For more than 60 years, Blue Peter was a quintessential, and predominantly wholesome, part of the British childhood, making overnight stars of some of its most famous names.
But behind the squeaky-clean image, its stars have gone onto have wildly different levels of success, with some battling drug addiction, claims of sexual assault and behind-the-scenes scandals.
In recent years Blue Peter has battled to maintain its viewership in an era when young fans are more likely to be scrolling through TikTok than sitting down in front of the TV at 5pm.
The show has made a string of bold changes to hang onto its audience, including swapping live recordings for a pre-recorded format, and the introduction of its first ever non-human presenter, Hacker T Dog.
This new era, which kicks off on September 5, is being fronted by young stars Joel Mawhinney, Shini Muthukrishnan and Abby Cook, who themselves have large presences on TikTok.
Joel, who joined the show in 2022, had built up a large social media following by showing off his magic skills, while Abby, 23, joined the show in 2023 after working with Forth Valley Disability Sport.
As Blue Peter attempts to revamp its prospects for the TikTok age, here’s how some of the show’s most iconic presenters have fared…
Shini, who built up a following on TikTok showcasing her British and Indian heritage during the Covid lockdown, became Blue Peter’s newest presenter in January 2024.
Bosses have insisted that this new revamp will help boost the show’s longevity as it approaches its 70th birthday.
But what happened to all of those famous names who once sported the iconic Blue Peter badge? Here’s where some of them are now…
Helen Skelton
Helen is considered one of Blue Peter’s most recent success stories, having gone onto become a fixture on BBC screens in a string of shows.
Having trained as a PR executive and radio presenter, Helen first worked as a presenter on Newsround before landing the coveted Blue Peter gig in 2008.
During her five-year stint on the show she became known for her vast range of thrill-seeking challenges, including high-wire walking across Battersea Power Station and becoming the second woman ever to complete the Namibia Ultramarathon.
Helen has remained a well-known face on British screens, fronting Countryfile, the Olympic Games and more recently Morning Live.
Helen Skelton is considered one of Blue Peter’s most recent success stories, having gone onto become a fixture on BBC screens
Helen has remained a well-known face on British screens, fronting Countryfile, the Olympic Games and more recently Morning Live
She was also married to rugby star Richie Myler for eight years, but was devastated when he walked out on their marriage in 2022 just three months after the birth of their third child.
Weeks later Helen then made a well-publicised appearance on Strictly Come Dancing, where she paid homage to her time on Blue Peter by dancing a Charleston to the show’s famous theme song as part of the BBC’s 100th anniversary celebrations.
She also recently sparked speculation that she was dating her Morning Live co-host Gethin Jones earlier this year.
Simon Thomas
Simon joined the Blue Peter presenting team in 1999 to replace the then-recently axed Richard Bacon, a dream gig since he had applied for a job on the show three times.
The presenter was a part of the hosting line-up for six years, and in that time he ran the London Marathon and Great North Run twice each, climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and Mont Blanc and completed over 40 solo sky dives with the Royal Air Force.
Following his departure, Simon joined the Sky Sports News presenting team in 2005. At the start of the 2010/11 season, he became the main host for its English Football League coverage, before moving onto the Premier League in 2016.
Simon joined the Blue Peter presenting team in 1999 to replace the then-recently axed Richard Bacon, a dream gig since he had applied for a job on the show three times
After leaving the show Simon became a presenter for Sky Sports, and in 2023 he replaced Jeff Stelling as the host of Soccer Saturday
Simon took a break from his presenting in 2017 after his wife Gemma tragically died, just three days after being diagnosed with blood cancer. He and Gemma had one son, Ethan.
Following her passing, Simon spoke openly about struggling with grief and adjusting to raising their son alone, and he’s since campaigned to raise funds to research into the disease.
He gradually returned to work when he joined the presenting team for Prime Video’s Premier League coverage in 2020, and in 2023, Simon took over the coveted gig of hosting Sky’s Soccer Saturday, replacing long-time host Jeff Stelling.
