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Daily Mirror
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Blue Peter star died penniless driving taxis after decades on TV
Blue Peter star Christopher Trace had a successful career in the TV industry before things took a turn for the worse, and he was declared bankrupt and lost his life savings A Blue Peter icon died penniless after a nine-year stint on the BBC children's show. Christopher Trace kick-started his presenting career at 25 in 1958 and was the one to introduce the inaugural episode alongside co-host Leila Williams. His career trajectory soared from there. He secured a regular presenting gig on the BBC Schools programme Signpost in 1961, holding the role for four years. Prior to his presenting days, he had an acting career, featuring in films like the 1959 release The Hound of the Baskervilles and 1960's Urge to Kill. Regrettably, things took a turn for the worse for the star. By 1967, Blue Peter chiefs were keen to replace him on the show, labelling him as challenging to work with on-set. Matters worsened when his wife Margaret Cattrall sought a divorce following Trace's infidelity with a 19-year-old during a Blue Peter trip to Norway. Christopher and his wife Meg were parents to two children, Jonathan and Jessica, reports the Express. Although he continued to work for BBC Radio and BBC Norwich for the subsequent six years, Trace exited Blue Peter in 1967 and gambled on a new business venture that ultimately drained his life savings. He made a brief comeback to Blue Peter for its 20th anniversary in 1978, but largely withdrew from his media career and ended up serving pints in a Norwich pub and working as a taxi driver. One source reminisced: "I remember him being strong on screen on BBC East. He was only there as his wife had kicked him out, he'd lost all his money and was drinking and eventually he went off to run a pub in Norwich." In the twilight of his career, Trace turned his hand to a variety of odd jobs, including taking on the role of general manager at an engineering factory. It was here that he tragically lost two toes in an industrial accident and subsequently ceased going to work. Having been declared bankrupt in 1973 - just two years following his marriage to Prudence Day - the television personality sadly passed away at the young age of 59 in 1992 due to oesophageal cancer. At the time of his passing, he resided in Walthamstow and was visited by fellow presenters Valerie Singleton and Biddy Baxter in hospital during his final days.
Edinburgh Live
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
BBC Blue Peter icon died penniless after dismissal from show for 'being difficult'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A Blue Peter legend sadly passed away penniless after a nine-year stint on the renowned BBC children's show. Christopher Trace embarked on his presenting journey at the tender age of 25 in 1958, and was the one to kick off the inaugural episode alongside co-host Leila Williams. His television career flourished as he secured a regular presenting gig on the BBC Schools programme Signpost in 1961, a role he held for four years. Before his Blue Peter tenure, Trace even dabbled in acting, featuring in films such as The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1959 and Urge to Kill in 1960. He also served as Charlton Heston's body double in the 1959 cinematic masterpiece Ben-Hur. Regrettably, things took a turn for the worse for the gifted star. By 1967, Blue Peter chiefs were reportedly eager to replace Christopher on the show, citing his challenging behaviour on set, according to the Express. His personal life also spiralled when his wife Margaret Cattrall sought divorce following Trace's infidelity with a 19 year old during a Blue Peter excursion to Norway, reports the Daily Record. Christopher and his wife Meg were parents to two children, Jonathan and Jessica. Trace bid farewell to Blue Peter in 1967 and gambled on a fresh business venture as a writer and production manager at a feature film company. Unfortunately, the job didn't pan out, resulting in the loss of his life savings. Trace was declared bankrupt in 1973, just two years after tying the knot with Prudence Da. He found himself pulling pints in a Norwich pub and driving taxis to make ends meet. Eventually, he managed to revive his television career by working on BBC's Nationwide, presenting regional programmes in East Anglia and hosting the breakfast radio show on BBC Norwich. A source from that time recalled: "I remember him being strong on screen on BBC East. "He was only there as his wife had kicked him out, he'd lost all his money and was drinking and eventually he went off to run a pub in Norwich." However, by the mid-1970s, Trace largely stepped back from his media career and dabbled in various odd jobs. One of these roles included a general manager position at an engineering factory. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community hereand get the latest news sent straight to your messages. While working there, he lost two toes in an industrial accident and stopped coming into work. Sadly, Trace passed away on 5 September 1992 at the age of 59 from oesophageal cancer, after battling the disease for the last five years of his life. At the time of his death, he was residing in Walthamstow and was dependent on benefits. In his final days, Trace was visited in hospital by fellow presenters Valerie Singleton and Biddy Baxter.
