Sir David Attenborough said he has been "completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings" as he prepares to turn 100 on Friday, and a 90-minute concert at the Royal Albert Hall will mark the milestone that evening.
Attenborough released an audio message on Thursday saying: "I had rather thought that I would celebrate my 100th birthday quietly, but it seems that many of you have had other ideas." The concert, hosted by Kirsty Young, will air on One and iPlayer from 20:30 BST and will remember some of the most memorable wildlife moments from his career and the broadcaster's natural history archive.
In his message Attenborough added, "I have been completely overwhelmed by birthday greetings, from pre-school groups to care home residents, and countless individuals and families of all ages." He said he could not reply to everyone individually: "I simply can't reply to each of you separately, but I'd like to thank you all most sincerely for your kind messages, and wish those of you who have planned your own local events: Have a very happy day."
The scale of tributes is reflected in the line-up at the Royal Albert Hall. Kirsty Young will host the special 90-minute concert and said, "Sir David's gift to the world has been a life spent exquisitely revealing Earth's wonders to us all." Young added, "The very least he deserves is a big 100th birthday bash at the Royal Albert Hall," and: "I'm very happy indeed, as the host, to be able to invite everyone to the party." Special guests including Sir Michael Palin, Steve Backshall, Liz Bonnin and Chris Packham will appear, the Concert Orchestra will perform music associated with Planet Earth II, Frozen Planet II and Planet Earth III, and Bastille frontman Dan Smith will sing the band's hit "Pompeii" with the orchestra.
Public figures paid tribute with concise praise. The Duke of Sussex described Attenborough as a "secular saint," saying, "His most significant contribution has been the systematic dismantling of the notion that climate issues are happening 'somewhere else'." He added, "Young people continue to listen to him not just for the spectacle of nature, but for a sense of continuity in an unstable world." Sir Ian McKellen said Attenborough "sums up what was best about the," praising "serious programmes made for a popular audience" and his "ability to communicate his own enthusiasms" which "are very precious and he's brought such joy to so many people." Others noted his rare reach: Sandra Knapp said, "He’s taken us all to places that we would never otherwise go. That’s a huge gift," Jean-Baptiste Gouyon credited him with having "made natural history as popular as football," and Billie Eilish praised his "deep love and knowledge of our planet," adding that "The animal kingdom brings out the childlike curiosity within us all."
The concert is the centrepiece of a full week of programming the has assembled to mark his centenary. Classic episodes including Planet Earth II, Blue Planet II, Life in the Freezer and Paradise Birds are being reshown or made available on iPlayer as the broadcaster highlights a career that began when Attenborough joined the corporation in 1952 and has spanned nearly eight decades.
Attenborough's life on public record traces back to his 1926 birth, his studies in geology and zoology, and his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 1985. He has in recent years spoken plainly about climate science, saying in 2006 that he was no longer sceptical about climate change after waiting for conclusive proof that humanity was changing the climate.
The tension in this centenary is simple and human: Attenborough expected a quiet day, yet the response from pre-school groups, care homes, families and public figures has turned Friday into a national moment. He has said he cannot answer every message, and the record of tributes and the scale of the broadcast suggest the celebration will do the answering for him — a public chorus reflecting a lifetime spent bringing the natural world into living rooms and classrooms across the country.
