Michaela Strachan facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Michaela Strachan
Strachan in 2004
Born	Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan (1966-04-07) 7 April 1966 (age 59) Ewell, Surrey, England
Education	Claremont Fan Court School Arts Educational Schools, London
Occupation	Television presenter naturalist singer
Years active	1985–present
Spouse(s)	Duncan Chard ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2001)​
Partner(s)	Nick Chevallier (2003–present)
Children	1

Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan (born 7 April 1966) is a famous English television presenter, naturalist, and singer. She is best known for presenting many popular children's and wildlife TV shows.

Michaela started her career in theatre before moving into television. She became a familiar face on children's shows like Wide Awake Club and Wacaday in the 1980s. Later, she co-presented The Hitman and Her. She even had a short music career, releasing two singles, "H.A.P.P.Y. Radio" and "Take Good Care of My Heart."

Since the 1990s, Michaela has become a leading wildlife presenter. She hosted The Really Wild Show for many years and was a regular reporter on BBC's Countryfile. After moving to South Africa, she continued her passion for nature. Since 2011, she has been a main presenter on BBC's Springwatch and its related shows, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch, where she shares amazing facts about British wildlife. In 2025, she also competed on Dancing on Ice.

Early Life and Education

Michaela Evelyn Ann Strachan was born on 7 April 1966 in Ewell, Surrey, England. She grew up in a place called Hinchley Wood. She attended Chadsworth Stage School and then Claremont Fan Court School in Esher. During her teenage years, she faced some health challenges.

Michaela later studied at ArtsEd, a performing arts school in London. She finished her studies in 1985, ready to start her career.

Television Career and Music

Starting in Theatre and Children's TV

After leaving ArtsEd in 1985, Michaela began her career in theatre. She appeared in a musical called Seven Brides for Seven Brothers in Blackpool. She took on more theatre roles before moving into children's television.

In the 1980s, Michaela was a popular presenter on Saturday morning TV shows. She worked on programmes like Good Morning Britain, Wide Awake Club, Wacaday, and WAC '90 with Timmy Mallett. Her energetic style made her a favourite with young viewers.

In 1988, she hosted Boogie Box on the music channel Music Box. From 1988 to 1992, she was known as "Her" in the music show The Hitman and Her, alongside Pete Waterman. Michaela also had a brief music career, releasing two singles. Her cover of "H.A.P.P.Y. Radio" reached number 62 in the UK Singles Chart in 1989, and "Take Good Care of My Heart" reached number 66 in 1990.

Becoming a Wildlife Expert

In 1993, Michaela joined The Really Wild Show, a children's wildlife programme on BBC1. She presented this show for 13 years, teaching young people about animals and nature. In 1999, she became a regular reporter for BBC One's Countryfile. She stayed with the show until 2009, when she moved to South Africa. While filming for Countryfile in 2002, Michaela even won the Ladies' World Gurning Crown at the Egremont Crab Fair, which is a competition for making funny faces!

Michaela also co-presented two series of Orangutan Diary with Steve Leonard for BBC One. These shows followed the daily lives of orphaned orangutans in Borneo and the amazing work of the team rescuing and helping them. These series were shown in 2006 and 2008.

The Springwatch presenters, Chris Packham (left), Michaela Strachan (centre) and Martin Hughes-Games (right), at the 2014 Springwatch media launch, RSPB Minsmere, Suffolk, England

Since 2011, Michaela has been a key presenter for BBC2's Springwatch, as well as its seasonal versions, Autumnwatch and Winterwatch. These popular shows are filmed at beautiful nature reserves like Westonbirt Arboretum and WWT Slimbridge, bringing the wonders of British wildlife into people's homes.

In February 2013, Michaela released her book, Michaela Strachan's Really Wild Adventures. That same year, she presented a six-part series called The Great Penguin Rescue on the Eden channel. In 2014, she appeared as a contestant on the second series of the ITV celebrity diving show Splash!, reaching the semi-finals.

More recently, in 2022, Michaela co-presented Digging For Treasure: Tonight on Channel 5, an archaeology series. She also presented Extreme Conservation on BBC World News and BBC Reel. In March 2024, she took part in BBC's Pilgrimage. In April 2024, she made a guest appearance in the comedy series Mandy. In 2025, Michaela competed on the seventeenth series of Dancing on Ice, partnered with Mark Hanretty.

Personal Life

Michaela Strachan married filmmaker Duncan Chard in 1996, but they later divorced in 2001. Since 2003, she has been in a relationship with Nick Chevallier. Their son, Oliver, was born on 8 June 2005. The family lives in Hout Bay, Cape Town, South Africa, along with Nick's children from a previous relationship. Michaela is also a fan of the football team Oxford United F.C..

Interestingly, Michaela is allergic to elephants!

In 2014, Michaela shared that she had faced a serious health challenge, undergoing surgery for breast cancer. She later spoke about how this experience made her stronger and helped her appreciate her life even more.

Selected Filmography

Michaela Strachan has appeared in many television programmes throughout her career. Here are some of her notable roles:

Stage Roles

Michaela also has a background in theatre, performing in several stage productions:

Music Releases

Michaela had a brief music career, releasing a studio album and a couple of singles.

Studio albums

Singles