our collective
responsibility to protect it

You have been a guiding light in the
work we now undertake to safeguard the

natural world.

Long before many of us found our voice
on the challenges we face, you were

speaking with clarity, urgency and
optimism.

And it is that sense of urgent optimism
that has made all the difference.

Like millions across the world, my
children have grown up with your

storytelling.

A window into the wonders of nature.

that shaped their understanding of our
planet and their belief that it is

something worth fighting for.

And for me personally, your friendship
has been profound.

You have strengthened my own
determination to act, to work with those

raising awareness of the challenges and
building the solutions that drive

meaningful change.

Through your support in establishing the
Earthshot Prize, we are now striving to

turn your inspiration into action.

to champion those solutions that are
creating a more sustainable future for

all.

Because one of the greatest gifts you've
given us, David, is more than just an

understanding of what is at risk.

You've given us belief that positive
change is still possible.

Tonight, we celebrate far more than a
remarkable milestone of 100 years.

We celebrate a lifetime of extraordinary
service, a life that has brought the

natural world closer to humanity and
humanity closer to its responsibility to

the natural world.

Your legacy is not only the films we
treasure or the knowledge you have

It is the generations you have inspired.

Generations who now look forward with
determination and with optimism.

And so as we celebrate you this evening,
we also look to the future, one that

carries your voice forward.

If there is a baton to be taken up, it
is the one you have prepared us to

Sir David, thank you for your wisdom,
your kindness, your dedication, and for

reminding us always of the wonder of the
world we call home.

A very happy 100th birthday.

Well, thank you so much to His Royal
Highness there for joining us this

Now, the birthday wishes have been
pouring in for David, and here are just

more from some of his biggest fans
across the globe.

Happy birthday, Sir David.

They say we protect only what we love
and love only what we understand.

If this is true, then you are one of the
greatest forces ever to protect our

planet.

Thousands of scientists,
environmentalists and campaigners have

paths because of you.

Happy birthday, Sir David.

I hope you're surrounded by those you
love and those who love you. You've been

key to my understanding and love for
nature.

You've been an inspiration going back
decades. Your humour, your unshowing

expertise, your poise are, as far as I'm
concerned, the gold standard.

For television.

Growing up watching your documentaries
not only changed the way that I viewed

the natural world, but it's also
something that inspires and motivates me

single day. I watch Planet Earth or Blue
Planet or Our Planet and I always feel

connected to...

something bigger than myself.

Your voice will echo in our hearts and
minds for generations to come. It's been

wonderful in latter years to have worked
with you and interviewed you. You

remain an inspiration to so many people.

Happy birthday, David. Thank you for
reminding us over and over again what a

beautiful world we live in. I can't
think of anyone that I respect more.

Your love and wisdom for this planet is
unparalleled.

Thank you truly for everything you've
done and continue to do for our very

precious planet and all of its
inhabitants.

Happy 100th birthday.

It

is

time now for our final performance.

of the night. I am delighted to welcome
a true star in the making, the fabulous

Sienna Spiro with the timeless track
Nature Boy.

A very strange enchanted void.

They wandered very far, very far.

Over land and sea.

A little shy and sad of eye.

Very wise was he.

Very strange in Canterbury.

Magic Day Heat!

What about that? Sienna Spyro there with
the BBC Concert Orchestra. Thank you so

much.

Well, even though it's his birthday
week, David's still been hard at work

voicing a brand new series.

Tonight, I am thrilled to announce that
launching this autumn is Blue Planet 3.

We felt that we couldn't go this evening
without sharing a little glimpse, this

was just recorded a few days ago, into
100 -year -old David Attenborough's

typical working day.

First, she must perfect her mating call.

A seductive song.

It's thought that she deliberately
selects parts of the seabed which

sound.

But will anyone answer?

What about that? An inspiration to us
all.

No.

Before we go, there is just one last
thing that we'd really love to do.

But we are going to need the help of
everyone here in the hall tonight, and

is to sing Happy Birthday.

Shall we?

What a wonderful evening it's been. Our
huge thanks to everyone who has played a

part to the BBC Concert Orchestra, to
our fantastic audience here, and to all

of you at home.

I have to tell you, to help celebrate
the 100th birthday of this extraordinary

man is a privilege. Thank you, David,
not just for joining us.

here tonight but for for the lifetime
you spent sharing your love and

of the planet opening our eyes to its
beauty and brilliance and fragility

you've given nature a voice and what a
voice it is full of understanding and

compassion and delight the sheer joy and
inspiration that you have brought to

countless millions of us is immeasurable
your work goes on

Your legacy is infinite.

Thank you Now

There

is For sure

only one person who deserves the last
word and it is of course the man himself

here he is

perfectly summing up all that he stands
for.

I see trees of green, red roses too.

I see them bloom for me and you.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful

world.

I see skies of blue, clouds of white,

bright blessed days, dark sacred

nights.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful
world.

The colours of a rainbow,

so pretty in the sky,

are also on the faces of people going
by.

I see friends shaking hands, saying, how
do you do?

They're really saying, I love you.

I hear babies cry.

I watch them grow.

They'll learn much more than I'll ever
know.

And I think to myself, what a wonderful
world.

Quite simply wonderful.

100 years on planet Earth.