Countryfile presenter John Craven, 85, has opened up about the difficulties he faced when the BBC farming programme first began. In an interview with Farmers' Guardian, he recalled how it was initially hard to get farmers to appear on camera.
"In the very early days of Countryfile, it was very difficult to get cameras onto farms and to get farmers to speak to us," he said. "It took a long time to win farmers over and let them open the gates of the farm and let us in."
Craven noted that farmers are now more willing to share their experiences. He highlighted the balance between environmental concerns and food production as a key issue: "We need to up the amount of food that is produced in this country. The balance between environmental concern and the need to produce more food, that is the big issue that faces the country today."
Craven, a household name with over five decades on television, began his career on the children's talk show Search. In 1972, he launched John Craven's Newsround, the first BBC news programme for children. He left Newsround in 1989 to start presenting Countryfile, a role he continues today.
