Michaela Strachan spoke out on the reasons behind axing popular BBC series Autumnwatch on Friday’s Loose Women

Michaela Strachan joined Loose Women on Friday to talk about the new series of Springwatch, which begins on Monday, but during the chat, the presenter addressed the BBC’s decision to axe the sister show Autumnwatch.

BBC viewers were outraged earlier this year when the BBC announced its plans to scrap Autumnwatch while invest more money into its sister shows Springwatch and Winterwatch.

During her appearance on Loose Women, panellist Jane Moore asked: “I’m baffled – why did they axe Autumnwatch? What was the thinking behind that?”

Michaela explained: “It’s all to do with budget and if you think what the BBC has put on this year, there’s been a lot of expense.”

“People love that show,” Jane interjected. “People love both [Springwatch and Autunwatch].”

Michaela continued: “We have to be realistic, less people are buying the licence, there is more choice of what to watch, budgets have got smaller and we the production was given a choice of either, cutting the budget on everything or getting rid of one of them.”

Autumnwatch was scrapped after 17 years ( Image:BBC/Jo Charlesworth)
The nature lover revealed she believes the production team behind Springwatch, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch “made the right decision”.

“Springwatch, which starts on Monday I’m really looking forward to it, is at the heart of the ‘watches’ and it’s the season I love best because we can really get into the stories of the

BBC sparked outrage earlier this year when it announced it was axing Autumnwatch after 17 years.

The official statement reads: “These are challenging times financially and we need to make difficult decisions and focus our resources on content that has the highest impact. Sadly, this means that Autumnwatch will not be continuing. Instead, we are investing more money into Springwatch and Winterwatch, as they are most popular with audiences.

“We are incredibly proud of the Watches and would like to thank the presenters and production team who will continue on Springwatch when it returns in May for three weeks, and Winterwatch when it returns next year for one week, reduced from two weeks.”

Michaela Strachan’s comments on the recent axing of Autumnwatch have left many BBC viewers perplexed. During an appearance on Loose Women, she shed some light on the decision-making process behind the cancellation of the beloved show. The decision to scrap Autumnwatch was primarily driven by budget constraints.

With the BBC facing financial challenges and a decline in TV licence purchases, tough decisions had to be made. The production team behind the ‘watch’ series had to choose between cutting budgets across the board or discontinuing one of the shows. In the end, it was decided that Autumnwatch would be sacrificed in order to allocate more resources to Springwatch and Winterwatch, which have proven to be more popular among audiences.

Despite the disappointment expressed by fans, Michaela Strachan expressed her support for the decision, emphasizing the importance of prioritizing content with the highest impact. As we eagerly await the new season of Springwatch, let us appreciate the dedication of the presenters and production team who continue to bring us captivating nature stories. Stay tuned for more updates and insightful information from us as we strive to provide valuable content for our readers.