Daily Record
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Blue Peter icon died a penniless taxi driver after spending decades on TV
A Blue Peter legend died without a penny to his name despite being one of the longest serving stars on the popular children's programme. A Blue Peter icon passed away without a penny to his name after nine years on the famous BBC children's programme. Christopher Trace started out his presenting career at 25-years-old in 1958 and was the man to launch the very first episode alongside his co-host Leila Williams. From there, his TV career went from strength to strength as he landed a regular presenting role on BBC Schools programme Signpost in 1961 and kept his job there for four years. Prior to his Blue Peter stint, Trace even had an acting career, starring in titles such as 1959 film The Hound of the Baskervilles and 1960's Urge to Kill. He also acted as Charlton Heston's body double in the 1959 film epic Ben-Hur. However, sadly things didn't work out well for the talented star in the end. By 1967, Blue Peter bosses were said to be desperate to replace Christopher on the show after saying he was difficult to deal with on set, the Express reports. Things went from bad to worse for him when his wife Margaret Cattrall filed for divorce after Trace cheated on her with a 19-year-old during a Blue Peter trip to Norway. Christopher and his wife Meg shared two children together, Jonathan and Jessica. Trace made his Blue Peter exit in 1967 and took a risk on a new business venture as a writer and production manager at a feature film company but the job failed and ended up costing him his life savings. Trace was declared bankrupt in 1973, two years after marrying Prudence Da and ended up pulling pints behind a bar in Norwich and working as a taxi driver instead to make ends meet. He eventually managed to get his TV career back on track by working for BBC's Nationwide, presenting regional programmes in East Anglia and the breakfast radio show on BBC Norwich. One insider said at the time: 'I remember him being strong on screen on BBC East. "He was only there as his wife had kicked him out, he'd lost all his money and was drinking and eventually he went off to run a pub in Norwich.' However, in the mid 1970s he largely retired from his media career and instead tried his hand at a number of odd jobs. Among these roles was a general manager position at an engineering factory. While working there he lost two toes in an industrial accident and stopped coming into work. He sadly died on September 5 1992 at 59-years-old from oesophageal cancer after battling the disease for the final five years of his life. At the time of his passing, he was living in Walthamstow and was relying on benefits. Trace was visited by fellow presenters Valerie Singleton and Biddy Baxter in hospital in his final days.
Irish Examiner
02-06-2025
- Climate
- Irish Examiner
Dry spring delivers quality silage but slows grass growth in Youghal
Grassland management No two years are the same, and after a tough and wet start to 2024, 2025 has been the opposite. Looking at the rainfall for our region, we have received 139mm of rain since February until now. For the same period last year, we received 314mm of rainfall. The silage season commenced early, and although yields have been slightly down (seven to eight bales per acre), quality has been excellent. As we have a buffer of over 100 bales of silage in stock, we decided to prioritise quality. The silage ground has received 2,500 gallons of cattle slurry per acre using a dribble bar. The nitrogen was topped up to 72 units per acre using protected urea. The weather conditions have made making silage a pleasure this year for all involved. The only downside to the dry weather conditions has been a slowdown in grass growth. At the end of April, we recorded grass growth rates of over 70kg DM/ha/day — this has gradually reduced back to a growth rate of 37kg of DM/ha/day for the last week. The rain that has fallen since the weekend should help increase grass growth rates. Our farm cover is 1081kg dm/ha, meaning we have 20 days of grass left in front of the cows. Cattle have been very content at grass with the dry conditions so far. The reseeding work has also been carried out, and the newly emerging seedlings will benefit from the more broken weather conditions. Breeding update We commenced breeding on May 1, and so far, all cows which will be retained for 2026 have been submitted for AI. We are now seeing the repeats from the first week of breeding, and the non-return rate so far is close to 80%. The bulls used so far are CH4321, CH8571, LM9379, SI1434 and AA9860. The Angus bull AA9860 was used on maiden heifers. We will continue to breed until