Countryfile presenter and Strictly Come Dancing champion Hamza Yassin has made a surprising confession about his life before finding television fame, revealing he was once forced to live out of his car for nine months in the remote Scottish Highlands.
The 35-year-old cameraman, who has lived in the Highlands for 17 years, disclosed this period of hardship occurred before he purchased his current 'cottage in the Hebrides style', where he has now resided for a decade.
From Secret Van Life to Beloved TV Star
In a revealing interview with The Times, Hamza detailed the lengths he went to in order to conceal his situation from local villagers. 'I was waking up at 8am, pretending I was going on the ferry,' he shared. 'It turned out that they knew, they just never quizzed me. I didn't have a fridge.'
His routine involved using showers at a local campsite. When asked about the challenges of being a black man in the countryside, Hamza offered a poignant perspective: 'I usually say the wildlife doesn't care.' He found the local community to be more curious than suspicious about his presence.
His family initially believed his move to the countryside was a passing phase. Recounting their reaction to The Sunday Post, Hamza said, 'My dad said: "He will come back to us when his clothes are dirty and he wants more home-cooked food." But the phase is nearly 11 years old now, it is not a phase any more.'
A Historic Moment for UK Wildlife
Meanwhile, Hamza's recent work on Countryfile has seen him at the forefront of a major conservation effort. In an episode that aired on Sunday, November 16, he participated in an ambitious project to release three of Britain's rarest predators - wildcats - back into their natural habitat.
Describing it as a 'once in a lifetime opportunity', Hamza was visibly moved when project worker Estelle Morgan informed him, 'You know, you're the first person who isn't project staff who is releasing a wildcat.' A deeply honoured Hamza responded, 'Really? That's an honour, that is an honour indeed.'
The team opened the wildcats' pen and left food nearby to encourage the animals to venture out. Hamza's excitement was palpable later in the episode when a staff member confirmed one of the wildcats had successfully left its enclosure.
A Sobering Look at Rural Mental Health
The same episode of Countryfile also tackled a deeply distressing issue affecting the farming community. The programme featured a segment where presenter Charlotte Smith examined the controversy surrounding inheritance tax for farmers.
It was disclosed that Countryfile had contacted rural mental health organisations and learned that tragically, two farmers had ended their own lives, with both families 'citing inheritance tax as a contributing factor'.
The segment introduced fifth-generation farmer Charles Rees, who received a cancer diagnosis in February. His son Tom faces a potential inheritance tax demand of £1 million due to government changes introduced in October last year.
From April 2026, a 20 per cent inheritance tax rate will be levied on agricultural assets worth more than £1 million, which were previously exempt. This is half the usual 40 per cent rate.
Speaking to Charlotte, Charles gave a harrowing account of his mental state: 'It's been hard for me lying in the hospital bed thinking, how am I going to save my farm? And trying to have all this treatment to save my life.' He then made a shocking confession: 'And sometimes I think, what the hell are you doing it all for? Because if something don't change by next April, I'd probably top myself.'
His wife, Ruth, also became emotional, revealing that after his diagnosis, Charles had told her, 'To be honest with you, for the farm point of view, I'd be better off if I didn't have the treatment.' Thankfully, since the interview was recorded, Charles has undergone surgery and is currently on the mend.
Countryfile airs Sundays on BBC One and is available to stream on iPlayer.
