Countryfile viewers upset by 'doom and gloom' of forever chemicals piece
As soon as Tom Heap appeared on BBC One, some Countryfile fans knew they were in for a tough segment.
What did you miss?
Countryfile viewers were left feeling very gloomy on Sunday night as the show's investigative reporter Tom Heap presented a segment on the presence of "forever chemicals" in the food we eat. Regular fans of the show knew that his appearance meant they were in for "doom and gloom" rather than wholesome, light-hearted farming stories.
Heap was investigating the ways in which the farming industry is adjusting to increasing fears around the presence of per-and poly fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in food and in people's bodies. He interviewed a number of experts to find out how worried we should be.
What, how, and why?
Tom Heap's segment delved into the issue of "forever chemicals", which have come from pesticides used in farming, as well as household items such as non-stick pans. He organised a laboratory test to discover whether any of his picnic foods contained PFAS and also took a blood test to see if any of the chemicals were present in his body.
The moment Heap appeared on screen, a certain segment of Countryfile viewers knew what was coming from him. Of all of the Countryfile presenters, they recognised him as the most likely to bring them harrowing news on rural issues.
One viewer even posted a GIF of the Grim Reaper on Twitter to mark Heap's segment, while another simply wrote: "What’s gloom and doom got for us this week then…" A third user, baffled by the depressing tone, also posed the question: "Has Tom ever reported on a positive item?"
He's back.#countryfile. pic.twitter.com/9RUXScgj9H
— Simo (@Simo21537664) August 18, 2024
Lancaster University professor Crispin Halsall explained to Heap that PFAS chemicals end up in landfill and, because they are so difficult to break down, they often contaminate drinking water. He added: "There's myriad health effects associated with exposure to PFAS. Some of the common ones are immunosuppression, liver disease, endocrine disruption — particularly of the thyroid functioning — and also an array of cancers associated with PFAS exposure."
While some Countryfile fans were unmoved by Heap's latest gloomy report — one called it "a waste of 10 minutes" of screen time — one viewer described the story as "absolutely terrifying" and called for action to ban these chemicals.
In a statement to the show, a Defra spokesman said the government is "currently considering the best approach to chemicals regulation" and added: "This month we announced a rapid review of the Environmental Improvement Plan to deliver on our legally binding targets to save nature."
What else happened on Countryfile?
Elsewhere on the show, presenter Sean Fletcher visited Borrowdale in the Lake District to explore one of the UK's largest remaining temperate rainforests. He met some of the people preserving this environment and also learned about the return of traditional hay meadows to the Lake District.
In the final segment, Fletcher joined a local conservationist in a late-night hunt to try to find the rare netted carpet moth, which only emerges for two weeks each year. Unfortunately, they weren't able to spot the elusive creature.
Countryfile continues on Sunday at 7pm on BBC One.
