Clarkson called out Strachan air travel (Picture: Neil Mockford/Alex Huckle/GC Images)
Jeremy Clarkson has called out the journeys Michaela Strachan makes from South Africa to film BBC’s Autumnwatch, claiming it would be ‘much cooler’ for the planet if she didn’t make the long-haul flights.
For a decade, Strachan, 56, has been seen on TV presenting programmes including Autumnwatch and Springwatch on the BBC.
The presenter, who was also a regular host of Countryfile, splits her time between the UK and South Africa, zooming back to film nature programmes for the broadcaster.
However, she’s come under fire from Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? host Clarkson, writing in his column about how the ‘BBC global warming batton’ has been ‘passed to Chris Packham and Michaela Strachan’ from Sir David Attenborough.
‘On Thursday, Chris delivered a lecture about moths and how they are affected by warmer weather,’ the 62-year-old wrote in The Sun.
‘And all I could think is how much cooler the planet would be if the producers didn’t have to fly Michaela to the wood from her home… in South Africa.’
Strachan splits her time between the UK and South Africa (Picture: MJ Kim/Getty Images)
While Clarkson’s comments are fresh, Strachan has spoken out in the past about the criticism she’s received for her air travel, emphasising the efforts she goes to in her daily life to be eco-conscious.
‘People are so quick to point out people’s negatives without supporting their positives,’ she said in Platinum magazine earlier this year, according to MailOnline.
‘We’ve got solar panels [in our home], I don’t drive an electric car because South Africa has an electricity crisis, but I have a Fiat 500 that’s particularly good on fuel.’
Packham also presents Autumnwatch alongside Strachan (Picture: Roberto Ricciuti/Getty Images)
She added that she doesn’t buy bottled water ‘unless it’s absolutely desperate’, and has also had a vegetarian diet since she was 18 years old.
‘Anyone that eats meat, don’t criticise me for flying,’ she added.
According to the UN’s Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO), meat and dairy account for around 14.5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
‘Beef and cattle milk production account for the majority of emissions, respectively contributing 41 and 20% of the sector’s emissions,’ the organisation said in a past report.
‘While pig meat and poultry meat and eggs contribute respectively 9% and 8% to the sector’s emissions.
‘The strong projected growth of this production will result in higher emission shares and
volumes over time.’
Metro.co.uk has contacted Michaela Strachan’s representative and the BBC for comment.
Autumnwatch is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
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Michaela Strachan previously addressed criticism of her flights.