He also found love again with his second wife Derrina, who he married in 2021, and they now have a daughter Talitha, two, and a 15-month-old son named Theo.
John Leslie
John Leslie began his working life as a piano teacher who did DJ gigs at a disco in his spare time, and in 1989 he landed the coveted gig as a Blue Peter star.
While he was at Blue Peter, he dated the actress Catherine Zeta-Jones for 18 months, admitting in later years that she was the only woman he ever truly loved.
After five years on the show, he moved on to new projects, starting with a short-lived, big-budget, Gladiators-style show called Scavengers in 1994, which earned him £15,000 an episode.
He then started presenting Wheel of Fortune, initially filming three shows a week at £2,000 a show. His income was further boosted to £350,000 a year when, in 2001, he began presenting This Morning with Fern Britton.
John Leslie began his working life as a piano teacher who did DJ gigs at a disco in his spare time, and in 1989 he landed the coveted gig as a Blue Peter star
He went onto have a high-profile relationship with glamour model Abi Titmuss
But John’s TV career came crashing down the following year when TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson released her autobiography in which she described how she’d had been raped when she was a 19-year-old TV weather presenter.
Leslie was accidentally named, live on air, as the man in question by presenter Matthew Wright.
Ulrika refused to confirm or deny that it was him and has never revealed the identity of her attacker.
But the huge publicity that the case attracted brought further complaints of ‘improper sexual conduct’ from other women, including one who alleged he had pinned her against a wall in a bathroom at London’s Sanderson Hotel and indecently assaulted her.
Another said he had taken cocaine and pestered her to join in both group and lesbian sex sessions. And another claimed she had met him a nightclub where he had groped her and exposed himself.
Yet another said that he had cornered her in a changing hut and molested her – all denied by Leslie.
‘I turned and pushed him off,’ she said. ‘But he just looked at me and walked out as if nothing had happened.’
By his side through all of the allegations was his girlfriend Abi Titmuss, a nurse who he met in a bar in Fulham in 1999.
She supported her boyfriend in 2003 when he was charged with two counts of indecently assaulting a 23-year-old actress from the North East in 1997.
He walked free from Southwark Crown Court after prosecutors dropped the case.
After causing headlines while leaving court with John, Abi went on to feature on the front page of various lads’ magazines – including Nuts, Loaded and FHM, and the couple separated the following year.
Perhaps Leslie could at this point have resurrected his career. But when photographs emerged of him taking cocaine, and a stolen sex tape of a threesome of him and Abi was leaked on the internet, it did nothing to help his reputation.
In 2008, five years on from his last court appearance, he faced fresh rape accusations.
This time, his accuser claimed that she was attacked in 1995 when she was in her early 20s. The case never reached court.
Leslie has always been adamant that he is the victim and the innocent target of malicious lies, saying in 2013: ‘It was like a runaway train. It got to the point where the only way to stop it was contemplating suicide.
John’s TV career came crashing down when he was accused of sexual assault in 1997, but the case was dropped. He was last known to be working DJ slots at local Edinburgh clubs
‘For me – and I love life, I’m larger than life – to get to this point… I thought, ‘it has got to stop’. I went home. I built the family up again. I’m here – not quite in the same place, but happy.’
In November 2015, after attending a radio awards ceremony in Edinburgh, he was accused of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman and interviewed by police.
Detectives were later seen leaving his home carrying evidence bags. Three months later, Leslie was informed that he would not be charged.
He wrote about the incident at length on his Facebook page in 2017, saying he had been ‘dragged out of my bed by police officers’, handcuffed and detained for ten hours at a police station.
In 2017, Leslie was accused of putting his hand down the back of a bride-to-be’s trousers during her hen night at an Edinburgh nightclub.
He was acquitted after a two-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court but, as a result, lost his part-time work as a radio and club DJ – and more trouble was to follow.
