Beloved British Icon, 99, Becomes the Oldest Daytime Emmy Winner in History

Sir David Attenborough is in a class of his own — literally.

The legendary British host — whose soothing voice and deep passion for animals and the environment has affected anyone who has ever watched Planet Earth — just became the oldest person ever to win a Daytime Emmy. He is 99 years old.

At the awards ceremony on Friday, October 17 in Los Angeles, Attenborough scored the Emmy for Outstanding Daytime Personality, Non-Daily, for Secret Lives of Orangutans on Netflix. (See the sweet trailer below, and let Attenborough’s flawless narration lull and lure you into the world of the apes.)

Attenborough’s Daytime Emmy achievement not only made history, but it also edged out Dick Van Dyke from holding the top spot — the legendary comedic actor became the oldest actor to win a Daytime Emmy last year when his guest role on Days of Our Lives scored him a win. Van Dyke was 98 at the time.

Attenborough, who will turn 100 next May, spoke about the crucial need for water and sea creatures on Earth in his film Ocean.

“After almost 100 years on the planet, I now understand the most important place on Earth is not on land, but at sea,” the conservationist said, per the BBC, in May. “We are almost out of time,” he added, speaking of the “catastrophic decline” in marine life, the BBC reported.

This story was originally reported by Parade on Oct 18, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.