Johnny Morris

Johnny Morris OBE (1916-1999 was a children's television presenter for the BBC.

A farmer by trade, he was discovered telling stories in a pub. He made his first broadcast in 1946, and soon had a regular radio show, Pass the Salt, made for the BBC's West Region.

He was best known for Animal Magic (1962-1984;, filmed in part at Bristol Zoo Gardens ), a programme on which he would handle and discuss animals, and overdub his voice onto film of them, to carry out a comic dialogue. He presented more than 400 editions.

He also campaigned actively against the building of the Newbury by-pass.

He was diabetic.

In June 2004, Morris and Bill Oddie were jointly profiled in the first of a three part BBC TWO series, The Way We Went Wild, about televison wildlife presenters.