Nine unexpected celebrity stars of Tweet of the Day

In a year when one high profile individual’s Tweets have caused sleeplessness for some, Radio 4’s Tweet of the Day has been a daily delight for the early riser. Nestled in the schedule between Farming Today and the Today programme, it has shared calming tales of birds and birdsong each weekday morning. Some of these have come from entirely unexpected celebrity sources.

1. Will Young

The singer-songwriter and actor has been bona fide pop royalty since he was the inaugural winner of ITV’s Pop Idol in 2002, but it has taken 15 years for his passion for birds to become known. He came out as a birdwatcher by co-presenting Radio 4’s birdwatching all-nighter, Dawn Chorus, in May. Since then he’s appeared on Tweet of Day, telling of a childhood encounter with a Woodland Kingfisher in South Africa.

2. Sue Perkins

The comedian and former Bake Off host would not claim to be a dedicated birder, but she always has a story to tell. She popped up on the show to tell a tale of a great horned owl and a seven-year-old girl at the Staffordshire County Show… one not to miss!

3. Dermot O’Leary

With his associations with breathless, high energy entertainment shows, TV and radio presenter Dermot O’Leary may not be an obvious candidate to front episodes of Tweet of the Day. He takes his birdwatching seriously though, perhaps as the ideal antidote to his hectic schedule. He told a week’s worth of stories featuring sea eagles, coal tits, swifts, swallow and the greater black-backed gull.

4. Greta Scacchi

On her episode of Tweet, the Emmy award-winning actress explains how she moved to Australia in her youth and was overwhelmed by the exotic birds she could see in the wild. But, she reveals, her true fondness is for the birds she now sees in her London garden, chief among them the magnificent goldfinch.

5. Samuel West

Samuel West is another actor with an impressive pedigree. The star of stage and screen has also become a star on Tweet, having appeared on the programme 10 times this year. A self-described “avid birdwatcher”, he demonstrates an extensive knowledge of birds on the programme, as well as the lengths he goes to see them.

6. Michael Morpurgo

As he is best known as the author of children’s classic War Horse, it probably doesn’t come as a big surprise that the observation of wildlife plays a significant part in Michael Morpurgo’s life. The five stories he contributed to Tweet of the Day revealed a warm adoration of our avian friends.

5. Fyfe Dangerfield

The musician has never made any secret of his love of birds, indeed he came to prominence in a band named after one – Guillemots – and has another called Gannets. Both these birds are covered in his 10 tales, along with stories about memorising bird calls as a youth, prehistoric theories about the heron and his own son’s burgeoning delight with the common pigeon.

6. Jimi Goodwin

Here’s another musician whose band name gives a clue to his birding. Goodwin is the lead singer, songwriter and bassist in Doves (as well as a solo star in his own right) but he chose to talk about mallards and cuckoos on the show. It makes you wonder what The Eagles got up to in their spare time…

7. Cyrus Todiwala

The celebrity chef may feature chicken or duck tikka and even ostrich bhuna on the menu at East London restaurant Café Spice Namasté, but also he has a soft spot for birds. Specifically, he explains, he loves to listen to the chirping of house sparrows that he has tempted into his own back garden with his bird feeder.