Sharing the Wonder of Mother Nature
on his Debut Tour
Gill Sherry
There is surely no-one better than Hamza Yassin to grace the pages (and the cover) of this outdoor-themed issue of Ayrshire Magazine.
The wildlife photographer and cameraman is bringing his My Life Behind The Lens tour to Glasgow on 29th April. It’s billed as ‘an unforgettable show filled with adventure, storytelling, and stunning wonders from the natural world’ and I was lucky enough to chat with Hamza to find out more about it.
I’m about to ask my first question when he says: “I’m answering the same questions all the time. How did you become a wildlife cameraman? How did you begin? What was the first camera you bought? Where’s your favourite place? It’s easier that I do a show and tour it around the UK and answer these questions with people there.”
I look down at my list of questions. He has a point.
“There’s a bit of everything,” he continues. “It’s 30-odd years condensed down into a two-hour show. There’s laughter, sadness, giggly bits – I’m always giggling. It’s just a happy, wholesome time on stage.”
The main purpose of the show, aside from answering those much-asked questions, is for people to fall in love with the natural world.
“Someone who has booked the tickets is already converted, but I’m trying to preach to the unconverted. I’m hoping they’ll bring their husband or their wife. Come along, come and watch this dude talk about the natural world. That’s the people I want to reach.”
Whilst we’re used to seeing Hamza on TV, this will be the first time he’s taken to the stage with this own show. How is he feeling? Excited? Nervous?
“I’m pretty excited to tell people about the natural world. The Anglo-Saxons were on a crusade to the Holy Land and were explaining their religion to everybody as they went. This is my version. I get to tell people about Mother Nature.”
It’s also an opportunity for him to say thank you.
“The best thing is, I get the chance to thank the crowd for watching my documentaries which means I get the chance to make more. That’s the cool thing. I’m really looking forward to it.”
On the subject of those documentaries, he seems just as happy in front of the camera as he is behind it. Is that the case?
“I’m more comfortable behind it than I am in front. I’m severely dyslexic so I find it hard to read and write. I can’t read a teleprompter or learn scripts, but I’m comfortable when I’m talking about the thing that I love and that I’m educated about, and because I have my team with me. I’m with people that I know and respect. I’m just a tiny cog in a massive wheel. I’m the end product but behind it is a huge team.”
Another reason he always comes across as confident and relaxed is because he’s not afraid of the camera. Which is obvious when you think about it.
But as much as we love to watch Hamza on TV and to hear of his encounters with wildlife, it was never his intention to become a presenter. So exactly how did he become Ranger Hamza on CBeebies?
“I don’t have a tele. I work in tele, but I don’t have a tele. I went on The One Show to do a ten-minute chat on the sofa about up-and-coming wildlife cameramen and women. I’m sitting in makeup and an old lady starts handing out cupcakes. I said ‘no thanks’ and everyone was looking at me weirdly. When I looked at the guest list, I saw her name – Mary Berry. But I didn’t know because I don’t watch tele! She’s the queen of baking and I didn’t try her cupcake!”
Through his giggling, I manage to ascertain that it was that brief appearance on The One Show which led to him signing with an agent, a lady called Jan who he describes as “the most loveliest woman ever” and who secured him his first paid TV role. It was the perfect role for the man who loves kids almost as much as he loves animals.
“Kids are the most pure form of the homo sapien species. They’re not racist, ageist or sexist, they don’t have an agenda, they don’t have a fear of animals. If they’re scared of spiders, it’s because their mum or dad is scared of spiders. Kids are so in tune with the natural world, and I want to catch them before they start learning bad habits.”
He admits to still having that child-like wonder himself.
“I was given the privilege by my parents to be able to follow my dreams of a wildlife cameraman. I had that upbringing before mobile phones and before the internet where I was still outside with dirt underneath my fingernails. That’s what I love the most.”
And what does he love the most about wildlife. Does he have a favourite animal or bird?
“You need to come to my show!”
It’s clearly one of ‘those questions’ and it’s also clear he’s not going to tell me.
“If it’s got a heartbeat, I’m interested,” is all he’s prepared to say, before adding: “The day that I stop learning about the natural world is the day that I’m ready to meet my maker. There’s so much to learn, from animals to plants. There are plants that get fertilised by rats in the middle of the Amazon jungle, and they only survive if the rat survives.”
Well, I wasn’t expecting him to say that!
