My biggest challenge? Raising three young children in my 50s… TV adventurer Steve Backshall says fatherhood is harder than going up against crocodiles, sharks and hippos

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He’s an intrepid explorer known for confronting some of the planet’s most dangerous creatures, ranging from 15-foot crocodiles to lethal sharks, as well as poisonous serpents and fierce polar bears.

But for wildlife expert Steve Backshall, it’s at home where he faces his toughest challenge.

The presenter of BBC’s Deadly 60, who’s wed to Olympic rowing champion Helen Glover, acknowledges that raising three young kids when he’s in his 50s leaves him feeling exhausted physically.

In a conversation with The Mail on Sunday, I expressed my longing: “Oh, how I yearn for the vitality I once possessed in my 20s and 30s! If only I could rekindle that zest to play football and rugby non-stop with my children, and maintain the boundless energy that used to make me pop and buzz!

However, it’s clear that I haven’t been able to do so, and let me tell you, maintaining forward momentum can be quite a challenge when you’re in your fifties, especially with three young children aged six or younger at home.

However, I possess a wealth of knowledge and practical experience, and there are numerous topics I could share or assist them with.

‘Also I’ve got no choice! These are the cards that I was dealt, and I’ve got to make it work.’

Backshall and Ms Glover, 38, have a son Logan, six, and five-year-old twins, Willow and Kit. 

He refers to his wife as an extraordinary mother, and he takes great pride in the fact that she became the first British woman rower to attend the Olympic Games following childbirth.

In the new podcast “That’s Just Wild,” Backshall expressed that while his career is met with great excitement and pride, there’s one aspect that isn’t so well-received: he travels quite often, which his family finds less than enjoyable.

‘They really struggle with it. It’s been hard ever since they could understand what I was doing.

They prefer the idea of me having a desk job where I’d be around daily, rather than an exceptionally thrilling one that keeps me away for extended stretches. This is more suitable, given their current age.

At this very moment, there’s a special window where everything else fades away, and all they yearn for is the comforting presence of Mommy and Daddy.

In 2014, Backshall confessed that he embodies a traditional approach to parenting, expressing his belief in the significance of guidelines, order, and discipline for children.

‘The things we’ve been doing for generations are timeless for a reason.’

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2025-06-08 02:03