
Chris Packham, a BBC broadcaster, has got upset after learning of Radio 2 DJ Ken Bruce’s nonverbal, autistic son’s feelings of loneliness.
The naturalist and Countryfile presenter meets with other individuals with autism in the first episode of the BBC Two series Inside Our Autistic Minds and supports them in producing short videos to try to communicate to their family and friends how they feel about living with the illness.
In 2015, Chris, 61, was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome.
He met Ken and his 20-year-old son Murray, who has never spoken and communicates by typing on a tablet, during the episode.
Chris came to know Murray via multiple meetings with the family, but it was after asking him to come up with script ideas for his own film that he received the poignant reaction.
Chris spent some time off set while filming Springfile to discuss emails he had received from Murray about his ideas and how he wanted to communicate to people what it was like to live with autism.
‘Really listen to me and take note as I am speaking from my heart,’ it began.
‘I plead with you to please understand and open your minds.
‘Let me tell you what it was like for me before I could communicate through typing…I was alone in my world of deep and troubled pining for a person to hear me.’

He added: ‘I would wonder if that day would ever come. I was frustrated and pining for acknowledgment, but I had thoughts and opinions and worries, but no-one could hear me.’
Chris then started to choke up and said it was all ‘enough to bring a tear to your eye’.

‘I don’t know whether it’s because I have some form of affinity for Murray, but I find that incredibly touching and a bit sentimental.’
‘I’m not normally sentimental about such things.’
Those watching at home were moved not only by Murray’s remarks, but by the entire show, and they complimented Chris for producing such an important documentary.
Several referred to the presenter as a ‘national treasure’.



Earlier in the programme, Ken mentioned the ‘sad irony’ that his kid struggled to communicate yet his profession required him to talk to the public.
For the last 31 years, the broadcaster has aired the morning weekday programme on BBC Radio 2, but he just revealed that he will be leaving the network to join Greatest Hits Radio, a position he will begin in April.
Inside Our Autistic Minds is streaming on BBC iPlayer.