Back in the '90s, she was a British TV staple - but now Philippa Forrester has traded the studio lights for sustainability activism. While cementing her legacy as a successful children's BBC presenter, Philippa, now 56, was the face of TV programmes like Tomorrow's World, Barking Mad, and The Heaven and Earth Show.

But it was her role as a charismatic pit reporter on Robot Wars that truly captured the hearts of audiences. From series one to three, and again in series five and six, Philippa went hands-on in the action and provided viewers with behind-the-scenes insights into the mechanical side of the mayhem, interviewed competitors, and showed the engineering feats of the battling robots. After the program moved to Channel 5, Philippa left her spot as a presenter.

She married wildlife cameraman and producer Charlie Hamilton James in 2004. Together, the couple set up Halcyon Media, a production company specializing in wildlife documentaries. Among them was Halcyon River Diaries, which aired on BBC One in May 2010.

The duo then had three children and moved to Wyoming in the USA to support Charlie's work with National Geographic. Although it was initially planned as a short-term move, they ended up staying for six years, during which former UK TV icon Philippa immersed herself in the American wilderness.

During this period, the family faced a significant challenge when their eldest son, Fred, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor in 2016. Reflecting on the harrowing experience, : "His whole body went rigid. His eyes went into the back of his head, he was groaning, he smashed his head against the wall.

"I tried to hold him but I just couldn't, so my husband ran to get help. We were rushed to an emergency room."

Thankfully, following surgery and regular scans, Fred made a recovery. But in late 2020 Philippa and James' marriage came to an end, and she returned to the UK with her three sons.

Philippa , as she worked to re-establish her career, while also raising three children as a single mother. In 2024, she released Wild Woman: Empowering Stories from Women Who Work in Nature, a book intertwining conservation narratives with personal anecdotes, highlighting women dedicated to environmental causes. She also hosts the podcast Conscious, which aims to amplify the voices of individuals who make impactful environmental changes.

"I wanted to make this podcast so that we could, in the face of a tidal wave of environmental bad news, chat to the unsung heroes, normal, everyday people with one thing in common - making change happen and inspiring us in the process", she writes Additionally, she collaborated with Crowdfunder UK to host Podcast on Purpose, a series that delves into successful crowdfunding campaigns and their societal impacts.

Aligned with her activism ideals, she constantly features content related to electric vehicles, sustainability, and personal insights on her social media pages. Her social media posts are met with floods of comments and well-wishers.

"A fabulous lady, who is doing great things", one commented on a recent Instagram post. Another added: "Loved you on Robot Wars!"