What about things that he hasn’t seen yet. Is there one animal, or one place, that he particularly wants to see?
“Come and see the show!”
He’s giggling again but does finally answer: “A silverback gorilla. If you come to the show, I’ll explain to you why I love it.”
It’s interesting that he chose an endangered species, and it leads me to ask if there’s one animal or species he’s particularly worried about.
“Homo sapiens,” is his instant response. “I’m genuinely scared for the homo sapien race. If Mother Nature is working nice and healthily, in turn we’re going to be okay. But we’re seeing freak storms, bigger and more powerful, and shorelines are being washed away. There’s flooding everywhere and someone will say ‘we have a great idea, let’s talk about a leaky dam’ and we pay loads of money to build these structures that will allow water to go through it slowly. Beavers have been doing this for generations and we’re dumb enough to go and wipe them out and now we’re suffering the consequences!”
Considering his love of the natural word, it’s no surprise he’s so passionate about these subjects.
“I’m always thinking about saving the natural world because in turn, we are saving ourselves. This is what people don’t realise. If there was a nuke or a virus that only wiped out humans, the world will wake up the next day and it will keep on revolving and all the animals will do well. Nature will restore itself and in fact, the world will be so much better for it. I care about humanity and if we look after wildlife we look after ourselves.”
His TV documentaries are obviously one way of spreading the word, and his tour will also inspire others to take more of an interest in the natural world. But who inspired Hamza?
“Sir David Attenborough, Steve Irwin, Sir Peter Scott, Jane Goodall, Diane Fossey, and my parents.”
I’m relieved that I don’t have to wait for his show to find out why.
“David Attenborough is cool, calm and collected and at 99 years old is still working. I’m ready to retire at 40 let alone 99! This year he’s going to be 100 which is an incredible miracle in itself.”
“Steve Irwin gave up his life trying to tell us about what he accomplished. He was a phenomenal man. I so wish he was still alive.
“Sir Peter Scott is the son of Scott of the Antarctic. On his deathbed, he sent a telegram to his wife saying, ‘make sure that the child grows up knowing about nature’. He knew that Mother Nature was important for his own child, and his child goes on to become Sir Peter Scott who is one of the most incredible bird behaviourists you could ever get.
“Jane Goodall has recently passed away. I love my apes, and she sacrificed so much to tell us the stories of the apes.
“Diane Fossey was exactly the same, she gave up her life as such.
“My parents… they sacrificed their time coming to the UK and uprooting everybody to make a better life for all of us. So, first and foremost, my parents. Attenborough and Irwin are high up there. But each and every one of those people sacrificed their own little bit to do what they’ve done for mankind.”
Hamza has actually been described by many as the next David Attenborough. How does he feel about that?
“There is no next David Attenborough. Attenborough is an absolute one-of-a-kind legend who singlehandedly changed the world’s view on natural history. He bought natural history to people’s doors all over the world and is still ranked as the one that people sit down and listen to.
“I am privileged to have seen some of his work and some of my stuff has been narrated by him. I’m honoured, but there is no next David Attenborough. Whoever the next person is just has to be themselves.”
Surprisingly, Hamza has yet to meet Sir David Attenborough in person, although, he did come close.
“I got invited to a premiere and I heard that he was coming. As he was waking in, people were giving him a standing ovation and he walks past me, stops, makes direct eye contact with me, and doffs his hat. Then he keeps on walking. The man’s a legend!”
Having won Strictly Come Dancing in 2022 with his dancing partner, Jowita Przystał, some may say Hamza is a legend. I suspect it’s another frequently asked question, but I ask it anyway. How was the Strictly experience?
“I’m so glad I did Strictly, it’s the best thing I’ve ever done. I was so out of my comfort zone, but I had the best person to guide me through. So if you take anything out of it, Jowita’s the one you should be thanking. She’s the one who kept me going. It changed mine and Jowita’s life for the best.”
The conversation seems to have returned to teamwork which is one thing Hamza is keen to highlight and something he talks about during his show.
“The tour gives me the chance to go out and meet people and say hello and thank you very much for giving me my job as such. They’re long hours but they’re great hours. I’m with a cool team and I get to meet the public which is just awesome.”
Hamza is appearing at Glasgow’s Pavilion Theatre on Wednesday 29th April. For tickets, visit www.nothird.co.uk/live-shows/hamza-yassin/
