PROFILE
Last Christmas, Hamza Yassin cha-cha-cha’d to stardom when he lifted the Strictly glitterball. Back home in the Highlands, the wildlife presenter talks about befriending eagles, hosting Hogmanay – and why London was the loneliest place he’d ever been
The drive from the airport to the home of Hamza Yassin, on the west coast of Scotland, takes four hours. More if you slow down for stags. Longer if you pull over for advancing 4x4s on the one-way track. Longer still when that track is icy. Four hours? This drive could take the best part of a day.
But the best part of a day it is. The landscape is rugged and majestic. Each turn snatches the breath. On one side is a temperate rainforest. On the other, a glassy loch. It is the setting of dreams for a wildlife presenter and cameraman like Hamza. “There’s nowhere better,” he says, burrowing into the sofa in his front room. “From here, I can see orcas and minke whales, herons and oystercatchers. White-tailed eagles and golden eagles swoop round the back of the house. Otters sleep in the garden. Pine martens live in the attic. Why would I want to live anywhere else?”
Hamza’s little white house overlooks the Sound of Mull. The front-room window stretches from wall to wall. His camera, poised on a tripod, faces out, proud and mighty. It’s mid-morning and Hamza is in his pyjamas with a can of Diet Coke. He has yet to shower or trim his beard.
For nine months, since winning Strictly Come Dancing, Hamza has been living a rock star-esque life. He’s driven more than 30,000 miles across the country – cha-cha-cha-ing on the Strictly Live tour, giving interviews, doing talks, shooting for documentaries and presenting Ranger Hamza’s Eco Quest for CBeebies and Countryfile on BBC One. He came back late last night from recording the audiobook for Be a Birder, his new beginner birdwatching guide. Now, he should be packing for his next trip – dinner in Royal Deeside with the King and Queen (he mentions casually), followed by filming in London. “I’ve spent 11 days this year in my own house,” he says.
SAVOURING THE SEASON
Fortunately, downtime is imminent: “I live in tune with the natural world as much as I can. Winter is for recharging. Animals hibernate, trees go dormant and I will sit by my fire and relax.” Relaxing involves watching a lot of YouTube. “I love woodworking videos,” Hamza laughs, slapping a coffee table he knocked up using struts from an old cabin. Midge, his collie, will make sure Hamza leaves the house. On walks, Midge will sniff out otters and judge the mood of a stag. Both are switched on to nature all the time: “Wildlife is my way of understanding the world better.”
We spot a couple of white-tailed eagles that morning. “It’s Agatha and Lawrence!” cries Hamza, straying from
