Sir David Attenborough has had an amazing career as he has explored the lives of wildlife from all over the world. From Asia to Antarctica, the 98-year-old broadcaster has seen some of the most beautiful scenes in the world - but it has come at a cost to his family.

The naturalist has said that while he feels “unbelievably lucky” about his work he regrets the “irreplaceable” months he missed of his children's younger years. He has two children - Robert, a former bioanthropology lecturer, and Susan, a former primary school head teacher - with his wife, Jane Elizabeth Ebsworth Oriel.

Speaking of his lengthy absences from the family home, which he spent working, Sir David said: “I was away for three months at a time. If you have a child of six or eight and you miss three months of his or her life, it’s irreplaceable; you miss something. And I did. My dear wife was very understanding about it.”

He added: “There used to be family jokes. You know, ‘You were never there. You don’t remember that, Father, do you, because you weren’t there’.”

The BBC star, who is now a great-grandfather, told the Radio Times: “I have to put the brakes on a bit sometimes to get the most out of my family.” He added that he is “conscious of being selfish by pursuing a job that I love so much”.

David suffered an immense loss in 2005 when his beloved wife of almost five decades died, leaving him “lost” and alone for the first time. Jane's life was tragically cut short at 70 due to a brain hemorrhage. During this difficult period, Sir David was filming in New Zealand but managed to return to the UK in time to be by her side.

In his touching memoir Life on Air, Sir David recounts the deeply moving last moments with his wife, revealing the profound sense of loss he felt as she held his hand before taking her final breath.

He explained that he found Jane in a coma and the doctor's advice to hold her hand, leading to a heart-wrenching moment that underscored the depth of their bond: "She did and gave my hand a squeeze. The focus of my life, the anchor had gone...now I was lost."