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Celebrating 60 years of the nation’s beloved Blue Peter

Valerie Singleton and Christopher Trace, presenters of the children's television show 'Blue Peter', with five of the labrador puppies from which two guide dogs for the blind will be selected, 17th March 1965. (Photo by George W. Hales/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
Valerie Singleton and Christopher Trace, presenters of the children's television show 'Blue Peter', with five of the labrador puppies from which two guide dogs for the blind will be selected, 17th March 1965. (Photo by George W. Hales/Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

BLUE Peter aired for the first time 60 years ago today and is being celebrated this evening live on the CBBC channel in a special one-hour edition.

The longest running children’s TV show in the world, Blue Peter has entertained children and adults across many generations and shows little signs of stopping any time soon.

The beloved programme has seen 37 presenters come and go, as well as nine dogs, five tortoises, nine cats and two parrots and of course that unforgettable episode with a baby elephant.

Here, we take a look back across the decades and celebrate why Blue Peter is still so special today:

The first episode

The very first Blue Peter show aired on 16 October 1958, and lasted only 15 minutes.

The programme was intended to fill a gap in the BBC’s output for primary school children by providing a weekly magazine programme.

The first presenters were Christopher Trace and Leila Williams.

Mr Trace was the inventor of the well known phrase we now associate so heavily with Blue Peter: “Here’s one I made earlier.”

The badges

Gold badges are given for the highest of honours and tend to be given to Blue Peter presenters when they leave the show.

Childhood dreams of being awarded a blue peter badge still ring within us all.

The show created eight types of badges including blue, silver, green, sport, purple, orange, gold and the 60th anniversary diamond.

Viewers earn a blue badge by sending in an interesting letter, poem, picture or story or appearing on the programme.

It’s believed the show has awarded more than one million badges to date.

The Blue Peter pets

Labradors have been a firm favourite on Blue Peter over the last 60 years. (BBC)

 

It wouldn’t really Blue Peter without the plentiful dogs, cats and animals that have graced our screens over the years.

George the tortoise, who died in 2004, takes the crown as the longest-serving Blue Peter pet.

Bonnie the dog was on Blue Peter for 13 years and co-starred with 13 presenters. She was awarded a Blue Peter badge for her services to the programme when she retired in 1999.

The presenters 

(BBC)

The energetic, fun-loving and happy faces are what viewers have come to associate with Blue Peter over the years.

Konnie Huq became the longest running female Blue Peter presenter, working on the show for 11 years. One of her memorable moments includes visiting Bangladesh and speaking to members of her extended family who she had not seen for many years.

John Noakes is the longest-serving member of the team in total, presenting for 12 years on the show between 1965 and 1978.

The social conscience

10th Girls Brigade guides at their bring and buy sale for the Blue Peter Appeal in 1993. (DC Thomson).

The programme has raised enormous amounts of money for a plethora of charities, both international and in the UK and instilled a sense of social conscience in the children who helped raise funds. 

It is estimated that, across the 49 appeals in the history of Blue Peter, children have raised the equivalent of over £100 million in today’s money.

Bring and buy sales were revolutionised by the programme and raised many funds for a number of charities across the years.

It’s all filmed live 

Lulu the elephant is one of Blue Peter”s most famous (and naughty) live guests. (BBC)

Having Blue Peter filmed live is done so in attempt to feel conversational, and like the presenters are right there in the room with children. Impressively, the presenters also work without an autocue.

However, being live means mistakes are often unable to be covered up, which has made for some unforgettable and hilarious encounters over the decades.

The most famous of these is perhaps an episode from 1969 which features a naughty little elephant called Lulu.

The baby elephant’s restlessness eventually proves too much for the keeper in charge, who she drags around the studio live. Surprisingly not studio trained, Lulu ends up having a toilet accident live on air, on which the keeper keeps slipping.

Blue Peter’s Big Birthday can be seen on CBBC today at 5pm, and again on BBC2 on Saturday October 20 at 4.30pm.