Chris Packham's 'constant worry' over health condition and 'different' relationship with partner
Winterwatch presenter Chris Packham has been open about several struggles he has faced in his private life. The 63 year old presenter, known for his work on various wildlife and nature shows including the CBBC's The Really Wild Show from 1986 to 1995, has also been a staple on the BBC nature series Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch since 2009.
He has also presented numerous documentaries like Secrets of Our Living Planet and Blue Plant Live. Beyond his passion for nature, Chris gained household recognition when he appeared with his stepdaughter Megan McCubbin on Celebrity Gogglebox.
But what more do we know about him? We delve into some of the controversies the outspoken host has faced over the years, his family life, a wrongful arrest in Malta, the severe harassment he's endured, and a rare disorder diagnosed in his 30s that could lead to complete deafness.
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Chris Packham's rare health condition
Chris Packham has been candid about his battle with Ménière's disease, diagnosed in his late 30s. The NHS describes Meniere's as an inner ear condition causing vertigo and potential hearing loss.
After a diving incident exacerbated his condition, Chris told the Daily Mirror about his "constant worry" over the possibility of the disease affecting his other ear, alongside the tinnitus and vertigo he already endures.
He expressed his concern to the newspaper: "There is a danger that the Meniere's which I suffered from in this ear could spread to the other one and I could lose my hearing in that ear as well. It's something that gives me constant worry."
Chris Packham's life-changing diagnosis in his 40s
Chris wasn't diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome until his 40s. After seeking therapy following the death of his dog, he was diagnosed in 2005.
Chris Packham has opened up about his challenging school years, telling the BBC he was "lucky to get through that period of [his] life" due to social exclusion and bullying. In his 2017 documentary 'Asperger's and Me', Chris remarked: "I'm not a typical autistic person because there is no typical autistic person."
He shared insights into living with sensory overload and his deep fascination with nature. To manage his environment, Chris adheres to strict routines, including wearing similar clothes and eating the same food types.
His documentary won the 2018 Broadcasting Press Guild Award for Best Single Documentary, and in October 2017, he became an Ambassador for the National Autistic Society.
Chris Packham's 'different' relationship with partner
Chris is happy with long-term partner Charlotte Corney, the owner of Isle of Wight zoo. Despite their lengthy partnership, Chris and Charlotte have chosen to maintain separate households and are not seeking marriage.
On 'The Different Minds' podcast, when probed about potential wedding bells, Chris revealed: "I would say no. It's all about animals at the moment, we have to concentrate on them. Her tigers are old, my dog Scratchy is old. It's not about us, we have to get through this period basically of aged animals."
Chris told The Guardian why his relationship with Charlotte was 'different' after previous girlfriends had all fizzled out between five and seven years. He said: "They all reached their full term because, as much as I was dealing socially with my neurodiversity, I wasn’t dealing with it at home. I couldn’t let my guard down and that was always very challenging for my partners.
"I have slightly better control of my obsessive personality now. That means I don’t totally expose Charlotte to my obsessions and force her to be part of them, which is what I did in past relationships – while at the same time being pretty unforgiving when partners wanted me to do anything they valued and I didn’t."
He added that his long relationship with Charlotte was 'different because of basic maturity'. Charlotte revealed Chris hadn't told her about his autism diagnosis for three years. She said: "For the first three years of our relationship, Chris didn’t tell me he was autistic because he thought he was able to mask his condition. That’s not how it felt to me though, and I don’t think I handled the relationship very well until I knew about his diagnosis."
She added that while their life together can be challenging sometimes, she feels secure because he 'won't say nice things simply to keep the relationship ticking over'. She did add that Chris can be 'brutal' with his honesty.
Chris Packham's family harassment
Discussing more serious matters, Chris Packham has shared the disquieting experiences of harassment he and his loved ones have endured due to his commitment to wildlife conservation. Not only has he faced a barrage of cyber abuse, but he's also been the target of tangible threats to his safety.
In 2021, Chris Packham's home was subjected to a suspected arson attack when two masked individuals set fire to a vehicle, causing it to explode and destroy his property's gates in the dead of night. Hampshire Constabulary investigated the incident but found no suspects and laid no charges.
Chris discussed the incident and described it as an escalation of the harassment he had been experiencing for years, stating that finding dead animals, including foxes and badgers, tied to his gate had become a "normal occurrence". He expressed that the activity had reached a point where he feared for his life and his family's safety, but vowed that it would not deter him from his activism and publicising the conservation causes he believed in.
Chris Packham's wrongful arrest
In 2014, Chris funded a film crew to produce a series highlighting the mass killing of migrating birds by hunters in Malta. In 2017, he was arrested and charged with assault while filming on the Maltese island of Gozo.
The case was dismissed after video footage evidence emerged, which Chris had previously stated showed that he and his team were the victims of abuse: "We had good evidence which showed that the boot was very firmly on the other foot – that we were the party that were abused in the situation. It serves to highlight what we came here to do, which was to throw attention on the fact that the Birds Directive – the legislation which is in place to protect birds all across Europe – is being abused here in Malta."
The latest episode of Winterwatch airs tonight on BBC Two at 8pm.