Stephen James Backshall was born on 21 April 1973 in the village of Bagshot, Surrey, England, and grew up on his parents’ family farm. His parents both worked for British Airways as ground staff, and he has said the family took full advantage of generous travel allowances to expose him to wildlife around the world from a young age. His sister, Jo Backshall, has been a significant influence in his life, sharing his enthusiasm for the natural world.

After reading English and theatre studies at the University of Exeter, Steve studied martial arts in Japan, earning a black belt. He then had an idea for a television series, bought a video camera, and went off to film what was happening in the jungle in Colombia. National Geographic saw the footage, and it formed the basis of a series, launching his television career.

Backshall is best known for presenting Deadly 60, a CBBC wildlife series that launched in 2009 and became one of CBBC’s flagship natural history shows. Previous major TV credits include Blue Planet Live, Big Blue Live, Expedition with Steve Backshall, Wild Alaska Live, the Lost Land series, The Really Wild Show, Fierce, Strictly Come Dancing, and Emmy-nominated Expedition Borneo.

Steve Backshall married Olympic gold medallist Helen Glover on 10 September 2016, in a ceremony at Prussia Cove, Cornwall. They have three children: Logan, born 24 July 2018, and twins Kit and Willow, born 20 January 2020. His latest series of Deadly 60 aired in September 2024 on CBBC, and Expedition with Steve Backshall is currently broadcasting on BBC Two on Sunday evenings.