Countryfile viewers have voiced their frustration after the latest episode took a different direction from the show’s usual focus on rural life and nature. The broadcast on Sunday, 3rd August, featured John Craven exploring the heritage of North Yorkshire, particularly celebrating 200 years of the Wensleydale Railway—a railway line revived through volunteer efforts after years of disuse.
While the segment highlighted an important historical aspect of the region, many fans felt the episode strayed too far from the show’s core themes. Viewers took to social media to express their dissatisfaction, arguing that Countryfile should concentrate more on natural landscapes, wildlife, and farming rather than trains and motorbikes.
One viewer tweeted, “Motorbikes and trains. Have they run out of proper country life-related subjects? #countryfile.” Another commented, “What on earth is happening to #countryfile? It’s really lost the plot these days. This week they give us the John Craven show.” Some even compared it unfavourably to other programs, quipping that it resembled “a bad imitation of the dreadful #theoneshow.”
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Humorous remarks also surfaced, with one viewer joking, “Next week on #countryfile: a feature on the art of barrel scraping,” while another sarcastically lamented, “And now lifeboats #countryfile.” The overall sentiment was summed up by a disheartened fan who stated, “Can’t watch this anymore. It’s really gone downhill and lost its raison d’être #countryfile.”
In tandem with these reactions, John Craven recently spoke candidly about a personal concern affecting him deeply—the state of recycling in the UK. Known for his work on Newsround and his longstanding role in rural programming, Craven highlighted the troubling volume of single-use drinks containers discarded daily across the country.
In an interview with Countryfile magazine, he revealed, “It is so disheartening; every day 17 million single-use drinks containers—made of plastic, aluminium, and steel—are thrown away rather than recycled in the UK. We see them everywhere, from busy streets to the most remote wild places.”
Craven also shared how litter has impacted his own outdoor experiences. “I once crawled deep underground, explorer-like, to the very end of a cave system, elated by my achievement until the lamp on my helmet highlighted a pile of empty bottles, proving I was by no means the first there,” he recounted.
Despite the recent viewer complaints about content, Countryfile continues to be available for catch-up on BBC iPlayer.