bbc 5 live travel presenters

ELLIE BRENNAN

Presenter and Events Host 

Available for:

Radio | Podcasts | Voice over | Live and virtual events | TV | Corporate videos

Hi, I'm Ellie - a presenter and events host. 

I present the travel news on BBC 5 Live's Breakfast and Drive show alongside freelance presenting across the BBC, including Radio 2 and BBC Local Radio. Previously I presented the ARIA-nominated, number one commercial breakfast show in Yorkshire and Northern Lincolnshire on Viking FM. 

 I'm also an experienced stage and events host, working across a variety of events from company awards to music stages with up to 60,000 people in attendance. 

I have worked on voice over projects including radio adverts, corporate videos and online ad campaigns and, sometimes, you'll catch me in front of the camera too!

If you are interested in working with me, please drop me an email: [email protected]

[email protected]

@theelliebrennan

Orna Merchant - London Voice Over

Orna is currently the voice of travel news on BBC Radio 5 live having been part of the on-air team for over 10 years, across all programmes. She is a regular voice on BBC Radio 2, can currently be heard on Sunday evenings and is their regular travel ‘cover’ presenter. Orna has worked in the radio industry for 20 years starting as a broadcast assistant at BBC Radio Manchester. After completing a graduate traineeship with EMAP Radio, she worked in commercial radio, including promotions and direct sales. As a radio presenter she presented her own show and co presented shows for the UTV Radio group, (now Wireless Group); add to that a taste of TV presenting for Channel M, based in Manchester. Orna regularly travels between Manchester and London for work and is keen to expand her portfolio. She can provide a warm but authoritative read and is suitable for narration, and corporate work. Her commercial radio experience has given her a good understanding of delivering a commercial message.

Call us : 0203 086 7986

Email : [email protected].

Male Artists

Female Artists

Recording Facilities

Translation

Manchester Voiceover

Telephone : 0203 086 7986

Michelle Dignan to host BBC Radio Manchester Breakfast

BBC Radio 5 Live travel presenter Michelle Dignan is joining BBC Radio Manchester to presenter the breakfast show.

Michelle, who has also worked for Bauer at various stations around the north of England, replaces Becky Want next month.

In addition to doing voice-overs for the last 15 years, Michelle has co-hosted breakfast at Key 103 in Manchester, Rock FM in Lancashire and Hallam FM in Sheffield.

She has also presented weekend breakfast at Heat Radio and The Hits.

Michelle tells RadioToday: “I’m unbelievably excited to be presenting BBC Radio Manchester’s breakfast show.

“To keep everyone company first thing in the morning is a privilege and I will do my best to make sure everyone hears all the news they need to know, and hopefully have a laugh along the way.

“And I can’t wait to be reunited with newsreader extraordinaire Paul ‘Locko’ Lockitt. I’m not quite the care-free 21-year-old girl about town I was when I last worked with him at Key 103- I now come with a husband, 2 kids and a dog- but I’m sure we’ll still have fun!

“Anyone from Greater Manchester will tell you that it’s an amazing place, with amazing people, I’m going to celebrate that every morning. I can’t wait to get stuck in.”

Her appointment sees Becky Want return to her afternoon slot (2-6pm) following her 18-month stint on breakfast during the Covid pandemic, while Phil Trow moves to the late-night programme (10-1am).

Anna Jameson takes over Friday and Saturday breakfast (6-10am) and Simone Riley will host Friday and Saturday daytimes (10-2pm).

BBC Radio Manchester Editor, Kate Squire, said: “I’m absolutely delighted Michelle Dignan is going to be presenting our breakfast show, she’s a brilliant broadcaster and being born and brought up in Wythenshawe she knows what makes Greater Manchester tick. I just know our listeners are going to love her.

“Huge thanks to Becky Want for covering the breakfast programme during a global pandemic, keeping listeners informed and entertained. She has earned a lie-in and a return to her spiritual home in the afternoon.

“And to Phil Trow whose also been brilliant for listeners, keeping them going throughout Covid, he now takes his popular afternoon features and fun to late nights Monday to Thursday.”

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Paul Carter: journalist and senior producer with a disability for the BBC

Paul Carter is a senior producer and technology reporter for the BBC. He was born without lower arms or legs. He has dreamt of becoming a journalist all his life and has gone on to appear on and produce BBC Newsnight, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Travel Show and is a regular member of the team at BBC Click . Our writer, Emma Purcell, got the chance to interview Paul to find out more about his life with a disability and his successful media career.

