Steve Backshall promotes Deadly 60 live tour and natural history GCSE
Steve Backshall discusses his new Deadly 60 live tour, described as a panto-meets-TED Talk, and the upcoming natural history GCSE starting in 2028.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Wildlife presenter Steve Backshall has announced details of his new Deadly 60 live tour, which he says combines education with entertainment. Speaking on Channel 5's evening news, Backshall described the show as "a little bit like a Christmas panto meets a TED Talk." The tour follows the evolutionary timeline, featuring battling dinosaurs, stunts, and slapstick, but at its core is a science show packed with facts. He noted that last year tens of thousands of children attended similar arena shows, enthusiastically naming obscure animals.
Backshall also highlighted the progress made on introducing a GCSE in natural history. The public consultation has finished, and the first students are expected to begin studying the subject in September 2028. He expressed hope that this qualification would help children who may not fit the usual school mould, allowing them to continue studying the natural world beyond primary school.
The presenter, who lives in Cornwall, also spoke about sharing his passion with his three children. He described taking them swimming with blue sharks off the Cornish coast, calling it an unforgettable experience. He said he assesses risks differently as a parent but would not put his children in danger with more aggressive species.
Reflecting on his career, Backshall named the orca as his favourite animal, but singled out an encounter with a blue whale during the latest series of Deadly 60 as the most extraordinary. He described hovering above the largest animal ever known to have lived, with the sheer scale difficult to put into words.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 |
|---|---|
| Steve Backshall swam with blue sharks off the coast of Cornwall with his children. | |
| The Deadly 60 live show uses circus skills and stage science to teach animal evolution. | |
| The natural history GCSE will have its first students in September 2028. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
The channel focused on the fun, family-friendly nature of the live tour, mixing the presenter's anecdotes about his children with the educational campaign for a natural history GCSE. The tone was upbeat and admiring, highlighting Backshall's adventurous credibility.
- “I kind of describe it as being a little bit like a Christmas panto meets a TED Talk.”
- “September, 2028, the first students are going to be stepping out to study natural history as a GCSE.”
- “We were out diving off the coast of Cornwall and we had the most stunning, beautiful, hypnotic shark species in the world, literally nose to nose with my youngsters.”
Broadcast Timeline
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