the end of the second week of June, which will result in a calving spread of just slightly over six weeks. Cows that were not identified as cycling using the automated heat detection system were put on a synchronisation protocol to induce heat. We find the conception rates to the synch programme can be slightly lower than natural heats. However, it brings the cow into heat and gives her a chance to be served again within the six-week breeding season. Bulls and autumn calvers The first bulls were drafted for slaughter on May 19. The bulls were 15 months of age and killed out at 420kg carcass with a fat score of u-3=. We are very pleased with how the bulls have improved since January. The autumn calves are all weaned off, and the cows have been moved to the out farm for more marginal type grazing. We find the cows do not become over-conditioned on this type of grazing. We have treated the cows with a pour-on solution to help guard against flies and summer mastitis. These cows will return to the home block for calving in July. Eamon and his son Donnchadh are farming in Carrigeen, Glendine, Youghal, Co Waterford, and are part of the Teagasc Future Beef programme with the Signpost programme. They run a suckling to beef enterprise split into 60% spring and 40% autumn-calving, consisting of 55 suckler cows. The males are finished as under-16-month bull beef, while the heifers, not retained for breeding, are finished at 18-20 months. Own heifers are kept for breeding. Read More Teagasc and Kepak host knowledge transfer event for beef discussion groups
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Miliband calls on CEOs to fill gap left by cuts to government aid budgets
One of the world's largest humanitarian organizations is calling on businesses to help fill the gap left by cuts to government aid budgets as part of a broader 'reinvention' of global aid. David Miliband, CEO of the International Rescue Committee and a former UK foreign secretary, told Semafor his group could lose a third of its roughly $1.5 billion in revenues because of the Trump administration's cuts to programs funded through USAID and the State Department. With the UK and other European countries also diverting humanitarian budgets to defense spending, 'there needs to be a new global bargain about how to address symptoms of political failure, which are humanitarian needs of a high and growing kind,' he said. That would include a bigger contribution from the private sector: 'The core of the argument is that if you want to enjoy the fruits of globalization, you need to bear the burdens.' There is both a moral and a strategic case for companies to offer more support, argued Miliband, who met businesses on the US West Coast this week and said the response from private-sector donors has been 'pretty good' in recent weeks. Companies have a self-interest in helping to address problems governments are retreating from — not just to motivate employees looking to work for companies 'doing the right thing' but because an 'untended humanitarian crisis leads to political instability,' he said. The IRC has suspended or terminated more than half of its US-funded efforts since the Trump administration canceled more than 80% of USAID's programs. 'The US has long been the anchor of the global aid system,' providing about 40% of all humanitarian funding, Miliband said: 'The anchor has been pulled up.' The aid system has been strained by crises from Sudan to Ukraine, with the UN estimating that more than 300 million people are now in humanitarian need, up from 78 million a decade ago. Organizations such as the IRC have a responsibility to 'avoid catastrophism,' focus on solutions, and show they can deliver value for money, Miliband said. Corporate partnerships, encompassing skills and ideas sharing as well as money, have fueled innovations such as the IRC's Signpost information service, where AI technology has transformed response times, he said. BCG, LinkedIn, Marriott, and Pfizer are among the IRC's existing partners, as well as corporate philanthropies such as whose early warning technology helped the IRC deliver cash assistance in advance of floods in Nigeria. 'We need the corporate sector to help us invest in solutions, because investing in solutions takes risk, and risk is not something that governments find easy,' Miliband said. Some Trump administration officials have proposed a restructuring of US international aid and development efforts, making them more focused and better placed to take on Chinese soft power, according to Politico. Bill Gates is warning Washington that his foundation cannot replace the US government's role in funding health programs, from childhood vaccination to HIV treatment, Reuters reported.
