Attenborough's loved for slamming down the truth, telling it like it is at the end of his programmes by warning us all to sort our shit out. There's something about his grandfatherly soft but stern way that makes us all sit up and listen.
Now he's turned his attention to fellow nature man Bear Grylls - who he says will 'have to answer for himself' after killing animals for the sake of entertainment, as part of his Channel 4 reality series.
Credit: ITV
Advert
"We've never killed an animal," Attenborough said, speaking to The Sun. "Bear Grylls will have to answer for himself.
"But I wouldn't willingly kill an animal just to get a shot."
Viewers were left disgusted after contestants on Celebrity Island With Bear Grylls had to kill a caiman, before gutting it and cooking the meat for food.
Advert
Broadcasting watchdog Ofcom received a total 11 complaints over the killing of the caiman, though some viewers even took to social media to accuse producers not only of planting the caiman there, but also drugging it.
And this is something that's not entirely out of the question - back in 2014, producers actually admitted they had planted two crocodiles on the island.
A representative for Channel 4 said: "An important part of the series is to find out if the celebrities are capable of surviving alone and able to find sources of food, including hunting and killing for meat; a vital part of their survival as it is a source of valuable calories and protein.
"The celebrities were trained in the humane capture and dispatch of live animals as part of their survival training and the adult caiman was killed humanely."
Advert
The scenes also provoked the director of PETA UK to condemn the 'miserable celebrities and producers' for allowing it to happen.
Attenborough's stern words come after Morrissey piped up about the naturalist's treatment of animals in Blue Planet and Planet Earth.
"I don't know about Attenborough's regard for animals," Morrissey said. "He often uses terms like 'seafood' and there's no such thing. It's sea life, and he talks about 'wildlife' and it's free life.
Advert
"Animals are not wild simply because we pathetic humans haven't shoved them in a cage, so his terminology is often up the pole."
Attenborough has recently announced a shift from the Beeb to online streaming services, saying: "Netflix want me to do something on conservation and have asked me to do it, and I've said I would.
"There's certain things that the BBC can do and can't do, and I can see some reasons why to do a programme on Netflix rather than the BBC.
In the meantime, Morrissey and Grylls had probably better watch their backs. After all, no one takes on one of Britain's greatest national treasures without consequences.
Featured Image Credit: PATopics: UK News, Entertainment, TV and Film, Celebrity, News, david attenborough, UK Entertainment, bear grylls, TV, Animals