In 2020, he was again in court for allegedly groping a woman at a Christmas bash in London’s West End in 2008. He was eventually found not guilty.
John told jurors he was not an ‘aggressive sexual monster’ – and claimed he spent most of a party where he is alleged to have groped a woman instead talking to late Big Brother star Jade Goody, three months before she died of cervical cancer.
A string of former colleagues came out to defend Leslie at his trial. Fern Britton, who he co-hosted This Morning with in the 90s, said she was ‘confident’ the allegation was not true.
Leslie was last known to be working DJ slots at local Edinburgh clubs.
Yvette Fielding
Yvette Fielding made headlines as the youngest-ever host of Blue Peter at just 18-years-old.
But behind the scenes of what seemed like a dream job, Yvette claims she was bullied and left ‘a shaking, jibbering wreck’ after being ‘berated’ by her former boss Biddy Baxter, who allegedly called her ‘fat and useless’.
Yvette claimed that upon winning the job she had to leave her parents’ house, was flown to Russia for six weeks before being told by producers she had to live with and care for the show’s golden retriever, Bonnie.
The television personality said the responsibility of looking after Bonnie, who was a puppy from Blue Peter dog Goldie’s second litter, was terrifying because she was ‘the most famous dog in the country’.
‘I felt very lonely because I was the youngest. I was considered a kid – and a pain in the a**e of a kid,’ Yvette said on the Celebrity Catch-Up: Life After That Thing I Did podcast.
Yvette Fielding made headlines as the youngest-ever host of Blue Peter, and while it was seen as a dream job, she has gone onto claim she was ‘berated’ by former boss Biddy Baxter
The Most Haunted presenter said her experience with Biddy shaped her career and she has ‘no bitterness’ towards her
‘I didn’t enjoy the first year. I found it very traumatic. It got to the point where I’d just had enough. Being made to live with the dog, I had no say in it: ‘You will move out of your flat and you will move into this house with the dog’.
‘Given this dog to look after at 18, and not just a dog – the most famous dog in the country.
‘Poor Bonnie was pining for her owner, scratching at the door every night. It was too upsetting.
‘Imagine how many hearts would be broken if anything had happened to her. It would have been national mourning.’
Bonnie made her first appearance on the show when she was six weeks old and later took over from her mother when she retired in the Summer of 1986.
The Most Haunted presenter said her experience with Biddy shaped her career and she has ‘no bitterness’ towards her.
Last year, Yvette revealed she was molested by predatory paedophile Rolf Harris while she was a fresh-faced teenage new-start on the BBC programme – after she was left alone in a TV studio with him.
She said: ‘It was very confusing and shocking — just bizarre to think Rolf Harris was squeezing and patting my bottom and I am standing there, thinking, ‘I don’t know what to do.’
‘Other people in the industry must have known what he was like and (they) left me alone in the studio with him. That shouldn’t have happened. I must have been 18 or 19. I think a lot of them did know.’
Australian entertainer Harris died almost a year ago in May 2023 from cancer, six years after being released from prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting four girls, one aged just seven or eight years old at the time.
Yvette had presented the Most Haunted series with her husband Karl Beattie since 2002 but recently quit after a terrifying incident ‘that defied all logic’
He, like Jimmy Savile, was exposed as a child predator in 2013 by Operation Yewtree, the probe launched following Savile’s death two years before.
Yvette left Blue Peter after five years in 1992 and went on to present the ITV Saturday show What’s Up Doc? followed by Disney Adventures in 1995.
She had presented the Most Haunted series with her husband Karl Beattie since 2002 but recently quit after a terrifying incident ‘that defied all logic’.
A crew member had fallen foul to a sudden injury without any explanation and when he had to be rushed to hospital, Yvette knew she had had enough.
Yvette also joined the lineup for I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! in 2015, which featured stars such as Lady Colin Campbell, Ferne McCann and winner Vicky Pattison.
