‘Springwatch’ Presenter Chris Packham Opens Up About Living With Asperger’s Syndrome: ‘People Like Me Do Have Something To Offer’

‘Springwatch’ presenter Chris Packham has opened up about living with Asperger’s, which he was diagnosed with in 2005 at the age of 44.

The conservationist says he has had a “positive” reaction from people after writing about his condition - a lifelong developmental disability that affects how people perceive the world and interact with others - in his memoir ‘Fingers In The Sparkle Jar’.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Chris said: “It has been very positive actually. I think a lot of people have been very kind and flattering and they’ve said that they imagined that it must have taken some degree of bravery to speak so openly about it.

“I think my approach is the same that I take when it comes to conservation and any of the issues that concern me there: Unless we talk about them openly and unless we discuss them, and unless we understand them better, we can’t do anything about them.”

He continued: “I think that there are many in the UK who still suffer because of their autistic diagnosis or autistic traits.

“The more that we can bring this into the open and have discussions about it, the better people who aren’t autistic can understand the condition and how they might better facilitate an environment where autistic people don’t have to suffer.”

The 56-year-old presenter, who is set to document his experience in an hour-long documentary for the BBC later this year, added that people with Asperger’s have a lot to offer.

He said: “It’s worth getting to grips with people like myself because we do have something to offer and also it’s a great shame if people who are Asperger’s don’t have the opportunity to have a fulfilled life and actually put something back into other people’s lives.”

Earlier this month, Chris admitted that his occasional on-air innuendos on ‘Springwatch’ have landed him in trouble with show bosses.

The nature presenter, and co-host Michaela Strachan, have been known to drop a few double-entendres into the wildlife show, whether they’re admiring a pair of “great tits”, giggling about “cock in the flesh” or, indeed, quizzing one another about “deep shags”.

But while we as viewers can be found chuckling along at home, it seems producers are less keen when Chris and Michaela throw in a few cheap gags.

Discussing the show’s innuendos, Chris told The Sun: “We often get told off afterwards, we have had a warning for pushing it. But we are trying to appeal to a broad audience.”

He added: “A lot of the millions of viewers of ‘Springwatch’ are not hardcore natural history watchers.

“If we didn’t entertain them with innuendos, I don’t think the programmes would work.”