Philippa Forrester, a familiar face on British telly in the '90s, has traded the studio lights for environmental activism. The former children's BBC presenter, now 57, was known for her roles in Tomorrow's World, Barking Mad, and The Heaven and Earth Show.

However, it was her stint as the captivating pit reporter on Robot Warsthat truly captured viewers' hearts. From series one to three, and then again in series five and six, Philippa was at the centre of the action, giving audiences a peek behind the curtain into the mechanical mayhem, interviewing contestants, and showcasing the engineering wonders of the battle robots.

After the show moved to Channel 5,Philippa stepped down from her presenting role.

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In 2004, she married wildlife cameraman and producer Charlie Hamilton James. Together, they established Halcyon Media, a production company specialising in wildlife documentaries.

Among their productions was Halcyon River Diaries, which aired on BBC One in May 2010. The couple had three children and moved to Wyoming in the USA to support Charlie's work with National Geographic. What was initially intended as a temporary move turned into a six-year stay, during which former UK TV star Philippa embraced life in the American wilderness.

During a difficult period for the family, their eldest child, Fred, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2016. Speaking to The Telegraph, Philippa said: "His whole body went rigid. His eyes went into the back of his head, he was groaning, he smashed his head against the wall. I tried to hold him, but I just couldn't, so my husband ran to get help. We were rushed to an emergency room."

Fortunately, Fred made a full recovery following surgery and ongoing scans. However, in late 2020, Philippa and James chose to separate, which resulted in her returning to the UK with their three children. Philippa described this period as particularly challenging, as she worked to rebuild her career while raising her children.

Last year, she released Wild Woman: Empowering Stories from Women Who Work in Nature, a book compiling tales of conservation and personal journeys, while celebrating women fighting for environmental causes. Her podcast Conscious also launched, highlighting those striving to create meaningful change for our planet.

Writing on the programme's website, she said: "I wanted to make this podcast so that we could, in the face of a tidal wave of environmental bad news, chat to the unsung heroes, normal, everyday people with one thing in common - making change happen and inspiring us in the process."

She also collaborated with Crowdfunder UK for the Podcast on Purpose series, delving into powerful crowdfunding stories and their societal contributions. Her dedication to environmental advocacy is evident in her frequent social media updates, showcasing electric vehicles, sustainability initiatives, and glimpses of her personal opinions.

These posts attract a flood of supportive comments from her followers. After a recent Instagram post, users were swift to praise her, with one commenting: "A fabulous lady, who is doing great things". Another fan reminisced: "Loved you on Robot Wars!".

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