Blue Peter celebrates 50th birthday
The programme has been watched in British homes for generations and has become an institution popular with adults and youngsters alike.
It has made stars out of presenters such as Anthea Turner and John Noakes, and become remembered for its Blue Peter badges and the phrase, “Here's one I made earlier.”
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Here's a dozen facts and a host of classic clips that you might remember:
The first show aired on October 16 1958 and lasted 15 minutes.
* Blue Peter was created by John Hunter Blair. Throughout the programme’s 50-year history, there have been only six editors – Biddy Baxter, Lewis Bronze, Oliver Macfarlane, Steve Hocking, Richard Marson and the current editor Tim Levell.
* Blue Peter is named after the blue and white flag hoisted on a ship’s mast when it is ready to set sail from port. The reason for the show’s name is that it is meant to be a voyage of discovery and adventure for viewers.
* The show’s famous symbol, the Blue Peter Galleon, was designed by television artist Tony Hart. He was paid £100 for his work.
* There have been 34 presenters since 1958.
* The longest-serving presenter was John Noakes. He presented the show for 12-and-a-half years and was 45 when he left. He famously dropped his trousers once to show off some bruises, and according to his recollection, realised he was wearing his wife’s underwear which he had put on in the dark by mistake.
* The youngest ever presenter was Yvette Fielding, who was just 18 when she joined the show.
* The famous Blue Peter badge, launched on June 17 1963, gets children of 15 years and under free admission into 200 venues up and down the country.
* The pets on the show are almost as well known as the presenters. The most popular pets include Shep, a border collie, and George the tortoise, the longest-serving pet on the show. There have been a total of eight dogs, five tortoises, nine cats and two parrots.
* Presenter Richard Bacon was infamously sacked from the programme in October 1998 after he admitted taking cocaine.
* Les Ferdinand was rumoured to have helped destroy the Blue Peter garden in 1983. After admitting he helped some pupils climb over the wall into the garden, he later denied the allegations claiming he was just joking.
* Valerie Singleton sensationally admitted in an interview this year that she had a fling with co-presenter Peter Purves.
What are your memories of the show?
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