BLUE Peter's longest-serving female presenter, Konnie Huq, left the show last week after more than 10 years of foreign adventures, hibernating tortoises and sticky-back plastic, writes Dani Garavelli. As she prepares for new challenges, we look at what became of her predecessors and reveal a world of drag artists, Scout leaders, adultery and early death.
An everyday tale of Blue Peter folkCHRISTOPHER TRACE 1958-67 One of the original presenters, Christopher Trace got the job because he shared a love of toy trains with producer John Hunter Blair. He was sacked when his wife divo
rced him for having an affair with a 19-year-old hotel receptionist during a Blue Peter expedition to Norway. Later, he became the general manager of an engineering factory. He returned to Blue Peter for its 20th anniversary and died of a heart attack in 1992, aged 59.
LEILA WILLIAMS 1958-62 Crowned Miss Great Britain the year before, Leila Williams was 22 when she was brought on board to launch Blue Peter. With the programme still finding its feet, she spent much of her time playing with dolls and eventually left because she didn't get on with a new producer. Up until her retirement Williams ran pubs with her husband, including the Royal Oak in Surbiton. The couple now live in Spain.
VALERIE SINGLETON 1962-72One of the most popular Blue Peter presenters, Singleton was on hand when the elephant from Chessington Zoo famously defecated in the studio. She went on to present the spin-off series Blue Peter Special Assignment and Val Meets The VIPs, as well as Nationwide and The Money Programme. Now 70, she has been forced to deny persistent rumours that she is a lesbian: "I'm not even bisexual. If I was gay I would say: 'I'm gay'."
JOHN NOAKES 1965-78 Noakes was originally an aircraft engine fitter and occasional actor before joining Blue Peter. Best known for his catchphrase, "Get Down, Shep" as he tried to calm down his Border collie, he endeared himself to viewers because during action-packed assignments he was plainly terrified. Noakes went on to present several series of Go With Noakes. In 1982, John and his wife set sail to travel the world, but were shipwrecked. Two years later, they set out again, ended up in Majorca and made it their home.
LESLEY JUDD 1972-79 Lesley as a dancer with The Young Generation troupe when she was first introduced to Blue Peter viewers. She was allowed to stay as a presenter despite divorcing first husband Derek Fowlds (the straight-man to Basil Brush) and marrying Blue Peter cameraman Terry Gabell. Gabell had multiple sclerosis and she left to care for him, but kept her hand in by providing continuity links for Southern TV. Then, in 1984, she played a newsreader in the post-nuclear apocalypse drama Threads. More recently, however, she has turned her back on television. Divorced from Gabell, she now works as a conference organiser and speaker in France.
CHRISTOPHER WENNER 1978-80 The son of a former British ambassador to El Salvador, Christopher Wenner never really seemed at home on Blue Peter. Although he was not short of derring-do, he was very serious and eventually left to become a journalist. In 1985, he went missing for 18 days while working as a war correspondent in Beirut. Then, three years later, he was severely beaten by Serb civilians in a mass protest. Now a father of two, Wenner runs his own production company.
TINA HEATH 1979-80 By the time she joined Blue Peter, Tina Heath was already well-known for playing the lead role in the children's series Lizzie Dripping. She was the first Blue Peter presenter to become pregnant and made television history by having an ultra-sound scan on camera. She left to have her daughter, Jemma. A committed Christian, Heath has read passages from the Bible for a range of audio books.
SARAH GREENE 1980-83 Sarah Greene became a Blue Peter presenter after appearing as a guest performing in the children's drama The Swish Of The Curtain. Her most memorable assignment was diving to the wreck of the Mary Rose. After three years, she left to resume her acting career, but went on instead to present Saturday Superstore and Going Live. Her life took a dramatic turn, when she was badly injured in a helicopter crash with partner Mike Smith, whom she later married. Since then, she has presented on and off, as well as appearing in programmes such as Doctor Who, Casualty and French & Saunders. An attempt at a comeback backfired earlier this year when she became the first contestant to be booted off ITV's Dancing On Ice competition.
PETER DUNCAN 1980-86 Peter Duncan had been an actor for almost a decade – playing Young Treeman in Flash Gordon – before he joined Blue Peter. He was always up for a challenge, but some viewers disliked his scruffy image so the programme launched a Design Peter An Outfit competition. He left the show in 1984 to film the series Duncan Dares, returned briefly, and finally called it a day in 1986. In 2004, Duncan was made Chief Scout.
