New David Attenborough series about UK and Ireland likely to be his last on location

Sir David Attenborough, who will present a new series about nature across the Uk an Ireland for the BBC. Photograph: BBC/Silverback Films/Alex Board/PA

During his decades-long career the authoritative yet reassuring face of Sir David Attenborough has appeared on screen from everywhere from Papua New Guinea to Chernobyl and Kenya.

Next week, when the 96-year-old returns to front a new series on home ground, it will be not only his first landmark series on the natural history of Britain and Ireland, but it is likely, the Observer understands, to be viewers’ final time seeing him in a series filmed on location.