STEVE Backshall is one of TV’s best known naturalists and wildlife presenters. The man behind the hit show Deadly 60, he also took part in the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. Later this year he will be touring the UK with his Wild World show. On October 22 he will be at the Royal Hall in Harrogate (Tickets 01423-502116) and on October 24 he will be at the The Tyne Theatre and Opera House in Newcastle (Tickets 0844 2491000) . For more information on Steve visit www.stevebackshall.com or follow him on Twitter @SteveBackshall
What was your first car?
My first car was an old-fashioned Mini. It was bright orange, and cost £200. The very first time I drove it I dinged the front wing reversing it into the garage. It stayed that way for the next five years until the gearbox fell out.
How many times did it take to pass your test?
I learned with my dad, first of all practising driving on the country lanes around the small farm where I grew up. Shamefully I took three cracks at passing my test; no massive near misses or anything, I just was a bit nervous!
Who would be your ideal fantasy passenger and where would you go?
My fantasy passengers would be Alfred Russell Wallace the explorer naturalist, Konrad Lorentz, below, the animal behaviourist, and Jared Diamond the evolutionary biologist. I’d just start a very long journey with an inflammatory open question - 'so obviously evolution has been inevitably working towards a complex organism like us human beings', sit back and listen!
What is your dream car?
I’ve never been in to cars. I just want something I can whack the bike and tent in the back of, with a kayak on the roofrack, and trundle off on an adventure - without it breaking down. I was in my mid-30s before I spent over £500 on a car!
How would you describe your driving style?
People are always gobsmacked. My lifestyle of making first ascents of mountains, catching crocodiles and freediving alongside great white sharks seems so risky, they assume I’ll be a loon behind the wheel. Actually I drive like an 80-year-old woman.
Tell me one driving anecdote from your past?
I was driving down a country lane late at night and came round a corner to suddenly hit a humpback bridge. The car took off like something out of Starsky and Hutch. When it landed I smashed up the front axle and nearly ploughed me into a hedge. Turned out a tree branch had grown over the ‘beware humpback bridge' sign.
What are you listening to?
I mostly listen to podcasts. The Infinite Monkey Cage, No such thing As AFish, Dr Karl, The Bugle … anything science or comedy related.
What do you drive now?
I’m now driving a Honda CRV. It’s got plenty of room for all the outdoor toys, lovely on the motorway, seriously economical and with good green credentials, but also good on the country lanes.
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