Sir David Attenborough may be about to turn 96 - but he has just enjoyed one of the most successful years of his long career.
The national treasure’s popularity shows no signs of waning, with cash in his company close to £3m, up £1m on the previous year.
Latest accounts for David Attenborough (Productions) Ltd show the firm is sitting on returns of £2.8m for trading in 2021, compared to £1.9m in 2020.
The firm had bills, including to the tax man, of £1.3m, leaving a profit of £1.8m for last year.
The company shareholders are Sir David, his son Robert and daughter Susan.
Knighted in 1985, the TV legend has continued to support a wide variety of environmental and wildlife charities including WWF, World Land Trust and Cool Earth, which owns 54 percent of the firm. His Blue Planet series persuaded millions to cut back on plastic waste.
It is said to have inspired the Queen to ban plastic bottles and straws from royal estates.
Born on May 8, 1926, a youthful David Attenborough first appeared on screen in 1954, on a BBC show called ‘Zoo Quest’.
He had only stepped in as a presenter when zoologist Jack Lester fell ill.
But that appearance launched an incredible career which saw him named a Champion of the Earth by the UN’s Environment Programme last week.
Receiving his award, he championed environmental causes once more, saying: “We know what the problems are and we know how to solve them.
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“All we lack is unified action. Fifty years ago, whales were on the very edge of extinction worldwide. Then people got together and now there are more whales in the sea than any living human being has ever seen.
“If we act together, we can solve these problems.” He has written 29 books, the latest, ‘A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future’, was published in 2020.
Since 2017 alone, he has recorded eight TV series, including last year’s A Perfect Planet and Life in Colour. There was also a string of one-off programmes and guest appearances on countless other shows.
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