Anthea Turner
For decades, Anthea has been one of the most recognisable faces of Blue Peter, when she replaced Yvette Fielding in the 1990s after previously being a star of music show Top Of The Pops.
During her time as Blue Peter’s host, Anthea delivered a now-iconic make recreating the famous Thunderbirds Tracy Island, considered one of the most difficult crafts in the show’s history.
But her two-year stint on the show wasn’t smooth sailing, as she was left with long-term injuries after a motorbike stunt gone wrong, revealing in January she still suffers with pain from the accident.
Anthea went onto host GMTV alongside Eamonn Holmes, but things were noticeably frosty between them, and she was sacked after he issued an ultimatum to bosses.
For decades, Anthea has been one of the most recognisable faces of Blue Peter, when she replaced Yvette Fielding in the 1990s after previously being a star of Top Of The Pops
Since her Blue Peter heyday, Anthea has appeared in a string of other reality shows, including Hell’s Kitchen, Dancing On Ice and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip
It was also revealed this week that Anthea had finally been awarded the prestigious Gold Blue Peter badge
Her squeaky-clean image was shattered in 1998 after it was revealed she had been having an affair with a married family friend Grant Bovey, whom she later married.
Anthea divorced Bovey in 2015 after she discovered he was cheating on her with a woman 26 years his junior.
Since her Blue Peter heyday, Anthea has appeared in a string of other reality shows, including Hell’s Kitchen, Dancing On Ice and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
It was also revealed this week that Anthea had finally been awarded the prestigious Gold Blue Peter badge.
She said: ‘I have coveted the golden Blue Peter badge for so many years and never got one – and now they’ve put this right.
‘All these years I’ve been without one, and at every Blue Peter event I’ve hoped I would get one. It’s now even become a standing joke. So this is my proudest moment and I won’t forget it.’
Richard Bacon
In 1997, following his work on L!VE TV, Richard Bacon scooped his dream job on Blue Peter.
However, he was hurtled into the spotlight when a tabloid – tipped off by one of his friends – revealed that he had taken cocaine at a London nightclub, and 18 months into his stint as a presenter he was abruptly sacked.
He became the first host on the children’s show to have his contract terminated mid-season, and it led the Head of BBC Children’s programmes, Lorraine Heggessey, to go on air to explain why Richard had been axed from the programme following his ‘late-night binge’.
‘Richard has not only let himself and the team of Blue Peter down, but he’s also let all of you down badly,’ she told viewers at the time.
‘So, we have decided that Richard cannot present on Blue Peter and he agrees that that is the right decision.’
In 1997, following his work on L!VE TV, Richard Bacon scooped his dream job on Blue Peter, but was axed from the gig when a tabloid revealed that he had taken cocaine at a London nightclub
He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Rebecca McFarland and their two children, having moved there in 2014, after leaving his presenting job on BBC 5 Live
Speaking to the i, Richard said: ‘I was publicly shamed after Blue Peter. If this happened now, I think I’d still have lost my job, but the response would have been even louder.
‘Back then it was down to the good graces of the newspapers to decide if you’re going to be publicly shamed. These days, it’s down to the actual public to decide who gets publicly shamed.’
He added: ‘That sounds like a positive, democratic move, but I’m not sure it is because what it involves is rushed judgment and Twitter pile-ons. It can be unforgiving.’
In 2023, Richard poked fun at the cocaine scandal that cost him his presenting role 26 years ago.
When the hit kids’ show marked its 65th birthday, former editor-in-chief Richard Marson took to Twitter to share a gushing message about the show.
Richard replied to the TV chief on X, formerly know as Twitter, writing: ‘A very happy birthday Blue Peter. The most important stage of my career…
‘Yes sure, I may not have lasted, you know, THAT long* But I love Blue Peter deeply. (I lost my job for poor punctuality**) (**When you take drugs, you tend to run late)
Richard’s fall from grace is an early example of ‘cancel culture’ – where social media has become a platform for public shaming due to old tweets.