JANET ELLIS 1983-87 Janet Ellis appeared on the 1982 All-Star Record Breakers show with Simon Groom, Peter Duncan and Sarah Greene the year before joining as a presenter. Best-known for her free fall jumps with the RAF, it is said she lost her job when she became pregnant (her daughter grew up to be pop singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor) while unmarried.
JOHN LESLIE 1989-94 By far the most controversial presenter Blue Peter has produced, his time on the show was, actually, relatively uneventful, although he did have a long-term relationship with Catherine Zeta Jones. After Leslie left the series, he presented family shows such as Wheel Of Fortune before taking up residence on the This Morning couch alongside Fern Britton in 2001. He had no time to get comfy, though, because, the following year, he was engulfed in the scandal that ended his career.
DIANE-LOUISE JORDAN 1990-96 Diane-Louise Jordan turned down a role in Coronation Street to become Blue Peter's first black presenter. A devout Christian, she presents Songs Of Praise and is the vice-president of National Children's Home. She recently announced she was to become a life coach to freed death row prisoner Kenny Richey, helping him adjust to life on the outside.
ANTHEA TURNER 1992-94 While on Blue Peter, Anthea Turner inspired thousands of schoolchildren to make their own Tracy Island. But she was lured away from the show with a £1m contract for GMTV and, for a while, she reigned supreme. From the National Lottery Live to the travel show Wish You Were Here?, there was no escaping her.
All that was to end when she left her husband Peter Powell for married businessman Grant Bovey. Although she eventually hooked her man, her career never really recovered, despite presenting BBC3's Perfect Housewife.
Even her attempts to help charity have been ill-fated, with the Douglas Macmillan Hospice dropping her as one of its patrons for not giving enough support.
STUART MILES 1994-99 Stuart Miles was plucked from his job as presenter on Saturday Disney to work on Blue Peter. He left after complaining about the programme's direction – he thought it should be covering tougher issues, such as bullying and divorce. He also felt the sacking of co-presenter Richard Bacon had been badly handled. Today, he presents on Sky Vegas, a gambling television channel and tours comedy clubs with a drag act called Stella Ratner.
RICHARD BACON 1997-98 As a news reporter on BBC Nottingham, Bacon interviewed Nicole Kidman and reported on sunburnt pigs. In 1996 he had a drink thrown over him by Blur's Damon Albarn while reporting for L!VE TV. Following a tabloid exposé which revealed he had been using cocaine he was sacked. He went on to become a roving reporter for The Big Breakfast, eventually co-presenting the show with Amanda Byram.
And the rest...ANITA WEST May 1962-September 1962
The shortest-serving presenter, West was sacked because of her divorce from the musician Ray Ellington.
PETER PURVES 1967-78
Originally joined Blue Peter for six months between acting jobs, but got on so well he stayed more than a decade.
Today, he presents Crufts, edits a monthly magazine Mad About Dogs and is the vice-patron of the Dogs for the Disabled charity.
SIMON GROOM 1978-86
Spotted by the show's production team while working as a DJ. He now runs his own TV production company.
MARK CURRY 1986-89
Famous for his cock-ups. The sight of his naked bottom in a mud bath on an expedition to the then USSR also caused a bit of a stushie.
CARON KEATING 1986-90
Keating made her mark with her wacky Eighties hairstyles. She died of cancer in 2004 at the age of 41.
YVETTE FIELDING 1987-92
A children's TV star, Fielding was just 19 when she joined Blue Peter. Has gone on to present many more shows.
TIM VINCENT 1993-97
After playing an alcoholic teen in Children's Ward, Vincent joined Blue Peter in 1993. He is now living in New York.
KATY HILL 1995-2000
Hill auditioned for the programme after bombarding the editor with ideas. She now writes for magazines.
ROMANA D'ANNUNZIO 1996-98
The Scottish presenter left to concentrate on the stage, but gave it up in 2004 to become a full-time student.
SIMON THOMAS 1999-2005
While working for the show he climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. He is now presenting on Sky.
MATT BAKER 1999-2006
One of the show's most popular frontmen, Baker won two children's television presenter Baftas.
LIZ BARKER 2000-2006
Barker had her first baby, Dexter, while still employed by show. She left to spend more time with him.