Paul began his career as a staff writer for Zoo magazine, then landed himself a role as a reporter at Disability Now.

In 2010, Paul made a career switch, moving into television production. He joined Markthree Media and went on to produce coverage of the 2012 Paralympic Games and BBC Newsnight.

In 2015, Paul returned to journalism and became a broadcast journalist for BBC Radio 5 Live on the breakfast show.

He is now a technology reporter for the programme BBC Click, and also occasionally features on the BBC Travel Show.

Paul Carter’s disability

What was it like growing up with your disability?

I was very fortunate to have been brought up in a family that treated me no differently than my non-disabled brothers. My parents made a conscious decision to send me to mainstream school so that I could have the same childhood as any other non-disabled kid my age.

That obviously had its pros and cons along the way. But I’m extremely grateful to my parents for it – I have no doubt that it has shaped who I am, and continues to do so to this day.

How does your disability affect you on a daily basis?

Obviously, on a wider societal level, I’m faced with the same barriers as other disabled people. On a personal, day-to-day level, the main thing that impacts me is my height! I only use short prosthetics, so on a good day (ha) I’m four foot something.

However, generally, my routine is well established so I don’t have too many issues – touch wood.

Have you ever considered prosthetic forearms?

I had every variation of prosthetic arm imaginable as a kid! I had hooks, electric hands, sticks, cutlery – the works. I was basically a living dressing-up box.

I realised quite early on though that none of them were for me. Obviously, different people have different experiences and make their own choices.

For me, I found that they completely removed any sense of touch or tactility, and ended up hindering what I wanted to do rather than helping.

Do you use assistive technology to access your phone, tablet or computer?

Not generally. I use the new voice control in iOS13 and similar in Windows 10, but that’s a luxury rather than a necessity. If I’m being honest, it’s laziness more than anything else!

Do you have adaptations or support in your home to carry out daily tasks, such as cooking, cleaning and laundry?

I’m actually extremely low maintenance! I have a couple of boxes/step stools to help me reach stuff (being the aforementioned short-arse), but that’s about it.

Paul Carter becoming a journalist

Why did you decide to become a journalist?

I have wanted to be a journalist all my life. Well, at least once I realised that my dreams of becoming a football manager were never going to materialise!

Academically, I went down a different path at university. But, after uni, I decided that it was what I wanted to do, so went back to college to study journalism (NCTJ).

How did you get your first job as a staff writer at Zoo magazine?

I did a couple of weeks of work experience there before doing my NCTJ, which turned into a couple of more weeks. Then, as part of my training, I had to do another work placement, so I was lucky enough to be able to go back. They never managed to get rid of me after that!

When you were a reporter for Disability Now, what was your favourite story to write?

To be honest, we did so much terrific stuff that I can’t single out any one thing. I’m so proud of some of the journalism we did at that time, shining a light on issues, people and stories that nobody else would have touched. It’s very much missed.

How did you become a broadcast journalist for BBC Radio 5 Live and what did you enjoy most?

The boring answer is that I applied for it and got it! I was actually working on Newsnight at the time and had learnt an awful lot there. But my contract was coming to an end and the opportunity at 5 Live came up. It meant moving to Salford and moving from TV into radio, but I’m glad I did it.

The brilliant thing about 5 Live is that it’s a great barometer of public opinion. It’s hugely in touch with its listeners and what they’re talking about. In a single programme you could cover serious issues one minute, and then something light the next.

You recently appeared in an episode of the BBC Travel Show, investigating accessibility in Tokyo ahead of the 2020 Paralympic Games. What was that experience like?

It was a brilliant experience. I learnt so much about Japan, and I’m not afraid to admit that I had some of my preconceptions about what I was going to experience challenged.

Disability and inclusion is an area where there is still a lot of work to be done in Japan, but I got the sense that there’s a desire to make changes and things are moving in the right direction.

Paul Carter as a producer

What was it like being a producer for BBC Newsnight?

Newsnight was a great experience, working with some really talented, lovely people. It was extremely hard work, and you had to be able to turn your hand to anything, from Chinese economics one minute to the presidential race in Ukraine the next. That certainly was a challenge! But I loved it.

How did you go on to produce coverage of the 2012 London Paralympics for Channel 4 and what were your highlights working there?