Despite this he continued to have a successful career hosting This Morning, The Wright Stuff and Radio 5 Live.
In 2018 he fell ill on a flight from the US to the UK, and was put into a coma after failing to respond to treatment for suspected pneumonia.
He spoke about his relationship with alcohol on Radio 5’s podcast Hooked in 2019, admitting it’s hard to stop once he has one drink.
He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Rebecca McFarland and their two children, having moved there in 2014, after leaving his presenting job on BBC 5 live.
Konnie Huq
Konnie still remains Blue Peter’s longest-serving female presenter, and is renowned for her 11-year stint on the show, from 1997 to 2008.
A University of Cambridge economics graduate, Konnie already had an impressive media career, having trained part-time at the National Youth Music Theatre since childhood, and made her presenting debut at age 16 on TVFM.
During her time on the show, Konnie visited Bangladesh and India during her time on the show, and took part in the Blue Peter ‘Welcome Home Appeal’, travelling to Angola to help reunite families separated by war.
Konnie still remains Blue Peter’s longest-serving female presenter, and is renowned for her 11-year stint on the show, from 1997 to 2008
Since leaving the show, she has participated in various charity TV specials and has penned popular children’s books
In a grand finale to her Blue Peter tenure, Konnie set a Guinness World Record by pinning 17 badges onto fellow presenter Ayo Akinwolere’s shirt in under one minute.
Since leaving the show, she has participated in various charity TV specials and is the author of the popular children’s book Cookie and the Most Annoying Boy in the World, alongside a short-lived stint as host of The Xtra Factor in 2010.
Now also an established screenwriter, Konnie also co-wrote the Black Mirror episode Fifteen Million Merits with her husband and show creator, Charlie Brooker.
Matt Baker
For his Blue Peter audition, Matt sent a videotape of himself riding a unicycle and lambing a sheep on a farm, and it quickly caught bossess attention as he landed the famous gig.
Matt was a fixture on Blue Peter screens for nine years, appearing on the show alongside the likes of Katy Hill, Konnie Huq – and his dog, Meg.
With a dance and gymnastics background, Matt excelled at the show’s physical challenges, including passing the recruitment courses for the Royal Marines and the Parachute Regiment.
He also won two consecutive BAFTAs for Best Children’s Presenter, and even broke a tandem hang gliding world record alongside professional hang glider Judy Leden.
For his Blue Peter audition, Matt sent a videotape of himself riding a unicycle and lambing a sheep on a farm, and it quickly caught bossess attention as he landed the famous gig
Following Blue Peter, he’s had a hugely successful career in broadcasting, fronting Countryfile and The One Show, and he was awarded an MBE in 2022 (pictured with his wife Nicola)
An established presenter for CBBC, Barney was already a familiar face to young fans when he joined Blue Peter in 2011
Since leaving the show in 2017, Barney established his own production company, and lends both his presenter and videography skills to clients
Following Blue Peter, Matt has had a hugely successful career in broadcasting, fronting shows such as Countryfile and The One Show, and he was awarded an MBE in 2022.
He also lent both his hosting skills and gymnastics knowledge to various Olympic Games, most recently providing commentary for the Paris 2024 gymnastic events.
Earlier this year, Matt presented the show Matt Baker’s British Isles on Channel 4, a four-part docuseries chronicling the picturesque locations of Britain.
He married his wife Nicola, a physiotherapist, in 2004, and they have two children.
Barney Harwood
An established presenter for CBBC as the host of shows such as Bear Behaving Badly and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Barney was already a familiar face to young fans when he joined Blue Peter in 2011.
An experienced cyclist, he excelled in the show’s physical challenges and also became known for giving away strange prizes in the ‘Spot Shelley’ segment, including a house in Spain and a lifetime supply of chutney.
Since leaving the show in 2017, Barney established his own production company, and lends both his presenter and videography skills to clients.
