FANS of BBC One's Countryfile are 'fed up' that it decided to do a 2020 highlights show.
Hosted by Good Morning Britain presenter Sean Fletcher, the special episode looked at how the Covid pandemic impacted rural areas.
The episode reflected on how some wildlife created new homes during the pandemic, including Kashmiri mountain goats heading into a town centre in Wales and a goose laying a nest at a deserted York train station.
Sean also chatted to a group of young people who were campaigning to protect the environment.
“It’s fair to say that 2020 was a year like no other, it certainly had its downsides," Sean said as he opened the show.
“But there were new beginnings and that’s what we’re here to celebrate today as we take a trip down Countryfile memory lane to the profound effect our countryside has had on us.”
Sean added: “One thing that’s beyond question is that 2020 was the year the world slowed down and we rediscovered the wonders of nature.
“Whether it be enjoying the great outdoors, getting productive in an allotment or, like me, chilling in a garden.
“Many of us forged a new relationship with nature and the world around us.
“For many of us, the change in pace was a chance for us to do more of what we loved – being in nature.
“And Countryfile’s young naturalists inspired us with their passion."
But Countryfile viewers were not happy with the special and vented their frustrations on Twitter.
One Twitter user wrote: “Seriously #countryfile you're talking about 2020 and the odd animal happenings?… 1) we're fed up with that year 2) bit late to talk about 2020 now…@BBCOne.”
A second added: “Oh great. More repeats. I'll watch something else, then.”
And a third said: “No new content? You’d think there was a pandemic on #countryfile,” another quipped.
It's not the first time in 2020 that the show came under scrutiny after presenter, Ellie Harrison branded the British countryside racist.
She said there was “work to do” to end prejudice in rural areas and that white people must acknowledge the “lingering, ambient racism” from the past.
Harrison was defending the nature programme’s decision in the summer to show a film by presenter Dwayne Fields who investigated the issue.
The programme's report drew on research from the Government's Environment Department, published last year, which said that some ethnic groups felt UK national parks were a "white environment".
Harrison, who has presented the show since 2009, said the huge reaction to it on social media, including comments from those who had experienced racism in the countryside, took producers a week to pick through.
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