The British naturalist is set to bring his stage show Steve Backshall’s Ocean to Hamer Hall in January 2025.
I’m sure I speak for many when I say Steve Backshall was the guy you wanted to be growing up. If you were a child of the early 2010s, you likely remember coming home from school, switching on ABC3 and seeing his friendly face plastered across your television screen.
Watching his show felt like taking a biology lesson with the world’s coolest teacher. Armed with a television smile and an intellect as sharp as a tack, Backshall soon became the kind of legend whose name could comfortably sit alongside the likes of Bear Grylls or Steve Irwin.
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His show Deadly 60 also became a staple of Australian children’s television, making it even more surreal to be talking to him today. Dialling in from a “scorching” Zambia, Backshall is currently filming for his next series of Deadly 60.
“We’re out filming a massive aggregation of fruit bats. There are millions of them!” he notes. “Martial eagles and crowned eagles are swooping down and grabbing them. So, we’re sitting up in a tree filming it. It’s awesome.”
Armed with the same boyish curiosity that marked his early work, Backshall still appears genuinely ecstatic about his job, even though he’s been doing it for a while now. After graduating from university with a degree in bioscience, Backshall started out as an author for Rough Guides. He had an idea for a television series, so he stranded himself in the Colombian jungle and subsequently filmed his survival.
“I was catching spiders and snakes. Then I sold that to National Geographic in 1998. They took me on as their Adventurer in Residence, which is the greatest job title I’ve ever had,” he says, grinning.
After working on several other shows, Backshall’s big break came when he successfully pitched Deadly 60 to the BBC. The premise: Backshall and his crew would attempt to find the 60 deadliest animals in the world. The show became an international success.
For Backshall, danger became a familiar territory. “I once swam outside of a cage with great whites,” he volunteers. While to most, that might sound like a death trap, Backshall sees it quite differently. “It was very awe-inspiring. They’re more selective than you think. You just have to be very calm. If you start to panic, they see you as a target.”
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Reflecting on the show’s legacy, Backshall pauses, clearly aware of its massive impact.
“The stuff that’s had the biggest impact is the work aimed at children and families. I think the reason for that is because you have an audience of people who haven’t decided what their passion is yet. Watching a program like Deadly 60 can spark an interest that leads to a lifelong fascination with nature. I have people come up to me and say, ‘I started studying zoology because I watched Deadly 60.’ If that’s all I achieve in life, then that’s more than worthwhile.”
Backshall’s adventurous spirit largely stems from his parents. His father worked for British Airways, giving the family the opportunity to travel to exotic places. Backshall also grew up on a smallholding where his family cared for various animals – considered “pals” in his eyes. It was there that he discovered his lifelong passion for wildlife.
Raising his own children in a similar way, Backshall has already noticed their keen interest in nature. “I’ve taken all three of them swimming with reef sharks, turtles and stingrays. It’s important for youngsters to have those experiences in their lives. It gives them a positive, inquisitive nature.”
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Now set to bring his own stage show to Australia in January 2025, Backshall couldn’t be more excited. “It’s a full-on theatre show,” he explains. “Some of the biggest animals will be on stage. There’s stage science, experiments and stunts. We also have a massive screen where we’ll show amazing visuals from under the sea, from giant squid to whale sharks and cuttlefish. It’s a big, visual, gorgeous show.”
Backshall will also feature Australian wildlife throughout his show, which seems fitting given Australia’s reputation for some of the deadliest animals on the planet. “We’ll be dealing with great whites, bull sharks, tiger sharks and ocean white tips. We’ll cover the most venomous creatures in the world: Irukandji, box jellyfish and cone snails. There will also be a section on crocodiles.”
While in town, Backshall will also be filming for the latest series of Deadly 60.
“We’re hoping to film peacock spiders just outside Perth. They’re jumping spiders with the most ridiculous colours,” he says while showing me a picture on his iPhone. His excitement was palpable.
Steve Backshall’s Ocean is playing on January 18 2025 at Hamer Hall. Tickets are available here.
