Michaela Strachan has recalled begging "get me out" after finding herself at the mercy of a cold-blooded predator. Springwatch host Michaela's story came to light as she weighed in on an incident that took place in the UK in 2016, when a horrified Ipswich resident discovered a non-native animal in his garden.

Mark Sampson had been building an art studio at the bottom of his garden when he made a grim discovery: he spotted a large black snake beneath a railway sleeper he was using — a situation he later described as a "nightmare". Speaking in Channel 5's Garden Makeovers from Hell (available to stream on My5 now), Michaela said: "I love snakes. However, I think if I found a snake in my garden, I think even the toughest person is going to be pretty freaked out." She went on to caution that we should have a "healthy respect" for snakes and avoid picking them up if we don't "understand" them.

Friends Kevin Wallace, a zoologist at Otley College, and Katy Hackett came to Mark's aid, wrangling the snake into a pillowcase before releasing it in a forest — though it's important to note that the RSPCA says snakes should be left undisturbed.

What they initially believed was a large grass snake turned out to be a Mexican black kingsnake — a non-venomous constrictor more commonly found in hotter climates — which can still deliver a "nasty bite".

Michaela said: "I remember having one for filming once around my neck and my body, and it's like..." At this point, the presenter mimed being squeezed by the snake, suggesting the situation was getting increasingly hairy.

She recalled saying: "Yeah, okay, okay...okay, people. People, please get me out of this now!" And, just before the programme cut to a different guest, Michaela placed her hand around her throat, appearing to express how she felt like she was being choked.

Recounting his story, Mark said: "I was in a really buoyant mood. I had my top off coz the sun was out, and I was clearing all of the debris out of the garden. I need to go and remove the railway sleepers I had sitting on the astroturf."

He continued: "They were on bricks, and so they were kept underneath. I looked underneath; I couldn't quite register what I was seeing coz I know I didn't have any inner tubes in the garden. And I know I didn't have any black hose anywhere.

"And then I realised. I could not believe what I was seeing; it was a snake! This is a nightmare! I hate snakes!"

After the incident, Richard Johnson of the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust reviewed the photos and video and identified it as a Mexican black kingsnake, native to the Sonoran Desert along the Mexico-US border.

"They normally grow to about four to five feet in length, so this snake seems to be a fully-grown adult."

Catch Springwatch on BBC Two tonight (Wednesday, June 3), from 8pm to 9pm.