Michaela Strachan was axed from BBC’s Countryfile in 2009 (Image: INSTAGRAM)
took her vegetarian beliefs to new levels when she “refused” to report on the production of meat, her former boss alleged.
The ’s head of rural affairs, Andrew Thorman, made the claims during a sex and age discrimination employment tribunal in 2010, examining the reasons Michaela and fellow star Miriam O’Reilly were let go from
He stated: “Michaela was a vegetarian and wasn’t happy to do hard-core stories in meat production, such as stories on abbatoirs.” The and 2025 star has been committed to a veggie diet since she was 18 and even grows her own organic vegetables.
She has also offset her carbon footprint in other ways, including planting trees and investing in green energy from solar panels. However, one way her carbon emissions continued to rise was her flights between the UK and her South Africa home to take part in filming.
That was another reason Thurman cited for her dismissal at the tribunal case, alleging there were often times when she couldn’t take part in work commitments as she was abroad. Finally, he also stated that she and Miriam were not high-profile enough to continue on the show when it moved to a primetime evening slot in April 2009.
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Michaela Strachan is taking part in Dancing on Ice 2025 (Image: Getty)
The was subsequently accused of being ageist, with Miriam stating: “All I know is that after 25 years at the my work dried up within months with no good explanation.
“I had been told by two senior producers that it was mysterious and suspicious people were telling me that it was not normal.”
Michaela has continued to be successful on TV following her departure from Countryfile and last year expanded her horizons further by participating in the reality show Pilgrimage, shot on a road trip in North Wales.
She has also continued to defend herself via her eco credentials, explaining to Platinum magazine: “We’ve got solar panels. I don’t drive an electric car because South Africa has an electricity crisis, but I have a Fiat 500 that’s particularly good on fuel.
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“I do not buy bottled water unless it’s absolutely desperate, and I’ve been vegetarian since I was 18. Anyone that eats meat, don’t criticise me for flying!”
Meanwhile, Michaela sailed to the top of the leaderboard on Dancing on Ice on the opening weekend, standing her in good stead for a win on the show.
The good news follows a heartbreaking 2024, during which her sister-in-law, partner’s ex-wife and close friend’s son all died – as well as her best pal Lucy.
She’d had the same type of breast cancer as Michaela, but hadn’t been as fortunate and didn’t make it through – something which “hit [her] really hard”.