He has also starred in a range of regional theatre shows and pantomimes around the UK, from Aladdin to Snow White.
Michael Sundin
Michael Sundin was part of the British Men’s National Trampoline squad before he embarked on a career in acting.
His first big break was in the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, opposite Barbara Windsor.
It was this role that led to him at just 20 being cast as Bill Bailey in the musical Cats. There, Disney spotted him and offered him the role of Tik-Tok in the 1985 film Return to Oz.
It was during the filming that the Blue Peter team paid a visit to the studio and were impressed with the young Michael.
Janet Ellis interviewed him and the production team spotted his potential. It all moved pretty quick after that because the episode containing the report on the set visit ended with the announcement that Michael was to join the show.
Michael Sundin joined Blue Peter in 1984 and appeared in a total of 77 episodes, his film connections meant he was often shown visiting various sets
In 1988 rumours began to surface that Michael was ill and on 26 July 1989 it was reported that he died of liver cancer, aged 28. It was later revealed his death was AIDS-related
He joined Blue Peter in 1984 and appeared in a total of 77 episodes, while his film connections meant he was often shown visiting various movie sets and he also reported from Elton John’s house.
However Sundin’s contract was not renewed and he returned to acting. His only role post-Blue Peter was in the children’s film Lionheart in 1987 playing Bertram, opposite Eric Stoltz and Gabriel Byrne.
Show producer Biddy Baxter has maintained that Michael was dropped due to his lack of popularity with viewers.
Biddy wrote in her autobiography: ‘Sadly because of his voice and manner he came across as a whinger – and an effeminate whinger to boot.’
Three months after he left the programme a video emerged showing him dancing in his underwear in a London nightclub. The tabloids were soon reporting various details about his lifestyle.
In 1988 rumours began to surface that Michael was ill and on 26 July 1989 it was reported that he had died of liver cancer, aged 28.
It has since been revealed that his actual death was AIDS related.
John Noakes
The late John Noakes was Blue Peter’s longest serving presenter, fronting the children’s show with a variety of co-hosts including Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves from 1965 until 1978.
But it was his partnership with mischievous Border Collie puppy Shep that really won viewers’ hearts.
‘Get down, Shep!’ became Noakes’ catchphrase, and such was their bond that he went to live with the presenter rather than being taken care of by the show’s pet keeper.
Shep was, however, officially owned by the BBC despite living with Noakes.
And in 1983, after he left the show, Noakes claimed that the BBC had forcibly separated him from Shep.
The late John Noakes was Blue Peter’s longest serving presenter, fronting the children’s show with a variety of co-hosts including Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves from 1965 until 1978
He famously fell out with the show’s editor Biddy Baxter over his partnership with his beloved dog Shep, and after moving to Mallorca in 2000, he loathed her until his death in 2017
The presenter had said: ‘I thought Shep was mine – they told me I could keep him, but they went back on their word.’
Blue Peter editor Biddy Baxter ended up receiving letter accusing her of animal cruelty because of the row.
However, Baxter’s biography released in 2023 claimed the BBC did not forcibly separate Noakes and Shep when the presenter said he was leaving in 1977.
The book stated that Shep was given away when Noakes and his wife Vicky decided to sell their home and go on a huge sailing adventure.
Shep was rehomed with Blue Peter’s long-standing pet keeper Edith Menezes.
Meanwhile, Noakes and his wife set sail for the Caribbean in 1982, where they planned to settle – only to be shipwrecked in a hurricane.
They returned to the UK to pay a visit to Shep shortly before the dog died in 1987.
Noakes famously loathed Baxter until his death in 2017, with issues over the ownership of Shep being a crucial point.
Valerie Singleton
Valerie joined the Blue Peter presenting lineup in 1962 and remained a regular weekly presenter for ten years.
Having trained as an actress at RADA, she was previously an acclaimed voice-artist before she joined the BBC as a television continuity announcer in 1961, transitioning to Blue Peter the following year.
