Brian May praised for using fame 'for good' in badger cull documentary

What did you miss?

Brian May has been praised by viewers of his badger documentary for using his fame to make a positive difference.

The Queen guitarist has spent years campaigning against the culling of badgers in the fight against bovine TB, and in his documentary The Badgers, The Farmers and Me he explained the surprising results of his scientific studies.

Although the issue still divided viewers, many were able to agree that he was clearly trying to use his superstar platform to promote kindness and help both sides.

What, how, and why?

Brian May: The Badgers, The Farmers and Me might have left many viewers still unable to agree on the issue of badger culling, but one thing the documentary's audience did praise the Queen star for was using his fame for good.

May showed how he had worked on scientific studies to try to find the root cause of bovine TB, which he has long believed is not spread by badgers, and surprisingly found it could be down to the way in which slurry is spread as well as questioning the tests used to diagnose it.

While bovine TB and badger culling remained a divisive issue for many, viewers shared their opinions that May had come across well on the BBC Two programme.

One viewer commented: "Brian May is a shining example of someone using his platform, time and fortune for good. If only more people would do that."

Someone else wrote: "Incredible work well done Brian May for keeping on when most would have given up?"

Another person added: "Brian May. What a kind, gentle, brilliant and eloquent man." Someone else wrote: "Brian May is a modern day hero."

What else has Brian May said about his documentary?

Speaking about the documentary to The One Show earlier this week, May explained how he had found an unlikely new ally in farmers in his campaign against badger culling.

He said: "I started off trying to save the badgers and I still am, but basically we're trying to save the farmers now, and the cattle.

"It's a tragedy all round, it's a terrible, awful mess and we think we've made the discoveries which can in the future help those farmers solve the problems and get rid of bovine TB, stop killing the badgers, end of story. We believe we cracked it."

Talking about presenting the findings of a scientific study to farmers at Aberystwyth University in one scene of the documentary, he said it was so daunting it was on a par with playing to huge crowds of Queen fans.

He said: "It was tough. We ended up friends which was good, we had a mutual respect because they understand I'm in this because I really do care, not just about the badgers but about the cows, about the farmers and their families.

"Compared to playing to quarter of a million people in Queen? Hard to say, they're both tough calls and I was really nervous in Aberystwyth thinking they're going to throw stones at me. At least with a Queen show you know they're going to be mainly friendly. But we've ended up being very friendly with all the farmers that you see in the documentary and we will continue that way."

Brian May: The Badgers, The Farmers and Me streams on BBC iPlayer.

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