Sir David Attenborough hits 1m Instagram followers in under 6 hours

Alice Hearing
David Attenborough on Instagram

British Icon and national treasure Sir David Attenborough broke the internet today on September 24 after he joined Instagram and gained 1 million followers in less than 6 hours.

The 94-year-old’s first post was an IGTV video sharing a strong message about climate change, explaining that he has joined Instagram so that he can find a new way of communicating how the world can tackle these issues.

Jennifer Aniston previously broke the record for gaining the most followers in the shortest time after joining Instagram in October last year, after amassing 1 million in just five hours and 16 minutes. Sir David hit the milestone in a maximum of 6 hours, so he could be up for the title.

David Attenborough
Sir David’s latest documentary “A Life on Our Planet” will be on Netflix in October

The caption read: “David Attenborough has spent a lifetime traveling, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder. He’s also witnessed the damage caused. Saving our planet is now a communications challenge. We know what to do, we just need the will.

“Because there is hope and together, we can inspire change. Social media isn’t David’s usual habitat so while he’s recorded messages solely for Instagram, like the one in this post, we’re helping to run this account.

“In case you’re wondering, ‘we’ are Jonnie and Colin and we worked with David on A Life On Our Planet. So, as well as sharing the messages he’s recorded especially for this account we’ll also post some exclusive clips and behind-the-scenes content.”

Already, huge celebrities have been welcoming him to the platform, including Andy Murray who said “Welcome to Instagram Sir David!” and British heartthrob Joe Wicks.

David Beckham and David Attenborough
David Beckham welcomed Sir David to the platform

World-famous footballer David Beckham also welcomed Sir David to the platform in his Instagram story where he shared a picture of them together, calling him “one of the most inspiring people I have ever met.”

The broadcaster has now made content for black and white television, color television, high definition television, digital television, 3D television, streaming television (i.e Netflix), cinema, and now IGTV.

Sir David Attenborough’s foray into the world of Instagram precedes his latest documentary “A Life on Our Planet”, due to be released on Netflix on October 4.

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About The Author

Alice is a former writer at Dexerto based in London, covering online entertainment. Alice specialized in influencer culture on TikTok and YouTube as well as news and trends across prolific online platforms.