Born in 1973, Steve Backshall was brought up on a smallholding in the home counties of England. He studied English at university before going on to study biology, eventually becoming Adventurer in Residence for National Geographic. He travels the world as presenter of BBC TV's Deadly series, for which he has won two BAFTAs. He presented BBC One's Big Blue Live alongside Matt Baker and Liz Bonnin in 2015, which went on to win the BAFTA Television Award for Best Live Event. His other documentary series include Steve Backshall's Extreme Mountain Challenge, Down the Might River, and Steve Backshall and the Vertical Mile. He has written many books for both adults and children, most recently Deep Blue: My Ocean Journeys, a blend of memoir, travel, and marine science about underwater places and their wildlife across the globe.