When working at Disability Now I’d been fortunate enough to cover quite a bit of Para-sport events, which basically put me in a good position to cover 2012 stuff.

It was an absolute blast, though also completely exhausting! I was based in the Broadcast Centre on the Olympic Park, which was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, really.

I have so many highlights. But if I had to pick one it would probably be being behind the camera in the ‘audience’ of the first-ever recording of The Last Leg .

Paul Carter as technology reporter on BBC Click

How and when did you become a member of the BBC Click team?

I first got involved with BBC Click when the BBC was producing an episode to tie in with the daftly-named International Day of Persons With Disabilities back in 2017.

I was asked to pitch some ideas and ended up lead-producing the show. Again, bar a couple of small gaps, they haven’t managed to get rid of me!

How did you become interested in technology?

I’ve been fascinated by technology all my life, so working on Click was always, and continues to be, my dream gig. I’m especially interested in how technology influences and shapes the world and at Click. Those are exactly the kind of stories we do.

What has been your favourite story to report on BBC Click so far?

I’m a bit of a transport geek, so filming a firefighting train in Geneva last year has to be right up there! As part of that same episode, I also got to experience being in a burning building wearing full breathing apparatus. It was an experience I never thought I’d have.

There are also so many other things too: being in an operating theatre while a patient had a tumour removed via robotic hands; seeing drones take off from an air force base in Denmark; being harassed by sheep in the Faroe Islands – too many to mention!

Have you reported on many disability-related technology stories on BBC Click?

Absolutely. We do an episode each year to tie-in with the International Day of Persons With Disabilities. But we’re very keen not to just silo disability stories into one episode. We can and do feature them throughout the year.

Recently, I’ve looked at technologies to help blind children learn to code, sign language interpretation algorithms, accessible fashion etc. The programme has also done stories on exoskeletons, glasses for visually impaired people and countless others. If the tech is sufficiently new and interesting, we’ll cover it.

What stories have you got coming up on BBC Click?

We’ll be doing another disability-themed show for International Day of Persons With Disabilities this December. I’m also going to Iceland to look at the next generation of technology being designed for Paralympians.

Aside from that it’s a total mixed bag and depends what comes up. That’s partly what makes the job so much fun!

What advice would you give to other disabled people seeking a career in broadcast journalism or television production?

Try and get as much experience as you can. That doesn’t have to be work experience or internships, it can be blogging or vlogging etc.

If you want to be on screen and don’t have a YouTube channel. for example. then that might hold you back.

Also, most of the major UK broadcasters now run schemes and initiatives to recruit more diverse/disabled people into the industry – absolutely make use of those.

Otherwise, just keep at it. Have a passion for what you do. If you have a specialism or specialist knowledge then use that to your advantage, Lastly, above all else, be the person you’d want someone to employ.

You can follow Paul Carter on Twitter @paulcarterTV .

By Emma Purcell

Check out more of Emma’s work by visiting her blog Rock For Disability .

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Michelle Dignan

Broadcaster, Event Host, Voice Over Artist

Radio / Interviews

Michelle currently works as the afternoon presenter on BBC Radio Manchester, Mon to Weds 2-6pm. This involves tackling hard-hitting news stories, interacting with listeners and interviewing the celebs of the moment!

Michelle previously worked as a travel presenter for national radio station BBC 5 Live on both the breakfast and drive programmes. She has presented 5 Live’s popular In Short programme and interviewed some huge names for the breakfast show.

She presents a Health and Well Being show for The Co-op Group.

She is regularly asked to present breakfast shows for the Yorkshire stations of the Bauer network. She has spent many years presenting commercial music shows for this group; including for Hits Radio, Heat Radio, Key 103 and Hallam FM.

She has also enjoyed making appearances on Radio 1 and Radio 4.

Michelle as a 5 Live travel presenter… (introduced by Rachel Burden)

The 5 Live breakfast team… (Order in which they talk: George Riley, Nicky Campbell, Rachel Burden & Michelle Dignan)

Radio 4’s Today Programme…

https://michelledignan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/radio-4-today-programme.wav

Some samples of Michelle’s radio interviews…

Noel Gallagher… 

https://michelledignan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/noel-noddy.wav

One Direction…

https://michelledignan.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/one-d-use.wav

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SpaceX Polaris Dawn spacewalk - latest: 'It's gorgeous' - billionaire Jared Isaacman's awed reaction as he steps out of capsule on historic spacewalk

A group of astronauts led by a billionaire commander has completed the first ever privately funded spacewalk - in a highly risky mission.

