Sir David Attenborough will be returning to our screens for final part of Planet Earth trilogy

Sir David Attenborough will once again be presenting the much-loved BBC series Planet Earth when it returns to our screens later this year, 17 years after the first instalment.

The final part of the trilogy comes after he first narrated the show in 2006, followed by its sequel in 2016. The new series is said to be five years in the making, having been commissioned in 2019 but delayed due to the pandemic. 

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Sir David is reported to have already started filming his introductory scenes and the narration of the episodes.

Commenting on David's involvement in the series, executive producer Mike Gunton told the Mirror: “Planet Earth wouldn’t be Planet Earth without David, so I’m delighted he is presenting the third series.

“As ever, he has brought his huge enthusiasm and wisdom, has been encouraging about our new perspective and has, I know, really enjoyed seeing the extraordinary new wonders brought to the screen.”

He continued: “The opening of the series with David was filmed in the beautiful British countryside in exactly the location where Charles Darwin used to walk whilst thinking over his Earth-shaking ideas about evolution.

“It seemed the perfect place for David to introduce Planet Earth III and remind us of both the wonders and the fragility of our planet.”

The eight-part series will once again showcase the behaviour of animals across the globe, including tropical Mobula rays, the spirit bear of Canada and African Jacana birds.

The eighth and final episode will be to celebrate the human ‘heroes’ who dedicate their lives to trying to save certain species.

We can't wait to watch this!