Chris Packham issues come and get me to EastEnders – and he knows the role he wants

EastEnders has welcomed countless guests to Walford over the years, from Prime Ministers and royals to drag queens and singers, and now conservationist Chris Packham is keen to get in on the action.

Chris is no stranger to appearing on our screens, having been a presenter on Springwatch, as well as sister shows Autumnwatch and Winterwatch, since 2009.

He is also an author, having published countless works, and has been incredibly vocal about climate issues throughout his career.

Now, he wants to try a new approach to educating the masses about the climate crisis by appearing in a guest role on EastEnders.

Soaps have often been praised for their ability to spark conversation surrounding important topics, and Chris has shared his hopes that an appearance on the BBC soap could get people talking about the climate crisis.

Soaps previously attempted to draw attention to the climate crisis with a crossover event in 2021. Before Corriedale was ever on our radar, UK-based soaps teamed up to spread awareness of the climate crisis.

The special episodes coincided with the COP26 Conference, which saw world leaders gather to discuss the climate crisis.

Coronation Street, Emmerdale, EastEnders, Hollyoaks, Doctors, Holby City and Casualty were all involved in the crossover event, with characters popping up in different soaps throughout the week.

In Emmerdale, Dr Liam Cavanagh (Jonny McPherson) shared how he had started growing his own vegetables on his allotment, before filming a fun video with Amelia Spencer (Daisy Campbell). The video was then watched on Corrie by Gary Windass (Mikey North) and Maria Connor (Samia Longchmabon).

A video of the ‘Letherbridge World Warrior’ fighting pollution was also watched by Asha Alahan (Tanisha Gorey) and Nina Lucas (Mollie Gallagher), while Aggie Bailey (Lorna Laidlaw) showed Bernie Winter (Jane Hazlegrove) a newspaper article about how a Wyvern hospital was working to lower their carbon footprint – a nod to stories from both Doctors and Holby City.

Speaking to Radio Times, Chris revealed his desire to play a climate protestor on Albert Square, explaining that it would allow him to communicate to a different audience than the one he usually reaches.

‘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 told the publication.

He also shared his belief that it seems to only be people who are aware of the scale of the climate crisis seeking out media about it, leaving those who aren’t in the dark.

‘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,’ Chris 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.’

Speaking in 2021 about the climate inspired soap crossover, Emmerdale actor Jonny McPherson shared his thoughts on tackling the issue in soap.

‘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,’ he told 5 News.

Could we be set to see Chris Packham on EastEnders? Will a climate crisis storyline be next on the list for soap bosses?