Chris Packham in tears reading emotional letter from Ken Bruce's son

Chris Packham breaks down in tears as he reads emotional letter from Ken Bruce’s non-verbal son while exploring autism in new documentary series

Chris Packham became overcome with emotion as he read a heartfelt letter from broadcaster Ken Bruce’s autistic son.

The naturalist and TV presenter, 61, has been exploring autism in different forms with his new documentary series Inside Our Autistic Minds after going public with his own Asperger’s syndrome diagnosis in 2016.

Since revealing this to the world, Springwatch and Winterwatch star Chris has been inundated with letters and emails from other autistic people across the world who are frustrated that people don’t understand them.

In his latest show, Chris tries to bridge this gap – which is what leads him to meeting Radio 2 host Ken Bruce, 72, and his ‘non-speaking’ austistic son Murray, 20.

Chris teams up with film-makers, graphic designers and animators to create a film with Murray, and in preparation, sent over several questions via e-mail so the 20-year-old would have time to process what he wants to say.

Overwhelming: Chris Packham became overcome with emotion as he read a heartfelt letter from broadcaster Ken Bruce’s autistic son

Emotional: The naturalist and TV presenter, 61, has been exploring autism in different forms with his new documentary series Inside Our Autistic Minds – where he meets Radio 2 host Ken Bruce, 72, and his ‘non-speaking’ austistic son Murray, 20 (pictured together)

Teary: Chris teams up with film-makers, graphic designers and animators to create a film with Murray, and in preparation, sent over several questions via e-mail so the 20-year-old would have time to process what he wants to say

Chris asked Murray over email: ‘If you had all the world stage to speak for non-speaking autistic people, what would you say?’

The TV presenter paused and said ‘Wow’ as he took in what he was reading. 

Murray’s email read: ‘Take note as I am really speaking from my heart, I need you to please understand and open your minds. 

‘Let me tell you what it was like for me before I could communicate through typing.

‘I was alone in my world of deep and troubled pining for a person to hear me. I would wonder if that day would ever come.

‘I was frustrated and pining for acknowledgement that I had thoughts and opinions and worries and no one could hear me.’

‘I was alone in my world of deep and troubled pining for a person to hear me. I would wonder if that day would ever come.

‘I was frustrated and pining for acknowledgement that I had thoughts and opinions and worries and no one could hear me.’

Heart-felt: Chris asked Murray over email: ‘If you had all the world stage to speak for non-speaking autistic people, what would you say?’ The TV presenter paused and said ‘Wow’ as he took in what he was reading

Deep in thought: Murray’s email read: ‘Take note as I am really speaking from my heart, I need you to please understand and open your minds. I was alone in my world of deep and troubled pining for a person to hear me. I would wonder if that day would ever come’

Discussion: Since revealing this to the world, Springwatch and Winterwatch star Chris has been inundated with letters and emails from other autistic people across the world who are frustrated that people don’t understand them

Learning: In his latest show, Chris tries to bridge this gap – and meets Ken Bruce, his wife Kerith Coldham, and Murray, as they try to communicate in different ways to create a film

‘I was alone in my world of deep and troubled pining for a person to hear me. I would wonder if that day would ever come.

‘I was frustrated and pining for acknowledgement that I had thoughts and opinions and worries and no one could hear me.’

Chris took off his glasses as he became emotional, and said: ‘I mean frankly it’s enough to bring a tear to your eye, isn’t it.’

He added: ‘I don’t know whether it’s because I have some form of affinity for Murray but I find that incredibly touching.

‘And you know, even a bit sentimental. I’m not normally sentimental about such things.’

The conservationist who has enjoyed a four-decade career as one of the UK’s most popular naturalists, opens up about his own 2005 diagnosis in the new BBC documentary.

Describing how people without Asperger’s syndrome might just see a beautiful woodland scene when they venture into a forest, he explains that he experiences it very differently, seeing ‘every trunk, every branch’. 

Packham says his version of autism is ‘enormously beneficial’ for a naturalist, but also admits that sometimes the ‘visual part of my world’ is simply too much, saying ‘it becomes utterly overwhelming’. 

Last month, the nature lover revealed he’s cancelled all TV work for the next three months after feeling completely ‘burnt out’. 

Opening up: Ken Bruce (pictured) has four sons and two daughters, and has been an active campaigner for autism charities over the years in light of his son Murray’s diagnosis

Star: Ken has hosted the mid-morning show on BBC Radio 2 from 1986 to 1990, and for a second stint in 1992 until 2023

Time out: The wildlife presenter is taking a break from the cameras for the first time in nearly four decades (pictured with Michaela Strachan and Gillian Burke) 

The two-part series sees him meeting people of different ages with autism in a bid to help convey the world that they experience. It sees Packham helping a stand-up comedian to reveal her true autistic self to her mother, as well as providing a voice for radio DJ Ken Bruce’s son Murray, who is non-verbal and communicates via an electronic letter board. 

The host of BBC’s Winterwatch and Springwatch went public with his own Asperger’s syndrome in 2016, and the following year made a BBC documentary on the subject titled, Asperger’s and Me. 

He says people with autism should be understood not ‘tolerated’ as he voiced his fears about the impact of social media on youngsters living with the condition.

The presenter says he is still ‘scarred’ from the ‘horrific’ bullying he faced as a child and said his life would have been ‘absolute hell’ if one particular bully could have continued to abuse him online too.

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