UK nature broadcaster David Bellamy dies, 86

Broadcaster and botanist David Bellamy, who maintained there was no proof human activity caused global warming, has died aged 86.

British broadcaster, botanist and environmentalist David Bellamy is dead at 86.

Broadcaster and botanist David Bellamy, who maintained there was no proof human activity caused global warming, has died aged 86.

Bellamy was a prolific broadcaster and respected authority on botany and the natural world when, he said, his views on climate change led to him being banished from television.

Flying in the face of prevailing orthodoxy, he dismissed global warming as “poppycock” and said there was “no actual proof” human activity was causing a rise in temperatures.

Bellamy, who died on Wednesday, blamed his views on climate change for the downfall of his TV career and said he became a pariah.

Bellamy was born in London in 1933 and was raised in Sutton. He worked in a factory and as a plumber before meeting his ­future wife Rosemary. The couple had five children.

Bellamy studied and later taught botany at Durham University. He achieved wider recognition following his work on the Torrey Canyon oil spill in 1967. TV work offers followed, launching his small-screen career.

Thanks to his distinctive voice and screen presence, Bellamy quickly became a popular presenter and also fronted his own shows, including Bellamy On Botany, Bellamy’s Britain, Bellamy’s Europe and Bellamy’s Backyard Safari.

At his peak, he was one of the most respected and sought-after experts in his field.

However, his 2004 comments on climate change, which he dismissed as “poppycock”, may have ended his TV career.

His later years contrasted starkly with another TV naturalist named David. Sir David Attenborough is passionate and vocal in his belief that climate change is an existential threat to life on Earth.

Speaking in 2002, Bellamy said he was “banned from television” after the election, telling The Guardian: “In some ways it was probably the most stupid thing I ever did because I’m sure that if I have been banned from television, that’s why.”

PA