David Attenborough has spent a lifetime educating others about the impact climate change is having on our planet and has been urging Britons to take radical action to meet its climate change targets. At the age of 93, the nature warrior appears in good stead as he continues to lead the way for a greener planet.
Issues relating to David’s health have been few and far between, but the presenter did admit two years ago he sometimes struggles with his memory which has resulted in him taking longer to write scripts in the past.
While preparing for Blue Planet II, David admitted he was taking longer to write the script because of struggles with recalling “proper names”.
He admitted he was “coming to terms” with the fact when it takes longer to find the right words, you can “run into problems”.
Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph 24 hours after a trip to the Jura Mountains in Switzerland, David added: “There were these searing yellow fields and I can’t think of the damn name.
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“I wanted to say something about it but I couldn’t and it wasn’t until we got quite close to Geneva that I thought, of course, oil seed rape.”
It was also revealed last year the presenter suffered a health scare during one of his acclaimed documentaries.
Alistair Fothergill, who produced shows including Planet Earth and Blue Planet, said the national treasure and the team were filming dolphins in the Bahamas for The Trials of Life in 1990 when a nasty accident happened.
He told the Radio Times: “We were filming David from the top of a boat that had a wooden platform on the back for people to dive off.
“We had just done a wonderful piece and David was about to go under the water again and a great wave washed him under the dive platform, which then came smashing down.
“I’ve never forgotten it because David was unconscious and there was blood everywhere and I remember thinking: ‘The one thing you don’t want on your CV is you’re the man who killed David Attenborough’.”
Fortunately, David recovered, as was made evident by the many documentaries that came to follow.
What are the causes of memory loss?
It’s considered normal for people to forget things from time to time. Memory loss can just be a natural part of getting older.
Sometimes it may be triggered by stress, anxiety or depression, or sleeping problems, all of which are treatable.
But the NHS advises if you keep having problems with memory you should see your GP.
It says “See a GP if memory problems are affecting your day-to-day life.
“It’s probably nothing serious, but it’s best to get checked because any treatment you need may work better if it’s started early.”
Occasionally, memory loss can be a sign of something more serious, such as dementia.
The health body adds: “If you’e becoming increasingly forgetful, particularly if you’re over the age of 65, it may be a good idea to talk to your GP about the early signs of dementia.”
