Hamza Yassin says he would like to carry on David Attenbrough’s legacy

Hamza Yassin has said that he would like to carry on David Attenbrough’s legacy and show what the natural world means to him- as he and his Hello! magazine cover stars prepare to appear in the Strictly live tour.

The wildlife cameraman and CBeebies presenter, 32, who is working on a book and more nature documentaries in 2023, won the popular BBC dance show last month with his partner Jowita Pryzstal.

Speaking to Hello! magazine, he was asked about one day replacing Sir David, 96, who last year made factual programme Dinosaurs: The Final Day with David Attenbrough for the BBC but said no one can ever step into the veteran presenter’s shoes.

Hamza said: ‘It’s an absolute honour to have my name mentioned in the same sentence as Sir David.

‘No-one will ever replace Sir David. He’s an absolute legend of this industry. I’d love to show people what the natural world means to me and why we need to look after it.

‘Sir David sparked that interest in me, and if I can, I’ll take on that baton and run with it as far as I can, then hopefully pass it to someone else.’

It comes as the presenter and photographer prepares to appear in the Strictly arena tour alongside Jowita, Helen Skelton and Kai Widdrington who is stepping in for her show partner Gorka Marquez and Fleur East and Vito Coppola.

Strictly UK’s whistle-stop shows around the country will also feature Will Mellor and Nancy Xu, Molly Rainford and Carlos Gu, Ellie Simmonds and Nikita Kuzmin and Tyler West and Dianne Buswell.

Exciting: The presenter and photographer is going to be appearing in the Strictly arena tour alongside a host of other stars. (pictured left to right: Luba Mushtuk, Hamza, Jowita, Tyler West, Nancy Xu, Neil Jones, Will Mellor, Michelle Tsiakkas, Dianne Buswell and Amy Dowden)

Elsewhere, Hamza’s dance partner Jowita, who is hoping to return to Strictly for the next series, admitted it will be ‘weird’ to not dance with him.

He said: ‘I must admit, I will be jealous. I’ll be saying: ‘That’s not how you do that lift’.

The television star also praised his dance partner, saying that she had taught him about himself and ‘a lot about empathy’.

He added that she had also helped him to deal with pressure as they performed together during the show.

Whistlestop tour: The Strictly stars will travel around the country, visiting venues such as the O2 Arena in London and the AO Arena in Manchester. pictured: The Hello! magazine cover

Also in the interview, Molly and Fleur, who are singers, teased that they will duet during the tour. 

Strictly’s live shows open at the Utilita Arena Birmingham on January 20, hosted by Janette Manrara.

The event will go around the country, to venues including Leeds’s First Direct Arena, the AO Arena in Manchester and Newcastle’s Utilita Arena.

Also, the Strictly stars will go to the O2 Arena and the SSE Arena in Belfast, before the tour wraps at the OVO Hydro in Glasgow on February 12.  

Read the full article in Hello! magazine out now.

Winners: Hamza’s dance partner Jowita, who is hoping to return to Strictly for the next series, admitted it will be ‘weird’ to not dance with him (pictured with the glitterball in December)