Joanna Page’s Wild Life follows the actor as she pursues her lifelong dream of working with animals in a new BBC2 series.
Filmed last Summer, this 15-parter follows the Gavin and Stacey star as she joins Surrey’s bustling Wildlife Aid hospital in a bid to become a fully fledged wildlife rescue volunteer.
“I’ve always loved animals, so this opportunity to work with them and be myself on telly was an utter joy,” smiles Joanna when she joins What To Watch for an exclusive interview. “Hopefully my journey can inspire others.”
Here, mum-of-four Joanna tells us more about training alongside vets and experienced handlers to master the ‘three Rs’ - rescue, rehab and release…
Joanna Page’s Wild Life — release date
Joanna Page’s Wild Life will air weekday evenings from Monday, January 6 on BBC2 at 6.30 pm.
There are 15 episodes in total which will also be available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
Joanna Page’s Wild Life — exclusive Q&A
Joanna reveals she isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty when she joins What To Watch from her home to talk about being plunged into unknown territory in her new BBC2 show. Here the star guides us to the new series…
Joanna, what were your expectations when you signed up for this programme?
“I thought it would be like a Disney film with robins landing on me and getting to cuddle and kiss animals. In the beginning I broke all the rules; I named the animals and couldn’t stop talking to them. I soon learned I had to retrain myself because your aim is to make them better and release them back into the wild, not to feel relaxed around humans.”
What helped you change your approach?
“I joined in the Summer months, which is known as ‘orphan season’ because so many infant animals have been separated from their parents. Gradually as I learned the ropes, I became more able to deal with focusing on the animal and not being emotional about it. I’ve been taught how to inject hedgehogs with medicines, tube-feed baby seagulls, triage pigeons, go on rescue call outs, and release birds, badgers and foxes back into the wild. I’ve also learned that baby foxes and badgers are the most gorgeous and cute animals, but that their natural smell is so bad! Mucking out their huts is not nice!”
What other animals did you care for?
“One little fox came in with a plastic bottle stuck on his head and I’d never seen anything like it. I also worked with magpies, ducks and bats. We had a specialised vet come in to sew up a hole in a bat’s wing. He was officially called ‘the bat man’ and was quite amazing!”
Were there any mishaps along the way?
“Oh gosh yes! One particular crow pooed, stamped his foot in it, and got poo all over my face in the middle of filming! Another time I was releasing crows and blackbirds back into the wild and about nine of them landed on me! I also fell undignifiedly backwards releasing tiny garden birds, which ruined what I thought would be a wonderful, romantic moment. There was also a delightful pigeon who liked to land on my head!”
Was it tricky balancing your busy personal life with the training regime?
“It was quite difficult because I've got four children but when I came home and told them that mummy rescued a baby mouse and showed them photos they were utterly fascinated. They learned loads and wanted to put up a bird table and create a hedgehog highway in our back garden. I’ve taught them that even the smallest thing like not dropping litter or planting wild flowers counts and has a huge impact on our countryside and wildlife.”
Would you like to continue your animal adventures?
“Definitely, I went on such a huge journey. It’s hard work but was the most fascinating, amazing experience and it became my world. One evening I was supposed to see Ruth Jones in Sister Act but I had to cancel at the last minute to be with a baby owl! I can't wait to just go back and get to the next stage of my training.”
Joanna Page’s Wild Life — season 1 episode guide
Episode 1 (Monday 6 January 2025)
The Gavin and Stacey star has a passion for animals, but doesn't know how to look after the wildlife around her, so she is volunteering at her local wildlife rescue centre as she trains as an animal care assistant. She starts with a test in the fox cub pen, before feeding a badger cub and helping with a soft release of some fox cubs.
Episode 2 (Tuesday 7 January 2025)
Joanna experiences her first rescue when a fox cub gets its head stuck in netting at a local school and the challenge is to release it without it running away so they can check it over. She also discovers that catching robins in an aviary is harder than it looks and checks in on the badgers, which proves to be more relaxing.
Episode 3 (Wednesday 8 January 2025)
Joanna meets a fledgling magpie with a broken leg, who she can't help naming Speedy. A frightened fox cub comes in with a bottle stuck to its head and Joanna gets to do her first urban release. Plus, she learns about the feeding challenges that lie ahead of her in her training and has another go at catching birds in an aviary.
Episode 4 (Thursday 9 January 2025)
The Gavin and Stacey star can't help naming the birds that are brought into the wildlife rescue centre. This time, it's a jackdaw that she calls Charles. In this episode, Joanna practises her feeding technique when she feeds him as part of his rehab with the aim of being able to release him back into the wild when he's strong enough. The actor also gets up close and friendly with two tiny rodents - a mouse and vole.
Episode 5 (Friday 10 January 2025)
A bird comes into the rescue centre that is so young the experts can't tell its breed. Joanna helps with its rehab and learns how to weigh such a tiny creature. Cleaning out a fox's enclosure sounds easy, but she needs to move him first. Her confidence grows as she helps catch 11 small birds to release back into the wild, and there's a cuteness overload as some hoglets are brought in.
More episode info to come. Check back for updates.
Joanna Page’s Wild Life — is there a trailer?
Not at the moment, but we will update this page if one becomes available.
Behind the scenes and more on Joanna Page's Wild Life season 1
Joanna Page’s Wild Life is commissioned for BBC Two by Head of BBC Daytime and Early Peak, Rob Unsworth, the Commissioning Editor for BBC Daytime is Helen Munson. The series is filmed in Surrey and made by North East based production company Twenty Six 03 with Duncan Gray and Antonia Hurford-Jones Executive Producing.
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