Thursday 12 September 2024 14:52, UK

• Polaris Dawn

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• Billionaire and crew complete first commercial spacewalk in SpaceX mission aimed at testing spacesuits
• 'It's gorgeous': Billionaire commander's words in space
• Thomas Moore analysis: Spacewalk was box-office from start to finish - and took extraordinary bravery  
• Watch: First footage of historic spacewalk
• Explained: Who is the billionaire 'space geek' leading mission?
• Why mission is so dangerous - from unusual training to refitted capsule
• Polaris Dawn mission 'is breaking space law'

We're leaving our live coverage there - here's a recap of today's historic events:

Two astronauts from a SpaceX capsule in Earth's orbit carried out the world's first private spacewalk, tethered to the Crew Dragon spacecraft in the vacuum of space while two others watched from inside - more than 400 miles above Earth.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman then SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis became the first two civilians to conduct such an excursion in space. All their manoeuvres were broadcast live on the company's website.

The mission appeared to successfully test equipment, including slim spacesuits and a process to fully depressurise the Crew Dragon cabin - technology that could be used in future private space missions.

It was one of the riskiest treks yet for Elon Musk's space company, the only private firm capable of routinely sending humans to and from Earth's orbit.

"Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world," Mr Isaacman said after emerging from the spacecraft, silhouetted with the half-lit planet glittering 434.9 miles below him.

Before the spacewalk began, the capsule was completely depressurised, with all four crew members relying on their slim, SpaceX-developed spacesuits for oxygen, provided via an umbilical connection to Crew Dragon.

The spacewalk was scheduled to last only about 30 minutes, but the procedures to prepare for it and to finish it safely lasted an hour and 46 minutes. It marked a risky test of the new spacesuit designs and procedures for the capsule, among other things, in a mission meant to push the boundaries of what private companies can do in Earth's orbit.

By Thomas Moore , science correspondent

The first privately funded spacewalk was box-office from start to finish.

With the air sucked out of the Dragon capsule, and the hatch open to the void of space, we watched as the billionaire bankrolling the Polaris Dawn mission hauled himself outside to reveal planet Earth below.

This was never going to be a zero-gravity ballet on the outside of the capsule.

Jared Isaacman only stood by the door with the safety of handrails never far away and attached by an umbilical cable to his life support systems.

But this was still a significant moment. Up to now, only government-funded space agency astronauts have exited a space capsule. Now a commercial operator can do it too.

The whole purpose was to test new SpaceX suits that are being developed for private missions to the Moon and Mars.

So we saw Commander Isaacman twist, turn and move his arms, confirming that he had the mobility that will be needed to work in space.

And in these more enlightened times he was followed by SpaceX employee Sarah Gillis who performed the same checks, confirming that the suit was a good fit for women too.

It's a much slimmer suit than the puffed-up protective layers worn by astronauts when they venture outside the International Space Station.

And significantly, the SpaceX suit can be manufactured at scale. Elon Musk wants thousands made for all the privately funded astronauts he believes will be heading to Mars in the next few years.

The tests seemed to go well. But a spacewalk is risky and never more so when it's being done from a space capsule that wasn't designed to host one.

The Dragon was only ever meant to be depressurised to a vacuum in an emergency.

So we saw the crew make-do without the normal airlock, the double-doored chamber that seals the ISS from space when astronauts venture outside.

It added even more drama. Even the crew remaining inside, in their seats, had to wear the new suit to stay alive.

You can be sure SpaceX will want to do this again on a future mission.

Elon Musk has said the next generation of suit will be even better, with its own jetpack.

Now that really will be something to watch.

As we digest the events from the capsule more than 400 miles about the surface of the Earth, watch the dramatic moments Jared Isaacman stepped out into open space for the first of two historic spacewalks. 

With the repressurisation and leak tests now finished, the spacewalk - or extravehicular activity (EVA), as it is less catchily known - is now declared officially complete.

The crew will now carry out their various post-operation processes before getting out of their space suits and being able to move around the craft more freely.

The cabin atmosphere is "looking pretty good, very stable", mission control tells the crew, adding that their seats can now be rotated back to their previous positions.

While the mission has been completed successfully, there was at least one minor hitch along the way,  science correspondent Thomas Moore points out.

