Countryfile star Ellie Harrison to be celebrated in special show following exit

The TV presenter has announced her departure from the show.
Countryfile presenter Ellie Harrison has announced that she is leaving the programme (Steve Parsons/PA)
PA Archive
Hannah Roberts18 October 2023
The Weekender

Sign up to our free weekly newsletter for exclusive competitions, offers and theatre ticket deals

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Countryfile star Ellie Harrison will be celebrated in a “special show” on the BBC following news of her departure from the long-running TV programme.

The 45-year-old presenter joined the TV series exploring rural British life in 2009 and is a columnist in the Countryfile Magazine, where she announced her exit from the show.

She wrote in the magazine: “After 13 years, my final column is a fond farewell to Countryfile – I’ll miss the people, places and stories.”

Speaking on her decision to leave, a BBC spokesperson said: “Ellie is a much-loved and valued member of the Countryfile family and will be missed.

“We would like to thank her for her commitment to the programme and for sharing her passion for wildlife and the great outdoors.

“We will be celebrating her contribution in a special show on December 3 and wish her all the best.”

Early on in her presenting career, the TV star turned down an offer to present Channel 5′s children’s show Milkshake! but later ended up stepping in for presenter Michaela Strachan while she was on maternity leave, to front Michaela’s Wild Challenge.

Harrison, who grew up in the Cotswolds and is president of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, has also co-presented on BBC’s Secret Britain.

Countryfile is a long-running British TV programme which first broadcast on the BBC in 1988.

Current presenters include John Craven, Adam Henson, Tom Heap and Matt Baker.

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in