Sir David Attenborough has said that when he dies he'd 'just like it to be a quick process, thanks very much'.

The legendary broadcaster turns 97 tomorrow (8 May) and while we're hoping he'll be around for many more years, he has in recent times spoken about the prospect of a world where he's not around.

Two years ago he spoke about whether or not he fears death to Anderson Cooper on CBS's 60 Minutes and said he didn't as long as it was quick.

He said his biggest fear was 'becoming helpless and gaga', which thankfully he hasn't become as since then he's still been able to make incredible nature documentaries, being able to get up close and personal with wonderous wildlife for Wild Isles.

Doing Wild Isles has helped address a career regret of his, as he once said he regretted that he 'spent so much time doing overseas natural history' when there was so much fascinating nature to be found in Britain.

BBC

In other interviews where he's discussed his own mortality he's said he hopes his final moments won't be painful or 'tiresome for others'.

While we hope he's going to stick around forever and Attenborough has still been going strong into his 90s, the legendary broadcaster's recent productions have acknowledged the inevitability that he's not always going to be with us.

In his shows Attenborough has made several impassioned pleas to people to do something serious about climate change, and to pressure the powerful who can enact real change into doing so.

He has also said he hoped people would reconnect with nature and rediscover their passion for preserving it, having remembered the shocking sight of diving down to a coral reef and discovering that it was dead.

He said: "I thought I was going to dive in, in eastern Australia on the Barrier Reef, and instead of seeing the most marvellous, beautiful, extraordinary, wonderful wonderland, it was a cemetery."

BBC

Sir David has been honoured greatly over the course of his life, with his official name being Sir David Frederick Attenborough OM GSMG CH CVO CBE FRS FSA FRSA FZS FRSGS FRSB.

He's rubbed shoulders with the rich and famous, as well as got up close and personal with so many wonderful parts of our natural world, and so desperately wants us not to destroy our beloved planet before it's too late to fix things.

He has urged people to understand that we are 'facing a crisis' and action is necessary if we want to end up having a 'better future'.

Speaking about the privilege of seeing so many wonderful things over the course of his life he warned that 'many of these wonders seem set to disappear forever'.