Conservationist and television presenter Chris Packham has issued a public call to EastEnders, expressing his wish to join the soap in a guest role as a climate protestor. Packham, known for his work on Springwatch, Autumnwatch, and Winterwatch since 2009, is also an author and outspoken climate activist. He believes that appearing on the BBC soap could help educate a wider audience about the climate crisis.
Packham's Vision for the Role
Speaking to Radio Times, Packham stated his desire to play a climate protestor on Albert Square. He explained, 'There is a growing awareness of the scale of the crisis that we find ourselves in. I don’t think there’s enough truth telling within broader media to bring it home to everyone.' He added that people already aware of the crisis tend to seek out related media, leaving others uninformed. 'The trouble is, I keep popping that bubble and looking outside, and I see that other people are not aware of the gravity of that crisis, or some of them are still in the position where actually they’re denying … and that’s really scary,' Packham continued. 'So, what I would like to see is that integrated into broader output, so properly into news obviously, properly into weather where we talk about climate as well as weather – but also into dramas.'
Soaps and Climate Awareness
Soaps have historically been effective at sparking conversations on important topics. In 2021, a crossover event involving multiple UK soaps aimed to raise awareness about the climate crisis, coinciding with the COP26 Conference. Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders, Hollyoaks, Doctors, Holby City, and Casualty all participated, with characters appearing across different shows. For example, in Emmerdale, Dr Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) shared his allotment vegetable growing, and a video he made with Amelia Spencer (Daisy Campbell) was watched on Corrie by Gary Windass (Mikey North) and Maria Connor (Samia Longchmabon). A video of the 'Letherbridge World Warrior' fighting pollution was viewed by Asha Alahan (Tanisha Gorey) and Nina Lucas (Mollie Gallagher), while Aggie Bailey (Lorna Laidlaw) showed Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove) a newspaper article about a hospital reducing its carbon footprint, referencing Doctors and Holby City.
Reactions to the 2021 Crossover
Emmerdale actor Jonny McPherson commented on the 2021 crossover, telling 5 News, 'The nice thing about it is that it doesn’t feel preachy. There’s another preaching going on with politicians and programs generally. I just feel like it’s quite a fun way of starting a conversation about it all.'
What's Next?
Whether EastEnders bosses will take up Packham's offer remains to be seen. However, his public appeal highlights the ongoing potential for soaps to address climate issues in an engaging manner.
