Almost 80,000 apply to watch first episode of new David Attenborough series

Almost 80,000 people have applied for tickets to watch the first episode of the latest Sir David Attenborough series.

The screening of Seven Worlds, One Planet will take place in Bristol but fans living as far away as Scotland and Australia applied.

There are only 300 tickets for the event, meaning applicants had a one in 258 chance of being successful.

Within 24 hours of the announcement of the screening, more than 25,000 people had signed up.

Applications closed at 10pm on Thursday, by which time 77,527 enthusiasts had put in a bid for a place.

The winners, allocated on a lottery basis, will watch the first episode of the new BBC series on October 23.

Veteran broadcaster Sir David will take part in a question-and-answer session with executive producer Jonny Keeling, series producer Scott Alexander and other members of the team.

Julian Hector, head of BBC Studios’ Natural History Unit, said: “We are overwhelmed with the support from our home town of Bristol and further afield.

“The programme will look spectacular on the big screen and our team are so excited to be sharing their stories with the crowd.”

Seven Worlds, One Planet, which involved 1,749 days of filming across 41 countries, will air on the BBC on October 27.

Each of the seven episodes looks at a different continent, revealing how each one has shaped the animal life found there.

It will celebrate the diversity of life on each of the continents but also highlight the many challenges faced.