Sir David Attenborough did the 'penguin dance' to keep warm and it's the cutest thing
Our hearts have melted
Last updated 26th Jan 2022
National treasure Sir David Attenborough has some advice for anyone struggling with the cold, follow his advice and do the penguin dance!
In new footage from his series The Green Planet that will air on Sunday (30th January), the legendary TV presenter is seen taking advice from penguins whilst filming in the freezing Northern Finland at -18 degrees.
David, along with executive producer Mike Gunton and the team doctor Patrick Avery, was persuaded to do the ‘penguin dance’ to try and keep warm whilst filming the show to ‘get the blood moving again’.
Mike explained: “One of our sound recordists had spent some time in that part of the world, working with the local indigenous people there, who have a particular way of keeping warm.
"They do a thing called a penguin dance. Not that they're ever get any - it’s the wrong place for penguins!
“What they do is they stand like this (goes up and down on his toes) and they hold their hands like this (at right angles to his body). And you go up on your tiptoes and as you do, you do this (flaps hands). And what it does is it pumps blood in a particular way around your body, and it helps send it to the extremities to keep your fingers and your toes warm. It really works.”
He continued: “David, the doctor and I were basically up to our knees in a snow drift, waiting for the drone to do a shot. And we were all getting a bit cold and the sound recordist said, ‘Do the penguin dance!’ So we did and it was great fun.”
Watch us do the penguin dance next time we’re shivering out on a walk!
The Green Planet team have previously revealed that they went to great lengths to make sure David, 94, was well looked after during filming in all sorts of dangerous places.
Rosie Thomas said: “It was an amazing experience. He had hot water bottles and heated blankets and he was wearing about six coats at one point.
“I was there for 10 days and it snowed every day apart from the day David was there and the sun came out and shone wonderfully. He brought it with him. It was very cold but absolutely stunningly beautiful.”
The next episode of The Green Planet will focus on the world’s deserts and will air on Sunday 30th January. 🌵
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