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Countryfile’s veteran star John Craven made a big announcement during Sunday evening’s episode of the popular BBC show

Countryfile viewers were stunned as presenter John Craven delivered thrilling news during this evening’s broadcast.

On Sunday’s episode (January 11) of the BBC programme, John revealed that the latest Countryfile calendar was available for purchase and had already generated over £1million for Children in Need, much to the presenter’s delight.

The prestigious Countryfile calendar competition has become a cornerstone of British photography competitions throughout the last three decades.

Last year, Ursula Armstrong’s stunning photograph entitled ‘Seal of Approval’ secured first place and featured on the cover of the 2025 Countryfile calendar.

The cherished BBC show then sought 12 fresh and remarkable photographs for the 2026 edition, all captured by viewers from around the country, reports the Express.

Images featured everything from wildlife and insects to flora and scenery, as long as they were shot within the UK. Winners secured their place in the magnificent new calendar, available for £11.99 including postage.

Sunday’s programme was marking a new beginning to the year in Northumberland, when John promoted the latest calendar and revealed its achievements to date.

He announced: “If you haven’t picked one of these up yet, well, they are on sale until January 31st. And I’m delighted to announce that so far the 2026 Countryfile Calender has raised for BBC Children in Need an incredible £1,776, 082.”

John continued: “So from all of us, to everyone who has bought one of our calendars and helped us raise that amount, a very, very big thank you.”

Despite the fantastic news that the calendar has generated such a substantial sum for charity, some Countryfile viewers found it amusing that it was being advertised during the second week of January.

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Taking to X, one viewer posted: “Omg late calendar plug #Countryfile”, whilst a second responded with laughing face emojis.

A third enquired: “Do we get the calendars cheaper as it’s almost the end of January ? #countryfile,” whilst another commented: “Probably not, everyone would do that, it’s what I do though, get my favourite calendar half price Boxing Day.”

The invitation for submissions to the new calendar was revealed in June 2025 during a Countryfile episode, with presenter Anita Rani observing: “The weird and wonderful landscape of Spurn Point would certainly make for an evocative photograph that could be entered into our photographic competition.”

John added: “Our country is blessed with an incredible array of beautiful settings and opportunities to capture on camera its wonderful wildlife.”

He went on enthusiastically: “So now, with summer upon us and the splendour of nature in full swing, it’s my great pleasure to launch our photographic competition. The theme this year is wild encounters.”

Countryfile airs Sundays at 6pm on BBC One and iPlayer.

A YouTube star was left gobsmacked at the cost of a fairly basic dinner in what is reputed to be the continent’s most expensive city when he visited a chain of the 7-Eleven convenience store

There are a number of European cities that have a reputation for being the most expensive cities in Europe. And certainly the prices of some basic items backs up that claim where one particular YouTuber visited.

YouTube content creator Ed Chapman set off for Oslo, Norway to find out for himself, and was stunned to find the huge cost of a basic meal at a 7-Eleven convenience store.

Ed’s fact-finding mission started badly when a train from the airport to the city centre left literally seconds after he bought his £9 ticket. That left him with time to kill, so he went for a pit stop at Danish chain Joe and the Juice.

There, he explained on his YouTube channel, a medium milkshake and a small pot of yogurt and granola set him back just over £13. There was better news when Ed arrived at his £140-a-night three-star hotel, which he said was a good deal plusher than several other three-star establishments he’d stayed in previously.

Admiring his businesslike-looking desk he said: “For a three-star hotel, this is looking pretty good.” While the view out of his hotel room window was nothing to write home about, the “view of a wonderful metallic pipe and some stained glass windows” could have been worse, he added.

The following morning saw another impressive performance from his hotel: “Absolutely smashed breakfast by the way,” he enthused. “Lovely little spread for a three-star.”

But venturing outside, Ed was faced with some dizzying expenses. A hot dog at the city’s Christmas market cost him £7.30. The sausage was, he admitted, a cut above the average but it was undeniably pricey.

Just the chance of a simple bar of chocolate ended up costing him £3.57 when he tried his luck at a roulette game that had a Daim bar as a prize, Sadly, his number didn’t come up and he left the stall empty-handed.

After taking in the sights, including some very impressive ice-skating by the locals, Ed decided to get himself a cocktail. His vodka-and-cranberry concoction, called a woo-woo, set him back just under £11. While not cheap, the drink was “gorgeous,” he said. “Not too tangy on the cranberry.”

While Ed splashed out £23 on a classically Scandinavian sauna, and then just under £12 on a museum visit that included fewer viking artefacts that ne’d hoped for – but made up for it some truly grisly human skulls, most of his holiday budget went on food.

While you might think £21 would be enough to get a decent meal, Ed’s supper from 7-Eleven was a pretty basic affair. Surveying his chicken caesar wrap, pesto salad bottles of water and a Norwegian Kit-Kat, he said: “I’m not quite sure how I spent £21 here.”

He added, though, that Norway’s answer to the Kit-Kat was a cut above, with a “solidity” that gave it an air of quality. He theorised that it was probably healthier than the British equivalent too: everything Scandinavian is healthy. There’s not a single fat person here.”

In conclusion, Ed said, Oslo probably isn’t the most expensive city in Europe. He said it probably came second to Zurich. “However,” he added, “it is expensive. Just not as expensive as Zurich.”