Steve Backshall
An adventurer who brings viewers face-to-face with the planet's most dangerous creatures, blending biology with breathless exploration.
Born 1973 (age 53)·English naturalist·Birthday: April 21·Generation X
Biography
Steve Backshall is not a presenter who stands at a safe distance. With the energy of a mountaineer and the curiosity of a field biologist, he has built a career on intimate, often perilous encounters with wildlife. He cut his teeth exploring remote jungles and caves for the children's series 'The Really Wild Show' before creating the 'Deadly...' franchise for the BBC, where his hands-on approach—holding venomous snakes, diving with great whites—educated and thrilled a generation. His work is underpinned by a serious scientific background and a conservationist's heart, using spectacle to foster respect for misunderstood predators. Beyond television, Backshall is an accomplished climber, kayaker, and author of numerous natural history books and fiction for young adults. His expeditions, from descending Venezuelan tepuis to tracking snow leopards in the Himalayas, are documented with a genuine sense of wonder and a palpable respect for the risks involved, making him a unique bridge between extreme adventure and accessible natural history.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Steve was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Steve Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Steve's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Created and presented the BBC's popular 'Deadly 60' series, which traveled the world to profile dangerous animals.
- Awarded the BAFTA Children's Award for Best Presenter in 2011 for his work on 'Deadly 60'.
- Authored over thirty books, including the 'Deadly' series and the 'Falcon Chronicles' adventure novels for children.
- Led expeditions to previously unexplored cave systems in Southeast Asia and climbed unsummitted peaks in remote regions.
Did You Know?
He is a black belt in Shotokan karate and has trained in several other martial arts.
Backshall studied English and theatre at university before pursuing a Masters in biology.
He once broke his neck in two places during a climbing accident in the Netherlands, requiring extensive surgery and recovery.
He is a passionate white-water kayaker and has undertaken first descents of rivers in South America.
“The more we learn about the natural world, the more we realise that we are a part of it, not apart from it.”
