Iolo Williams is back in the story, but Winterwatch is not. The Winterwatch cancellation ends the 14-year run of the winter wildlife series as the broadcaster shifts its natural history output into a weekly video podcast and audio Q&A.
Jack Bootle said, “Nature never stops – and neither should we.” He added, “Every week, Naturewatch will give Springwatch fans – and all wildlife lovers – a new way to stay connected to the natural world, whether that’s on TV, iPlayer or Sounds.”
Winterwatch after 14 years
Winterwatch was fronted by Chris Packham, Michaela Strachan and Iolo Williams, who joined the presenting team in 2019. The series followed British wildlife through the winter months and leaned on live video feeds and thermal cameras, the kind of setup that let natural history teams keep the focus tight and seasonal rather than turning the programme into a broad studio format.
Williams also broadcasted from The Centre for Alternative Technology near Machynlleth during the 2021 series. That Welsh connection mattered because the show often used smaller filming spots across habitats in Pembrokeshire, giving the series a local identity that sat apart from a generic wildlife round-up.
Naturewatch on Two
The replacement arrives this autumn under the working title Naturewatch, which will go to Two, iPlayer and Sounds. The new format is set to provide a regular weekly round-up of the biggest British nature stories, while also celebrating seasonal wildlife moments, exploring nature news, talking to experts and sharing animal sightings from across the UK.
Each weekly episode will be paired with a special audio-only Q&A on Sounds, where hosts will answer audience questions about the natural world. Jack Bootle said, “The is committed to celebrating British nature across all our platforms, and we hope this new series will encourage audiences to fall in love with the natural world around them.” He also said, “By expanding the Watches brand, we are making the ’s brilliant Natural History content even more accessible.”
Springwatch in May 2027
Springwatch will return in May 2027 for three weeks, so the is not dropping the Watches name entirely. It is shortening the television footprint and shifting more of the day-to-day wildlife coverage into a weekly digital-and-audio routine. That is a cleaner programming split than keeping Winterwatch on air alongside a new replacement that serves the same audience with a different delivery model.
Fans expressed sadness and urged the to reconsider even as the broadcaster said it was expanding the Watches brand with Naturewatch. The practical takeaway is simple: Winterwatch is gone, Naturewatch starts this autumn, and anyone who followed the old winter series will now need to look for the new weekly format on Two, iPlayer or Sounds.
