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Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Inside Blue Peter star's life 20 years after he left iconic BBC show
Stuart Miles was a regular face on Blue Peter before he sensationally quit the BBC show and now, more than two decades on, the star is completely unrecognisable Two decades after his Blue Peter days, former presenter Stuart Miles looks completely different. Renowned for his role on the beloved children's programme, Stuart departed whilst taking a dig at Blue Peter, arguing it had become disconnected from its young BBC audience. His departure came hot on the heels of his mate and co-presenter Richard Bacon's dismissal over cocaine use. Stuart argued that the traditional craft segments and pet features no longer captured children's attention. "With the year 2000 nearly here we've got to make Blue Peter more relevant to modern-thinking children," Stuart announced, demanding changes to revitalise the programme's appeal. "Less twee, more hard-hitting. I know it's like a comfort blanket for a lot of people, a programme that will never shock or offend you, but we err on the side of caution." At just 27, Stuart had become Blue Peter's longest-serving presenter, making his exit a major setback for the BBC, which was already grappling with the fallout from Richard's sacking and subsequent replacement. It has been 26 years since leaving Blue Peter behind and Stuart's professional journey has remained active. He has taken on numerous prominent roles throughout television, both presenting and working behind the scenes, reports the Manchester Evening News. He's been a guest presenter on hit shows like This Morning and Holiday, and even had a stint presenting on Sky Vegas, the interactive gambling TV channel. He also joined forces with fellow Blue Peter legend Katy Hill to host a breakfast show on Heart radio. In 2008, Stuart debuted his drag act, The Adventures of Pink Peter, at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, taking on the persona of Vera Singleton, the fictional sister of former Blue Peter host Valerie Singleton. Reflecting on his Blue Peter tenure a decade later, Stuart expressed regret for not being open about his sexuality during his time on the programme. In an honest chat with Metro, he admitted: "I only have one regret and that is I spent a lot of my time on the show feeling conflicted about my sexuality." He admitted his concerns over potential negative reactions from the media and parents if he disclosed that he was gay. Stuart pointed out: "This may seem daft to someone growing up gay in 2018 but it's easy to forget how, as little as 20 years ago, we were in a very different place." Now at 56, Stuart has undergone quite the transformation since his Blue Peter days and has embarked on a new chapter as a professional speaker with Great British Speakers. Blue Peter itself has seen major changes recently, moving from live shows to pre-recorded episodes. Last year saw former hosts Anthea Turner and Janet Ellis spearhead a campaign to save the iconic show when it faced outsourcing.
Edinburgh Live
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Edinburgh Live
The Edinburgh Fringe drag act 'unrecognisable' from days as Blue Peter star
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 Former Blue Peter presenter, Stuart Miles, is barely recognisable two decades after leaving the popular children's show. Stuart famously departed from Blue Peter, criticising the programme for being "out of touch" with its young BBC viewers. His exit came just three months after his friend and co-host Richard Bacon was sacked due to cocaine use, with Stuart arguing that youngsters had lost interest in the arts and crafts and pet segments of the show. "With the year 2000 nearly here we've got to make Blue Peter more relevant to modern-thinking children," he declared, "less twee, more hard-hitting. I know it's like a comfort blanket for a lot of people, a programme that will never shock or offend you, but we err on the side of caution." At the age of 27, Stuart was, at the time, the longest-serving presenter on Blue Peter. His departure was a significant setback for the corporation, already dealing with the repercussions of Richard Bacon's drug scandal and his subsequent replacement on the show. (Image: PA) However, 26 years after Blue Peter, Stuart's career continues to thrive. He has since hosted a variety of major shows both behind and in front of the camera, reports the Daily Star. He has guest-presented programmes such as This Morning and Holiday, and became a regular on Sky Vegas, an interactive TV gambling channel. He later hosted a breakfast show for Heart alongside his former co-star, Katy Hill, according to the Mirror. In 2008, he presented a drag act at the Edinburgh Fringe dubbed The Adventures of Pink Peter, wherein he appeared as Vera Singleton, purported to be the sister of Valerie Singleton, one of Blue Peter's early hosts. Looking back on his tenure with Blue Peter ten years on, Stuart shared that he regrets not being open about his sexuality during those years. Speaking to Metro, he revealed: "I only have one regret and that is I spent a lot of my time on the show feeling conflicted about my sexuality. "I was frightened of the reaction I may get both in the press and from the parents of children who watched the show if I came out as a gay man." Further elaborating, he stated: "This may seem daft to someone growing up gay in 2018 but it's easy to forget how, as little as 20 years ago, we were in a very different place." Now at 56, Stuart is barely recognisable from his days on Blue Peter and has carved out a new niche for himself as a professional speaker with Great British Speakers. Recent times have seen Blue Peter, which is now in its 66th year, undergo a considerable transformation, moving away from live episodes to pre-recorded content. Just last year, ex-hosts Anthea Turner and Janet Ellis led a campaign to save the programme when it faced the threat of being outsourced.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Blue Peter star unrecognisable decades since quitting 'out of touch' show
Stuart Miles is barely-recognisable as the fresh-faced Blue Peter icon of the 90s, when he starred alongside names including Tim Vincent and Konnie Huq - and now has a new career Stuart Miles famously quit Blue Peter after slamming the TV series for being "out of touch" with its young BBC viewers. It had been just three months since his friend and co-star Richard Bacon had been sacked for taking cocaine, and Stuart was arguing that children were no longer interested in sticky back plastic and pets. "With the year 2000 nearly here we've got to make Blue Peter more relevant to modern-thinking children," he said. "Less twee, more hard-hitting. I know it's like a comfort blanket for a lot of people, a programme that will never shock or offend you, but we err on the side of caution." Then 27 years old, Stuart was, at the time, Blue Peter's longest-serving presenter, with his exit coming as a huge blow to the corporation, who had been wrestling with the drug-taking expose of Richard Bacon and his replacement on the show. But, 26 years later, what has become of Stuart? He went on to guest-present shows including This Morning and Holiday and also became a regular on Sky Vegas, an interactive TV gambling channel. He went on to present a breakfast show for Heart FM alongside his former co-star, Katy Hill. And in 2008, he launched a drag show at Edinburgh Fringe, The Adventures of Pink Peter, dressing up as Vera Singleton who was portrayed as sister of Valerie Singleton, one of the show's early presenters. A decade later, Stuart spoke about his regret over not coming out as gay during his time on Blue Peter. Speaking to Metro, he said: "I only have one regret and that is I spent a lot of my time on the show feeling conflicted about my sexuality. I was frightened of the reaction I may get both in the press and from the parents of children who watched the show if I came out as a gay man. This may seem daft to someone growing up gay in 2018 but it's easy to forget how, as little as 20 years ago, we were in a very different place." In fact, Blue Peter had sacked one of its presenters in 1985, Michael Sundin, with many claiming it was because of his sexuality. This was refuted by the show's then-Editor, Biddy Baxter, who said it was simply that Michael was unpopular with viewers. He sadly died of an Aids-related illness in 1989. Now aged 56, Stuart is barely recognisable from his Blue Peter days and also has a new career, as a professional speaker for Great British Speakers. Just months ago, 66 year old Blue Peter itself received a huge shake-up, as its legendary live broadcasts were axed to make way for pre-recorded shows. Last year, former presenters Anthea Turner and Janet Ellis launched a bid to save the show when it was put out to tender.
