Johnny Kingdom
English television presenter (1939–2018)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Walter John Kingdon (23 February 1939 – 6 September 2018),[1] known as Johnny Kingdom, was an English wildlife filmmaker and photographer specialising in his local area of Exmoor in north Devon and west Somerset.
23 February 1939
Photography
Johnny Kingdom | |
|---|---|
Johnny Kingdom at Barnstaple Pannier Market in August 2018 | |
| Born | Walter John Kingdon 23 February 1939 |
| Died | 6 September 2018 (aged 79) |
| Known for | Filmmaking Photography |
| Style | Wildlife |
Early life
Before finding fame, Kingdom worked as an explosives expert, lumberjack,[2] farmhand, quarryman, poacher and for over 50 years the gravedigger for his local parish.[3]
Media career
Following a head injury sustained while driving a tractor in his job as a lumberjack, Kingdom spent some time convalescing and developed depression. To aid in his recovery, a friend lent him a video camera and suggested he film wildlife on Exmoor.[2] This led to a career spanning 20 years, with series and documentaries being shown on a number of British television channels.
His 2006 series Johnny Kingdom: A Year on Exmoor was shown on BBC Two. The series coincided with the publication of his autobiography, Johnny Kingdom - A Wild Life on Exmoor. A follow-up series, Johnny's New Kingdom, documenting his project to create a wildlife haven on a 55-acre (22-hectare) plot of land which he had purchased on Exmoor, was shown on BBC Two in 2008.[3] Kingdom has also made several one-off programmes, including visits to Lapland and to the Scottish Highlands. In 2015 he presented a four-part series for ITV called Johnny Kingdom's Wild Exmoor.
In later years he regularly had a stall at Barnstaple Pannier Market from which he sold signed copies of his books, DVDs and photographs of wildlife.[4][5][6]
Death
Kingdom died in September 2018 from injuries sustained in a digger accident on his land near Knowstone in North Devon.[7] He was buried at St Mary's Parish Church, Bishop's Nympton, in a grave that he had dug.[8]