Popular wildlife presenter Gillian Burke is a staple of the Springwatch presenting team, alongside Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan, Iolo Williams and Megan McCubbin.
Who is Gillian Burke?
Gillian Burke is a natural history programme presenter and voice-over artist, working on a range of programmes for the Discovery Channel and Animal Planet. She is most famous though as a presenter of Springwatch
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How old is Gillian Burke?
Gillian Burke is 49 years old
Where did Gillian Burke grow up?
Gillian Burke's grandmothers are from the Seychelles, and her grandfathers are from Sri Lanka and she grew up just outside of Nairobi, Kenya, where her father was a mechanic and her mother worked for the UN on environmental projects.Her father often took her into the game parks, which helped spark her love of wildlife. At the age of ten, her mother was offered a new role and the family relocated to Vienna, where she learnt to speak German.
What did Gillian Burke study?
Gillian Burke studied biology at Bristol university. After she finished her degree, she started her tv career as a natural history researcher and eventually became a producer and voice-over artist. She first appeared on Springwatch in 2016/17, and became a regular presenter shortly afterwards.
How did Gillian Burke get into television?
"I did *a lot* of work experience, which eventually translated into my first job," she says. "It was working on a series called Living Europe, made by an independent company called Green Umbrella. One of the reasons I got the job was my ability to speak some German, French and Spanish, and my entomological background, as there was a shoot about wood ants.
"Ironically, one of the reasons I thought I could get a job in natural history filmmaking was my ability to speak Swahili. But to this day, I still haven’t done any in shoots in Kenya!"
What programmes has Gillian Burke presented?
In 2019, Gillian hosted Nature's Strangest Mysteries: Solved for Animal Planrt and in 2020 she narrated Thailand's Wild Side for National Geographic Channel.
When did Gillian Burke join Springwatch as one of its main presenters?
Burke joined the Watches team as a main presenter in 2017 following appearances as a roving reporter on BBC Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch in 2016.
What is Gillian Burke's favourite British animal?
"The animal I really have a strong affinity with is the swallow," says Gillian. "There’s so much historical and cultural symbolism around it, but for me, whenever I see them come back, I think about where they’ve been. They make their home in the same two places I call home, and when I see them, I always have a little smile. I like to imagine what they’ve seen during their journey.
Where does Gillian Burke live?
BBC Springwatch presenter Gillian Burke lives in Cornwall
Does Gillian Burke have children?
Chillian Burke has two children, a son and a daughter