"There was a moment when it was clear that the automatic door mechanism wasn't working properly, so they had to go for a manual opening," he said.

"And then Sarah Gillis was actually pointing at the seal of the door hatch itself.

"That would have been really dangerous and they would have had to change the whole course of the mission if there had been a problem."

In images that will be of some relief to everyone involved, the astronauts are seen back inside the capsule and safely in front of their screens.

Their visors are still up as they carry out a final leak check of the cabin.

The presenters on the SpaceX live feed are unsurprisingly impressed by the spectacle.

"That was really cool," says one.

On board the Dragon capsule, the cabin is being repressurised and crew members being checked. It will need to rise to around 9 PSI.

And just like that, they're both back inside the capsule and the hatch is closed!

"Pressure indicates good seal," mission control tells the astronauts, reassuringly.

In a reminder of the perils inherent in the mission, Ms Ellis is told to begin her return into the capsule - or "ingress" - and told she has what sounded like 5.9 minutes of oxygen supply remaining.

"Copy," she replies.

There is clearly no panic here though, it should be said, as mission control then asks her to check something else on her return into the capsule.

The second member of the crew, mission specialist Sarah Ellis, has exited the Dragon capsule - also accompanied by the customary whoops and cheers of celebration from the nerds back at mission control.

She has yet to offer any awed remarks on the dramatic nature of her surroundings, but did just say something was "pretty good" - although perhaps that was a reference to an element of the mobility tests she is carrying out.

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NEWS... BUT NOT AS YOU KNOW IT

Veteran BBC presenter leaving after 50 years and has specific plans for last day

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Veteran BBC radio presenter Garry Richardson has left the station after 43 years on air and five decades at the station.

Richardson began his radio career on a local station in 1977.

He then gave his first sports report on national radio in 1981 as a ‘cub’ reporter for Today, age 24, before working his way up to become a regular presenter on the show.

The broadcaster, 67, also previously presented the Sunday morning sports programme Sportsweek on BBC Radio 5 Live until 2019.

In April this year, he announced he would be stepping down from BBC Radio 4 in September to coincide with his 50th anniversary at the BBC.

As the Today programme’s longest-running contributor, Richardson had many memorable moments behind the mic.

Reflecting on his time as a host, he became tearful in a new interview, telling The Times : ‘I get a bit emotional, looking back.’

Richardson has interviewed some of the biggest names in the worlds of sport, showbiz, and politics, from former US President Bill Clinton to boxer Muhammad Ali.

He’s also spoken with Dionne Warwick, Nelson Mandela, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Speaking to the publication about his career, Richardson shared that he intends to leave the building on September 9, 2024 at exactly 9:45am, having been contracted to start work at the same time on September 9, 1974.

‘So, if I walk out the door at 9:45am on Monday, September 9, 2024 it will be exactly 50 years since I first started. To the second. Because I’m so obsessed with time, they could throw a really lovely party for me, and I’d say, “Sorry, I have to leave, I really have got to be out that door for 9:45”,’ he joked.

However, Richardson also spoke about how hard the early starts have become as he’s got older.

To present his morning show, he started going to bed by 8:30pm, but has rarely managed to sleep all the way through to his alarm.

‘It’s tough – it takes a physical toll,’ he said. ‘

‘These days, I set my clock for 2:45am. But I don’t know the last time it went off. I’m always already awake. The other day I set a record – woke up at 12:15. And I can’t get back to sleep.

‘So, I tune in to Radio 4 Extra and listen to an old episode of Dad’s Army, then head to the studio way before anyone else gets in.’

Richardson also addressed the comments that he inspired Steve Coogan to create Alan Partridge.

‘I’ve got the blazer – I could be his stunt double,’ he quipped.

He then recalled quizzing Coogan on the speculation one before.

‘Actually, I once interviewed Coogan and he denied it was me. But I’d like to think, over the years, I might have done a few quotes that were a bit Partridge.’

The beloved presenter has acknowledged that ‘there’s a bit of Alan Partridge in every sports broadcaster’.

Having confessed to being ‘worried to death’ about his final broadcast, has said he will miss his colleagues. However, stepping back will give him more time to spend with his three adult children and two-year-old granddaughter.

Richardson – who frequently read out betting tips on air before the BBC scrapped them in June – said when his departure was announced: ‘I have had the most wonderful time working for the BBC alongside my heroes from sport and showbusiness.’

