Johnny Kingdom
{{Short description|English television presenter (1939–2018)}}
{{use British English|date=August 2020}}
{{use dmy dates|date=August 2020}}
{{Infobox artist
| name = Johnny Kingdom
| image = Johnny Kingdom Barnstaple Market 04-08-18.jpg
| caption = Johnny Kingdom at Barnstaple Pannier Market in August 2018
| birth_name = Walter John Kingdon
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1939|02|23|df=y}}
| birth_place = High Bray, North Devon, England
| death_date = {{death date and age|2018|09|6|1939|02|23|df=y}}
| death_place = Knowstone, North Devon, England
| nationality = British
| known_for = Filmmaking
Photography
| style = Wildlife
}}
Walter John Kingdon (23 February 1939 – 6 September 2018),{{cite web|url=https://www.exgdcoroner.org.uk/hearing/walter-john-kingdon-inquest-no-jury|work=Her Majesty's Coroner for the Exeter and Greater Devon District|title=Walter John KINGDON – Inquest, No Jury|date=25 June 2019|accessdate=22 August 2020}} known as Johnny Kingdom, was an English wildlife filmmaker and photographer specialising in his local area of Exmoor in north Devon and west Somerset.
Early life
Before finding fame, Kingdom worked as an explosives expert, lumberjack,{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/getting-job/my-first-job-johnny-kingdom-the-wildlife-filmmaker-was-a-lumberjack-425343.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220614/https://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/getting-job/my-first-job-johnny-kingdom-the-wildlife-filmmaker-was-a-lumberjack-425343.html |archive-date=14 June 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|work=The Independent|title=My First Job: Johnny Kingdom, the wildlife film-maker, was a lumberjack|first=Jonathan|last=Sale|date=23 November 2006|accessdate=22 August 2020}} farmhand, quarryman, poacher and for over 50 years the gravedigger for his local parish.{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3484609.ece|work=The Times|title=Horizon; Johnny's New Kingdom; Monster Moves|first=Andrew|last=Billen|date=5 March 2008|accessdate=17 July 2011|archive-date=15 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615192844/http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/tv_and_radio/article3484609.ece|url-status=dead}}{{subscription required}}
Media career
Following a head injury sustained while driving a tractor in his job as a lumberjack, Kingdom spent some time convalescing and developed depression. To aid in his recovery, a friend lent him a video camera and suggested he film wildlife on Exmoor. This led to a career spanning 20 years, with series and documentaries being shown on a number of British television channels.
His 2006 series Johnny Kingdom: A Year on Exmoor was shown on BBC Two. The series coincided with the publication of his autobiography, Johnny Kingdom - A Wild Life on Exmoor. A follow-up series, Johnny's New Kingdom, documenting his project to create a wildlife haven
on a {{convert|55|acres|hectare|adj=on}} plot of land which he had purchased on Exmoor, was shown on BBC Two in 2008. Kingdom has also made several one-off programmes, including visits to Lapland and to the Scottish Highlands. In 2015 he presented a four-part series for ITV called Johnny Kingdom's Wild Exmoor.
In later years he regularly had a stall at Barnstaple Pannier Market from which he sold signed copies of his books, DVDs and photographs of wildlife.{{cite news|url=https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/johnny-kingdom-death-tributes-1-5685768|work=North Devon Gazette|title=Tributes pour in for 'legend' and 'magical friend' Johnny Kingdom|first=Sarah|last=Howells|date=14 September 2018|accessdate=22 August 2020|archive-date=25 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925101014/https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/johnny-kingdom-death-tributes-1-5685768|url-status=dead}}{{cite news|url=https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/gallery/life-wildlife-johnny-kingdom-through-1982082|work=DevonLive|title=A life in wildlife: Johnny Kingdom through the years|first=Joel|last=Cooper|date=7 September 2018|accessdate=22 August 2020}}{{cite web|url=https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/johnny-kingdom-1-5685494|work=North Devon Gazette|title='A legend lost': North Devon TV personality Johnny Kingdom has died, aged 79|first=Matt|last=Smart|date=7 September 2018|accessdate=22 August 2020|archive-date=21 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921021544/https://www.northdevongazette.co.uk/news/johnny-kingdom-1-5685494|url-status=dead}}
Death
Kingdom died in September 2018 from injuries sustained in a digger accident on his land near Knowstone in North Devon.{{cite news|title=Wildlife presenter Johnny Kingdom killed by digger|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-devon-45450278|work=BBC News|date=7 September 2018|accessdate=22 August 2020}} He was buried at St Mary's Parish Church, Bishop's Nympton, in a grave that he had dug.{{cite news|url=https://www.economist.com/obituary/2018/09/22/obituary-johnny-kingdom|newspaper=The Economist|title=Obituary: Johnny Kingdom|date=20 September 2018|accessdate=22 August 2020}}{{subscription required}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [http://www.johnnykingdom.co.uk/ Johnny Kingdom's Official website]
- [http://www.availablelight.tv/dvd_sales.php "Johnny Kingdom - A Year on Exmoor" DVD website]
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingdom, Johnny}}
Category:Accidental deaths in England
Category:English documentary filmmakers
Category:English television presenters