KATE Humble will not present the next series of Springwatch, the show she has fronted for the last eight years.

Ms Humble, who lives in Monmouthshire and runs a rural skills centre at Meend Farm, Penallt, will be replaced by Really Wild Show presenter Michaela Strachan when the popular wildlife show returns in May, while Ms Humble works on other projects.

A BBC spokesman said yesterday: “Kate is still very much a part of the Springwatch and Autumnwatch team and presented our Winterwatch special last month.

“She is currently working on other projects for the BBC, which means she is unable to present the next series of Springwatch.”

It added the BBC was “delighted” that Michaela Strachan will join Chris Packham and Martin Hughes-Games for the new series, but gave no details on what Ms Humble’s new projects were, or when she would return to Springwatch.

Ms Humble runs her Penallt-based centre for excellence for rural skills with her husband, Ludo Graham, offering courses in farming skills, wildlife conservation, and rural crafts.

In an interview with the Radio Times last month, shortly after BBC director general Mark Thompson said the BBC did have questions to answer about a lack of older presenters, Ms Humble said it was “just a fact” older women do not get the same amount of television work.

Ms Humble said she would be happy to run her Monmouthshire farm if she could no longer get television work.