24-03-2025
Where are Blue Peter presenters now as live show axed
Having started in 1958, Blue Peter has transcended generations but the BBC have announced a shake up to the 66-year-old show. The programme's director confirmed that they will no longer be transmitting the show live and will instead move to pre-recorded broadcasts instead to reflect the change in viewing habits.
If you ask anyone I'm sure they can hum the Blue Peter theme tune - maybe some can name some of the animals included in the show over the years, some may be lucky enough to have a coveted badge - but everyone should be able to name 'their' Blue Peter presenter.
For me, having watched the show in the early '00s, the presenters I remember most would be Konnie Huq, Matt Baker, Gethin Jones and Helen Skelton, all of whom are still on our screens now. But who are the 43 past presenters and what happened to the Blue Peter presenters we no longer see on our TVs? For the latest TV and showbiz gossip sign up to our newsletter.
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When the show was established in 1958, there were two presenters steering the ship, Christopher Trace and Leila Williams. Both were known for being the original presenters of the show, although Christopher was best known for training the puppy Petra and his enjoyment of travelling, meanwhile Leila was crowned Miss Great Britain 1957.
Despite retiring from the media in the 1970s, Christopher briefly returned in the 1990s to the BBC to guest on and later host the nostalgia series Are You Sitting Comfortably? on Radio 2.
Leila Williams on the other hand had an extensive acting career before returning to Blue Peter for the show's 40th anniversary in 1998 and the 60th in 2018.
The '60s saw the addition of a few more faces to the Blue Peter team including Anita West, Valerie Singleton, John Noakes and Peter Purves.
Now some may remember the elephant incident, or at least have heard about it like me. Back in the 1960s, presenter John Noakes, Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves had a special guest in the form of Lulu the elephant, who decided to defecate on the floor of the studio.
John Noakes was the longest serving presenter of all, leaving after nearly 13 years. John went on to do many things including writing a book and later he and his wife ran a boat rental business in Spain. In 1999, he returned to TV whilst co-hosting an ITV series entitled Mad About Pets.
In 1994, Valerie was awarded an OBE for her service to children's television and continued to work within the media having hosted a show on BBC Radio 4 for ten years.
Taking the reigns in the '70s were Lesley Judd, Simon Groom, Christopher Wenner and Tina Heath.
Primarily recognised for his stint as a presenter from 1978 to 1986, Simon Groom was a familiar face to all. He later established his own production company specialising in documentaries and in July 2022 he was honoured with an award at Derby University.
Lesley Judd went on to present In The Limelight With Lesley on BBC1 and later decided to leave the limelight but returned to celebrate the Blue Peter 60th anniversary in 2018.
The 1980s saw the likes of Sarah Greene, Peter Duncan, Janet Ellis, Michael Sundin, Mark Curry, Caron Keating, Yvette Fielding and John Leslie. Sarah Greene was part of the show from 1980 to 1983. At just 22, Greene was the youngest member of the team during her tenure.
Upon her departure from the series, she co-hosted Saturday Superstore with DJ Mike Read and later joined forces with Craig Charles, Michael Parkinson, and her late husband Mike Smith for the paranormal special Ghostwatch.
Sarah participated in Dancing On Ice in 2008 and has frequently guest presented This Morning in recent years. Mark Curry has remained active in the television industry, appearing in shows like Last Of The Summer Wine and Doctors. He also took to the stage in various roles and presented the final season of Catchphrase in 2002 before it was revived in 2013 with Stephen Mulhern at the helm.
At the start of the new decade Diane-Louise Jordan joined the team followed by Anthea Turner, Tim Vincent, Stuart Miles, Katy Hill, Romana D'Annunzio, Richard Bacon, Konnie Huq, Simon Thomas and Matt Baker.
After leaving Blue Peter, Anthea Turner became the face of GMTV from 1994 to 1996. She also had the honour of being the first host of The National Lottery draw show and has appeared in various reality series including Celebrity Big Brother, Hell's Kitchen, The Jump, and Dancing On Ice in 2013.
When Konnie Huq joined the programme in 1997, little did anyone know that she would go on to become the longest-serving female presenter, clocking in an impressive 11 years. Since leaving the show she's now a mother and wife to TV presenter and satirist Charlie Brooker. She has found success as a screenwriter and author of children's books.
The turn of the millennium saw Liz Barker, Zoe Salmon, Gethin Jones, Ayo 'Andy' Akinwolere, Helen Skelton and Joel Defries.
Now, we all know Gethin and Helen are now the presenters of Morning Live, but what about the others?
Since leaving Blue Peter, Liz Barker has spent several years working as cake decorator for her family's bakery, but she hasn't completely left the wonderful world of the media. She has appeared as a voiceover artist in numerous games and radio plays, as well as launching her own poetry book.
Ayo 'Andy' Akinwolere is still a familiar face on our screens, having presented the BBC's current affairs program from 2014 and later started sports presenting first for Channel 4 and later for CBS Sports.
Moving on to the 2010s we saw Barney Harwood, Lindsey Russell, Radzi Chinyanganya and Richie Driss step on to the boat.
Although famous for his appearances across CBBC's children's shows, Barney Harwood now runs his own film production company, where he now directs films, documentaries and commercial ads for numerous brands and agencies.
Now you may not know the name Richie Driss from Blue Peter, although you may know his name from BBC Radio 1 if you're an early bird. Richie joined the team in 2024 as part of the Friday Early Breakfast line-up.
Both Mwaksy Mudenda and Adam Beales did a short stint at the beginning of the 2020s.
Since leaving the show Mwaksy has gone on to other presenting roles like Becoming Xtraordinary, and she also gave birth to a baby in early 2025.
Adam, a content creator with over 4 million subscribers on YouTub,e has gone on to co-host Bro's in Control for the BBC, along with Joe Tasker and his brother Callum B.
Since then Joel Mawhinney, Abby Cook and Shini Muthkrishnan have become the present day faces of the long running show. Blue Peter will continue to air on CBBC, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer.
