GettyDavid Attenborough is well known for using his love of wildlife and his endless knowledge of the planet to create breathtaking documentaries which captivate his audience.
Throw into the mix his dulcet tones and soothing voice, and the man has become a legend in his own right.
Now his status of national treasure has been reflected in the public’s recent calls for the 92-year-old broadcaster to appear on our new £50 notes.
Hang on a minute, you might be thinking, wasn’t the government planning to get rid of the £50 only a few months ago?
And you would be right in thinking this. A review in March implied that 1ps, 2ps and the £50 note would be phased out in order to ‘tackle the hidden economy and the illegitimate use of cash’.
However, it has now been decided that a new, polymer £50 note will be in circulation in the near future, to join the polymer fivers and tenners.
PixabayThe Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Robert Jenrick, said:
Our money needs to be secure and this new note will help prevent crime. This modern £50 note follows the popular new pound coin, which is the most secure of its kind in the world.
But let’s get down to the most important thing – Sir David Attenborough. Ever since the announcement of the new note, one thing and one thing only has been on everyone’s mind.
Who’s going to be the face of it? Previously, important historical figures such as Sir Winston Churchill, Charles Darwin and Jane Austen have featured on our notes so clearly a famous name is required.
The Bank of England say they choose people ‘who have shaped UK society through their thought innovation, leadership or values’, in order to celebrate their life.
Let’s face it, who is better suited for the job? Sir David is an inspiration to people across the globe – young and old – and I think he is the perfect match.
And it seems people agree with me, with many on Twitter expressing how passionately they feel about it:
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The people have spoken and they want everyone’s favourite broadcaster to be the new face of our money. If only there was some way of getting his voice inside the note so we could hear his soothing tones whenever we’re feeling a bit down…
Okay, maybe not, I just realised how creepy that would be. Either way, this isn’t the first time that the public have rallied together in an attempt to get Sir David on the front of our notes.
As reported by The Independent, a poll was conducted by YouGov in October last year to find out who Brits wanted to be featured on the new £20 note, which is due to come into circulation in 2020.
Sir David Attenborough came out on top, with a massive 40 per cent of 2,128 of the people surveyed choosing the veteran broadcaster over JK Rowling, Prince Charles and Richard Branson.
PAUnfortunately for us though, the face of the next £20 note was decided in 2016, when Bank of England Governor, Mark Carney, announced that artist J.M.W. Turner would appear on the note.
Don’t give up hope just yet though, because the face of the new £50 has yet to be announced and everything is to play for!
Let’s just keep our fingers and toes (and arms and legs) crossed until we find out.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).