Last year Wild Justice’s Mark Avery produced what was widely considered to be one of the most chauvinistic, bitter and vitriolic attacks on Curlew Campaigner and author, Mary Colwell, in an online review of her book 'Beak, Tooth and Claw - Living with Predators in Britain'.
The review received a stinging response from a whole host of conservationists. It was also claimed by Robin Page that Avery was widely considered to be an unpleasant boorish ‘bully’ by his former colleagues during his time at the RSPB and referred to as ‘The Fat Controller’.
It now seems that Avery’s Wild Justice partner, Chris Packham, is seeking to match Avery's vindictiveness after an 'extraordinary public attack' on fellow BBC presenter and Countryfile host, Adam Henson.
It was reported in The Telegraph that after Adam Henson had praised 'sustainable shooting' after attending the recent Game Fair, Packham and Mark Avery – in a now deleted Twitter post said – “Adam, did you say this? And what else did you say in favour of, or critical of shooting, please?” demanded the Wild Justice pair, making sure to tag in the BBC and Countryfile.
Countryfile's Adam Henson
One source familiar with the inner-workings of the BBC, who is no fan of Packham at all, said: “This attack on Adam Henson was completely inappropriate and utterly vindictive. There are people working really hard within the BBC’s rural teams to try and improve the reputation of their programmes by trying to feed in a more realistic version of the countryside, without an urban bias. To have a fellow BBC presenter do something like this is incomprehensible, particularly given the sensitivities being dealt with currently.”
It is by no means the first time Packham has turned on fellow presenters either. Last year, in a live broadcast with ITV from COP26, Packham threatened to take the former Prime Minister’s spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, outside and glue her to the road.
The sooner people realise just what a grim, unpleasant and narcissistic pair these two are the sooner they will be confined to history as the malignant force they are.