“I was 7 or 8, and my parents gave me a rod and reel as a way to get me out of the house. My first fish was a roach fish, and I remember being frightened to touch it. It was wriggling and cold blooded, but it was magical.”

British television presenter, biologist, angler, adventurer and author

Jeremy Wade is a British television presenter, biologist, angler, adventurer and author. He is best known for wildlife documentary series such as River Monsters, which ran from 2009 to 2017, along with Mighty Rivers and Dark Waters. His work centers on rivers, fish and the creatures that live in them, often combining field research with travel and close observation. As a presenter and writer, he has built a reputation around exploring aquatic environments and bringing attention to their larger, and sometimes unfamiliar, wildlife.