Presenter Liz Bonnin said it feels surreal to be friends with David Attenborough after growing up watching him in awe as a child.
The French science and wildlife presenter has worked with the legendary broadcaster throughout her career, on various shows and shared panels, and was even appointed the prestigious role of President of the Wildlife Trust, thanks to his recommendation.
Lifting the lid on their friendship, the Irish raised broadcaster admitted she still pinches herself to be able to call him a friend.
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“He is absolutely what you imagine him to be and more,” she told RTE Guide.
“When I first met him, I couldn’t put a sentence together. Over the years, we have gotten to know each other, which is still a surreal thing for me to say.
“Sometimes, he will pick up the phone or comment on something.
“He actually recommended me for the position I now hold as President of the Wildlife Trust.
“It is a huge honour to have that role which he held for so many years.”
“So we have a lovely friendship now, which is still just beyond me because I can remember watching him on the television as a kid, thinking ‘oh my gosh, this man’.
“It has been an absolute bonkers experience to get to know him.
“He still has this lovely, awe-inspiring, childish curiosity and joy about the world. It’s absolutely wonderful to see.”
Liz became the first woman to take the role of president when she took over in 2020, following in the footsteps of Presidents Emeritus Sir David Attenborough, Simon King and Tony Jupiter.
The Irish-raised broadcaster is renowned for bringing the hard truths and the beauty and wonder of the natural world to TV screens throughout her career.
And her new RTE show, The Island, will be no different - as she will chat to scientists, geologists and experts who uncover long-buried evidence of Ireland’s origins.
“It’s an incredible story and I meet a whole group of different geologists who look at Ireland’s rocks, waterways and seabed to put together the puzzle that is Ireland’s history,” she said.
Bonnin, who was born in Paris to a French father and Trinidadian mother of Indian and Portuguese descent, before moving to Ireland at the age of nine, said the show also felt like a homecoming.
“It really lit me up, not least because I hadn’t been to the West of Ireland in such a long time, so it was really special to take in the views on those beautiful clifftops after being away for so long.
“It added another layer to my love of Ireland. I feel that for me, Ireland is a spiritual, friendship home.
“The girls that I know there, they’ve known me since I was nine years old, so it is very special to me.
“I’m currently trying to write a book and Ireland is going to be the place that I write it. In that sense, the show helped me reconnect with a place I adore.”
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