Valerie was a hugely popular face on British TV, and went on to present Nationwide, the BBC’s current affairs program, in 1973.
Valerie joined the Blue Peter presenting lineup in 1962 and remained a regular weekly presenter for ten years (pictured with Christopher Trace in 1065)
Valerie (pictured in 2018) later had stints on the Money Programme on BBC2 and presented PM on Radio 4 for 10 years until 1993
She continued to make appearances on Blue Peter into the early 1980s as their designated ‘roving reporter’, also fronting the spin-off series Blue Peter Special Assignments.
Valerine continued to be an avid supporter of the show, famously saying: ‘We’re the people that went behind the rope.’
Valerie later had stints on the Money Programme on BBC2 and presented PM on Radio 4 for 10 years until 1993.
She was awarded an OBE in 1994 for her services to broadcasting, and as of 2020, resides in Somerset.
Peter Purves
Peter Purves presented the children’s TV show for 11 years from 1967 to 1978 and often jetted to exotic locations to film segments for the show.
The veteran television host now blames those travels for the skin cancer he was diagnosed with in 2014.
Peter said it was the result of travel to exotic destinations such as Ivory Coast and Ethiopia in an era when warnings about sun damage were rare. After being diagnosed with melanoma in 2014, he got the all-clear in 2020.
A lifetime animal-lover, Purves also spent 41 years as the ‘voice of Crufts’ before Channel 4 unceremoniously axed him in 2023, a decision he criticised as ‘ageism’.
Peter Purves (seen right) presented the children’s TV show for 11 years from 1967 to 1978 and often jetted to exotic locations to film segments for the show
A lifetime animal-lover, Purves also spent 41 years as the ‘voice of Crufts’ before Channel 4 unceremoniously axed him in 2023, a decision he criticised as ‘ageism’
Speaking to Daily Mail, he described how the decision left him ‘reeling’.
‘Honestly, I don’t know when I last felt so upset and angry,’ he said. ‘The producers won’t admit it but I am convinced that it’s ageism, pure and simple.
‘My voice and my ability to communicate are as good as they have ever been. I still seem to be well liked; I still get fan mail. It’s ridiculous and painful.’
What made the decision so brutal for Peter was the fact that it came just as he was celebrating one of the greatest accolades of his career – an invitation to present the trophy to the Best In Show winner at Crufts 2020.
Karon Keating
Caron Keating enjoyed a four-year stint on Blue Peter before leaving in January 1990.
She took time out of presenting to raise her two sons before returning to TV in 1996, standing in for Richard and Judy on This Morning.
Keating was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, aged just 34, but went on to present Work It Out and appeared in television commercials.
Keating also presented chat show Family Affairs with her mother famous Gloria Hunniford.
Sadly Keating lost her battle to cancer in April 2004, aged 41. Her son Charlie was only nine and his younger brother Gabriel seven when Caron sadly died leaving behind also her husband Russ Lindsay who she wed in 1991.
A statement issued by Keating’s family said that her death had left an ‘unfilled void’.
Fashion-forward Caron Keating enjoyed a four-year stint on Blue Peter before leaving in January 1990 ( pictured with Mark Curry, Yvette Fielding and Caron Keating (died April 2004) with Bonnie – 1988)
Sadly Caron lost her battle with cancer in April 2004, aged 41, with her mother, broadcaster Gloria Hunniford, setting up a charity in her name
Charlie was only nine and his younger brother Gabriel seven when Caron sadly died leaving behind also her husband Russ Lindsay who she wed in 1991 (seen at their wedding)
Gloria held back tears as she talked about her late daughter Caron on Loose Women in 2021.
She discussed how she tries to ‘keep her alive in spirit’ on her birthday and other milestones for the sake of Caron’s sons Charlie and Gabriel.
Gloria built up The Caron Keating Foundation in the wake of her daughter’s death.
