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Celebrities are Saving Planet Earth
Will Young, Graham Norton, Nick Knowles and Edith Bowman are among a host of stars joining Sir David Attenborough and Alan Titchmarsh for Saving Planet Earth, a wide-reaching series supporting animal conservation on 91Èȱ¬ One this summer.
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The celebrities, who also include Jack Osbourne, Carol Thatcher, Fiona Bruce, Phil Tufnell and Saira Khan, explore the work of global conservation charities before appealing for public donations. The Saving Planet Earth season then culminates in a live fund raising finale.
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Coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the world-renowned 91Èȱ¬ Natural History Unit, Saving Planet Earth kicks off on 91Èȱ¬ One with a launch show hosted by Sir David.
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Using previously unseen footage from 91Èȱ¬ One's award-winning series Planet Earth, Sir David explains how destruction of crucial habitat is affecting the future of many of the planet's animals.
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He says: "Some scientists suggest that up to a quarter of animal species could be extinct by 2050. But it's not too late – you can be involved in Saving Planet Earth.
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"If you are a child, this is your future. If you're a parent, it's your legacy. The time to act is now."
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Alan Titchmarsh joins Sir David to present the celebrity expeditions, featuring nine UK-based charities raising cash for global issues. The endangered animals featured in the documentaries are:
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- Crocodiles – Edith Bowman highlights how Cambodian crocodiles are threatened by the leather trade;
- Tigers – Fiona Bruce travels to India where tigers are suffering because of habitat loss and poaching;
- Turtles –- Saira Khan explores the problems of turtle egg stealing in Sri Lanka;
- Orang-utans – Nick Knowles discovers that orang-utans in Borneo are suffering from the deforestation of their habitat for commercial crops;
- Ethiopian wolves – Graham Norton reveals that Ethiopian wolves' numbers are being threatened by domestic dogs;
- Elephants – Jack Osbourne finds that Namibian elephants are in competition with man for food and water;
- Albatross – Carol Thatcher sees how long-line fishing is reducing albatross numbers in the Falklands;
- Rhinoceros – Phil Tufnell travels to India to highlight the plight of rhinos still hunted for their horn;
- Gorillas – Will Young finds out about the problems faced by lowland gorillas who are hunted for bushmeat and whose habitat, in Gabon, is being destroyed by logging.
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Saving Planet Earth will also feature on C91Èȱ¬ and local 91Èȱ¬ programming and on bbc.co.uk.
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On C91Èȱ¬ seven lucky kids have won the chance to step into Sir David's distinguished shoes to become part of the Saving Planet Earth team, reporting on the plight of globally endangered animals in the wild.
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And a host of celebrities, including Brian Blessed, Tom Conti, Sean Hughes, Myleene Klass and Shobna Gulati explore the plight of threatened wildlife across the UK.
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From basking sharks in the South West of England to eagles in Scotland, the regional programmes will show how viewers can make a difference to their local patch and play their part in Saving Planet Earth.
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Visitors to bbc.co.uk/savingplanetearth can find how they can join in the team effort to help endangered animals. These will range from details of the off-air fundraising events running throughout the summer to support Saving Planet Earth, ways of donating to the Saving Planet Earth fund and links to the conservation projects featured.
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Notes to Editors
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Planet Earth has won many awards, including at the Royal Television Society, Wildscreen and the Broadcast awards and it has recently been nominated for the Bafta TV Pioneer Audience Award.
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Since it was officially founded in 1957, the 91Èȱ¬'s Natural History Unit has grown to become the world's leading producer of wildlife programmes.
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Its exceptional output across TV and radio is regularly sold to more than 150 countries and last year the Unit produced more than 115 hours of television and 60 hours of radio.
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BR/LS2
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