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Published 15:04 11 May 2026 BST
Sir David Attenborough turned 100 on Friday (8 May), and as he’s officially joined the centenarian club, there’s a few facts about the beloved broadcaster and biologist which not many have heard of.
One of these includes one animal which the environmentalist “hates”, which might not come as a big surprise for some, as it’s one which is despised by a large percentage of the world population.
While he is widely known for his gentle enthusiasm towards most life forms on the planet, there is one animal in particular which he has been open about disliking.
Attenborough bluntly said “I can’t bear rats”, during a 60 Minutes interview and subsequent press coverage, revealing how while filming in a Hindu temple, “crawling” with them left him unnerved.
To the surprise of many, however, the legendary broadcaster has revealed he is comfortable handling venomous snakes, scorpions and spiders.
The reason for his disliking of rats?
According to the man himself, his dislike comes due to their association with filth and disease and to the way they share our urban spaces without much fear.
He even described them as invading “the area where you think you are boss.”
A boat from Birkenhead bears his name
The RRS Sir David Attenborough polar research vessel was constructed by Cammell Laird at its Birkenhead shipyard for the Natural Environment Research Council and is operated by the British Antarctic Survey.
The vessel was named after the BBC's most beloved broadcaster after a public vote initially went for the more tongue-in-cheek “Boaty McBoatface”.
By Attenborough, the ship was hailed as an “astonishing ship” that would “find the science with which to deal with the problems that are facing the world today.”
The ship today provides access to some of the most remote parts of the Antarctic and Arctic, carrying laboratories, robotic vehicles and up to 60 scientists to study ice, oceans and climate.
In every TV format, he has won BAFTAs
Reflecting a career that has spanned every major phase of television technology, Attenborough is the only person known to have won BAFTA awards for programmes in black‑and‑white, colour, high‑definition and 3D.
He is partly responsible for bringing colour television to Britain
The broadcaster is more than just an award-winning presenter for the BBC, as he has helped in bringing colour TV to the station.
Attenborough championed the introduction of colour broadcasting, ensuring the channel became the first in Europe to transmit in colour on a regular basis.
This happened during the time when he served as controller of BBC Two from 1965 to 1969, and later as director of programmes for BBC Television.
On climate change, he changed his mind two decades ago
What may surprise many, is that in spite of decades spent in documenting the natural world, Attenborough was initially cautious about accepting the scientific consensus on man‑made climate change.
He described himself as having been “sceptical” and “cautious about crying wolf,” explaining that he did not want to speak out until he was convinced the evidence was conclusive that humans were driving global warming.
However, in 2004, after attending a lecture, Attenborough became convinced “the evidence was beyond argument,” prompting him to use his programmes to highlight the issue.
He even devoted prime‑time series specifically to climate change and its consequences, in the two BBC documentaries: Are We Changing Planet Earth? and Can We Save Planet Earth? in 2006.
His most popular series such as Planet Earth and Blue Planet have repeatedly underlined climate concerns since then.
They’ve used changes in the natural landscape and animal habitation to bring to life the very real cost of carbon emissions.
What is more, Attenborough has also produced one‑off special programmes, such as Climate Change: The Facts, which warn directly about the urgency of protecting fragile ecosystems and cutting emissions.
Ahead of his milestone 100th birthday, the beloved broadcaster and biologist has said he is “not afraid of death”.
As he reflected on his life, he said he is not afraid of dying, but rather of not living enough.
“I'm not afraid of d.e.a.t.h… I'm afraid of not living enough”, he said.
“After living for nearly a hundred years on this planet, I now understand that the most important place on Earth is not on land but at sea”, he added.
“If we save the sea, we save our world. After a lifetime of filming our planet, I'm sure nothing is more important”, he continued.
The natural historian has previously spoken his fears for growing old, in particular “becoming helpless”.
Meanwhile, speaking on his career which spans eight decades, in his new interview he described it as “swanning round the world looking at the most fabulously interesting things”.
Sir David shows no signs of slowing down as he has new shows this year, in spite of worries from fans that he may stop making new programmes.
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