She has previously discussed how Caron’s positive attitude had helped her loved ones cope with the devastating diagnosis.
Gloria said: ‘Caron never talked about losing her battle – she only ever talked about life. Her whole attitude to cancer was positivity. We all tapped in to that, and she became the teacher.’
Peter Duncan
Actor Peter Duncan was meant to replace John Noakes, but turned Blue Peter down, fearing it would ruin his career. He had been part of the company at the National Theatre for two years and appeared in the film Space 1999.
He eventually joined in 1980 and became the next daredevil by running a marathon and cleaning Big Ben without a safety harness.
But the show was hit with a scandal four years later, when a newspaper claimed he had appeared naked in a racy film.
A shot of him in his birthday suit in a 1975 film, The Lifetaker, was unearthed.
He took part in the movie five years before joining the programme when he was just 21 but has maintained it was not pornographic and was a ‘psychological thriller.’
Peter Duncan first appeared on Blue Peter in 1980 but his time of the show was hit with scandal four years later, when a newspaper claimed he had appeared naked in a racy film
He left Blue Peter to film TV series Duncan Dares, based on the derring-do image he had built for himself. He returned for a second stint in 1986 (pictured with Sarah Greene in 2018)
The Lifetaker was not actually pornographic at all, but the myth was born. These days he finds it amusing.
Duncan was with Blue Peter from 1980 to 1986 with a one-year break in the middle, before making documentaries and eventually leading the worldwide Scouting movement as Chief Scout.
He was part of Blue Peter’s second golden age in the Eighties with fellow presenters Sarah Greene and Simon Groom – most famous for introducing an item on the restored doors at Durham Cathedral and slipping in the phrase: ‘What a beautiful pair of knockers.’
That went right over the head of the core audience of young children but became part of Blue Peter legend.
In the early Noughties, Duncan and his wife Annie took their four children – Lucy, Katie, Georgia and Arthur – on three backpacking trips around the world for a series of well-received travel documentaries.
Katy Hill
A lifelong fan of Blue Peter, Katy reportedly bombarded the show’s editor with segment ideas while working as a BBC secretary, before finally joining the presenting team in 1995.
Known for her relatable, laid-back attitude, Katy became a fan favourite for her fun segments, such as joining the team of Cirque de Soleil.
Earlier this week, Katy also revealed she battled body insecurities during her time on Blue Peter, after a BBC producer told her she was fat.
Speaking on the Shall I Delete That? podcast, the Dorset-born star said: ‘When I landed the job, somebody – and he’s a really lovely guy, so I won’t name him – but he was high up on the show, and he said to me, ‘Now, you need to think about it because you’re a bigger girl and you don’t carry yourself very well on camera’.
‘I was a size 12-14. So imagine you’re going on telly in front of 15 million people – you’re already out-of-body terrified, and then someone’s told you you don’t move very well.’
A lifelong fan of Blue Peter, Katy reportedly bombarded the show’s editor with segment ideas while working as a BBC secretary, before finally joining the presenting team in 1995
Having contributed to magazines like Cosmopolitan and Closer in the past, Katy is now a personal development coach, and runs a lifestyle blog about health, wellbeing, and travel
Katy added: ‘It’s amazing that I don’t and have never had an eating disorder of any kind because I know most of the TV girls that I was with at the time definitely suffered from bulimia and anorexia. That was rife. A lot of people did drugs because that was a way for them to stay skinny.’
The presenter now lives in Oxfordshire with her husband, television presenter-turned-producer Trey Farley, and their two children, Kaya, 19, and Akira, 15.
After leaving the show in 2000, Katy continued her broadcasting career presenting on popular shows like Live & Kickingand Football Fever, and she also present the weekend breakfast show on 95.8 Capital FM.
Having contributed to magazines like Cosmopolitan and Closer in the past, Katy is now a personal development coach, and runs a lifestyle blog about health, wellbeing, and travel.
