Countryfile star Hamza Yassin admitted he was âforced to live out of a car for nine monthsâ while he was making a name for himself as a wildlife photographer and had little in the way of money.
The cameraman, 35, has been living in the remote Scottish Highlands for the past 17 years.
Before buying his âcottage in the Hebrides styleâ, where he has resided for 10 years, Hamza lived out of a car for several months.
Speaking in a revealing interview with The Times, Hamza shared: âI was waking up at 8am, pretending I was going on the ferry.
âIt turned out that they knew, they just never quizzed me. I didnât have a fridge.
âI had showers at a local campsite. Iâm sometimes asked if I find it tough being a black man in the countryside. I usually say the wildlife doesnât care.

Countryfile star Hamza Yassin opened up about previously living out of a van for nine months

The cameraman has been a much-loved presence on the show since joining in 2021
âPeople were curious, not suspicious. Theyâd say, âWhat are you doing here?ââ.
Hamza previously told The Sunday Post about his familyâs reaction to him living in the countryside.
âThey thought it would be a two-week thing, a phase. My dad said: âHe will come âback to us when his clothes are dirty and he wants more home-cooked food.â But the phase is nearly 11 years old now, it is not a phase any more,â he recounted.
Meanwhile, Hamza was left emotional after he âmade historyâ in the latest Countryfile episode.
Sundayâs (November 16) saw the star join forces with the team behind an ambitious conservation project.
Hamza helped release three of Britainâs rarest predators â wildcats â back into their natural home.
The Strictly alum branded this experience as a âonce in a lifetime opportunityâ.
He continued: âTo actually get given the privilege of releasing three wildcats into the wild is something special.â

Hamza achieved further popularity by winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2022, alongside pro partner Jowita
Estelle Morgan, one of the workers, responded: âYou know, youâre the first person who isnât project staff who is releasing a wildcat.â
Blown away by this revelation, Hamza remarked: âReally? Thatâs an honour, that is an honour indeed.â
They opened the wildcatsâ pen and left food nearby, hoping it would encourage the animals to venture out.
Later in the episode, Hamza was left thrilled when a staff member revealed one of the wildcats had left its pen.
Earlier this month, Countryfile viewers were left in shock after a guest confessed to having âsuicidal thoughtsâ before breaking down in tears.
Presenter Sean Fletcher issued a warning to fans ahead of the distressing scenes.
It came as co-host Charlotte Smith examined the controversy surrounding inheritance tax for farmers.
In the episode, Charlotte sadly shared that Countryfile had contacted rural mental health organisations, disclosing that tragically two farmers had ended their own lives, and both families âcited inheritance tax as a contributing factorâ.
Following this, Countryfile then introduced fifth-generation farmer Charles Rees who received a cancer diagnosis back in February.
Charlesâ son Tom could face a hefty inheritance tax demand of ÂŁ1 million.

Back in October last year, the Government introduced the âlargest inheritance tax changes for farmers in decadesâ. It has since proved to be âcatastrophicâ for family farms

A Countryfile guest who is battling cancer left viewers in shock as they confessed to having âsuicidal thoughtsâ before breaking down in tears during a recent episode
From April 2026, a 20 per cent inheritance tax rate will be levied on agricultural assets worth more than ÂŁ1 million, which were previously exempt. This is half the usual rate of 40 per cent.
The committee backed the Governmentâs aim of overhauling APR and BPR to âclose the loopholeâ allowing wealthy investors to buy agricultural land to avoid inheritance tax, but said stakeholders and experts have proposed several alternative ways to reform these taxes.
These include increasing the tax-free combined cap for both taxes to ÂŁ20 million but with potential âclawback periodâ in which any land sold after being passed on, tapering to avoid a cliff-edge if the property is sold.
Speaking to Charlotte about the situation, he said: âIâve been here for 70 years, itâs everything Iâve ever done.â
But then the conversation took a turn for the worst as she asked about the effect the looming tax has on the household.
He added: âItâs been hard for me lying in the hospital bed thinking, how am I going to save my farm? And trying to have all this treatment to save my life.â
âAnd sometimes I think, what the hell are you doing it all for? Because if something donât change by next April, Iâd probably top myself.â
In response, Charlotte said: âYouâve really thought about that? Because of the farm?â, as he confirmed: âOh God yes.â
She then turned to his wife, Ruth, and began to ask about her wellbeing.
Charles was then reduced to tears and had to excuse himself from the table.
Ruth attempted to respond to Charlotteâs question, but found herself overcome with emotion.
She said: âI find it very sad, when he was diagnosed, he generally said to me, one day he said, âTo be honest with you, for the farm point of view, Iâd be better off if I didnât have the treatmentâ.â
Thankfully, since the interview was recorded, Charles has undergone surgery and currently on the mend.


