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30th Oct 2024

Chris Packham labels Taylor Swift fans ‘obsessed’ after he criticised star

Charlie Herbert

‘They’re obsessed with her, aren’t they?’

Chris Packham has described Taylor Swift fans as “obsessed” after he was targeted by Swifties for criticising the star.

The nature expert and environmental campaigner called out the singer earlier this year for her use of a private jet during her Eras tour.

Swift reportedly racked up a huge 178,000 miles on her two jets last year as she travelled the world for her record-breaking tour.

In June this year, Packham urged the Blank Space hitmaker to stop using private jets and think of the “future of all her young fans.”

His criticism of the popstar didn’t go down well with her army of followers though.

Speaking to the Mirror, Packham has recalled how the “obsessed” fans targeted him for calling out Swift.

He said: “They’re obsessed with her, aren’t they? It was, ‘Don’t pick on Taylor, go and pick on someone else,’ and ‘Why are you picking on her, she does so much good’.”

The naturalist said that although Swift does “make charitable gestures, she isn’t very charitable towards the planet and the future of her fans.”

He continued: “When you’re a billionaire, giving millions to charity should be mandatory, let alone something we celebrate. But setting an example for your fans to ensure their future should be mandatory as well, if you ask me.”

Packham explained that it was Swift’s huge influence and audience that made her different from other people who might used private jets.

“She’s someone who can exact influence,” he said. “You might be using a private jet if you’re the head of a multinational company, but you don’t have millions of followers. She should be leading by example. She has the capacity to do that because she’s got so many followers.”

This week, it was announced that Packham had reached a settlement with the government over a legal challenge against its decision to scrap or delay some green policies.

The Autumnwatch presenter took legal action against the previous Tory government in late 2023, accusing it of acting unlawfully by delaying some policies aimed at helping the UK reach net zero by 2050.

On Tuesday, it was announced by law firm Leigh Day that Packham had reached a “legal settlement” with the new Labour government that “the previous government had acted unlawfully.”