Lorraine Kelly remembers BBC wildlife presenter Tony Soper after his death --[Reported by Umva mag]

Lorraine Kelly paid tribute to the ‘wonderful and kind’ BBC wildlife presenter Tony Soper after his death aged 95.

Soper, who co-founded BBC’s Natural History Unit, has been remembered by his TV colleagues on social media after his death was announced yesterday.

Lorraine, 64, said on X that Soper was one of her first guests on her TV-am show and described him as a ‘joy and a delight’ to interview.

She wrote: ‘One one of my very first shows presenting on TVam – this wonderful kind man came on to talk about his book on OWLS. He was a joy and a delight.’

Soper joined the BBC at 17 as a ‘youth-in-training’, progressing to features producer in radio, where he worked on shows including Birds In Britain.

He later moved into television and worked as the unofficial assistant floor manager on the first live wildlife TV outside broadcast, Wild Geese in Winter, in 1954.

Two years later, he produced another outside live programme, Look, which prompted him to suggest the creation of a natural history division.

Soper co-founded the BBC’s Natural History Unit and was its first film producer, alongside Patrick Beech, the then South West Controller.

In 1962, Soper ventured into presenting, getting his big break as the co-presenter of Animal Magic with Johnny Morris for a few years in the 1960s.

He then hosted live programmes including Birdwatch, Birdspot, Discovering Birds, Discovering Animals, Beside the Sea, Wildtrack and Nature. 

In the early 80s, he was the lead presenter of a live current affairs series called Nature.

More to follow.

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