Assuring loyal listeners that they’re not getting rid of him completely, he added: ‘I’ll still be broadcasting from time to time, the only difference will be I won’t be setting my alarm for 2:45am and that’s a lovely thought.’

BBC director general Tim Davie also heaped praise on Richardson: ‘Garry is a legendary presenter. So many of us have woken up to him bringing the latest sporting news for over four decades.

‘He has brought wisdom, insight and a smile to every broadcast. 50 years at the BBC is an incredible milestone.’

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Euro 2024: Who are the BBC presenters, pundits and commentators?

E uro 2024 is only a matter of months away – which means the big broadcasters are assembling their teams of for this summer's major tournament in Germany.

The BBC, along with ITV , have the rights to show Euro 2024 games in the UK, and we can expect an all-star cast of presenters, pundits and commentators to guide us through the action. The Beeb will also provide extensive radio coverage via 5 Live.

Here, we run through all the faces (and voices) likely to be involved...

BBC's Euro 2024 Presenters

Gary lineker.

Gary Lineker will be back to lead coverage of yet another major tournament, in his 25th year as the BBC’s football anchor.

One of England’s all-time leading scorers with 48 goals in 80 caps, the former Tottenham, Barcelona and Everton man turned Match of the Day presenter can be expected to present all of the biggest games on the Beeb at Euro 2024 – including any involving England, and the final (which may not be mutually exclusive).

Gabby Logan

Another familiar face on the BBC at Euros and World Cups, Gabby Logan has been with the broadcaster for the best part of 20 years.

The daughter of Leeds United and Wales legend Terry Yorath, former gymnast Logan anchored the Beeb’s coverage of the 2022 Women’s World Cup.

Mark Chapman

Host of Match of the Day 2 and 5 Live’s Sports Report radio show, Mark Chapman has become a regular fixture on the BBC during major tournaments.

The popular Lancastrian also leads Sky Sports’ coverage of the Carabao Cup, as well as being the main man for Rugby League on the Beeb.

Arsenal and England favourite Alex Scott only retired from professional football in 2018, but she is already one of the BBC’s most prominent presenters.

In 2018, Scott became the Beeb’s first female pundit for a World Cup, while she has hosted the long-running Football Focus since 2021.

BBC's Euro 2024 Pundits

Alan shearer.

The BBC’s most senior pundit these days, Alan Shearer is a regular on everything from Match of the Day to Euros and World Cup coverage.

Golden Boot winner at Euro 96 with six goals for England on home soil, the Newcastle United icon is the Premier League’s all-time leading marksmen – having struck 260 times in the competition.

Rio Ferdinand

A regular pundit for the BBC during major tournaments, Rio Ferdinand is right up there with the greatest English defenders of all time.

Capped 81 times by the Three Lions, Ferdinand – who features heavily on TNT Sports' Premier League and Champions League coverage – won six Premier League titles and the Champions League with Manchester United.

Jermaine Jenas

Pundit-cum-presenter Jermaine Jenas does it all these days – from providing analysis on Match of the Day , to presenting BBC evening magazine programme The One Show , to conducting the 2022 World Cup draw!

Voted 2002/03 PFA Young Player of the Year while at Newcastle, the former midfielder lifted the 2007/08 League Cup with Tottenham and earned 21 England caps.

Micah Richards

When he’s not cracking jokes at Roy Keane’s expense on Sky Sports, Micah Richards is just about the BBC’s most enthusiastic pundit, regularly lighting up Match of the Day .

The ex-England defender – a Premier League and FA Cup winner with Manchester City – has been part of the Beeb’s team at each of the last two major tournaments.

Jurgen Klinsmann

England’s favourite German? Quite possibly. Jurgen Klinsmann has certainly proved a popular pundit on the BBC at recent major tournaments.

Most recently manager of South Korea, the 1990 World Cup and Euro 96-winning striker enjoyed two goal-laden spells in the Premier League with Tottenham.

BBC's Euro 2024 Commentators

Guy mowbray.

The BBC’s main commentator for more than a decade, Guy Mowbray is the voice of the broadcaster’s FA Cup and international coverage these days.

A mainstay of Match of the Day ’s commentary team, while working for Eurosport, Mowbray called the 1998 World Cup final at the age of just 26 – becoming the youngster person ever to do so.

Steve Wilson

One of the longest-serving commentators at the BBC, Steve Wilson joined the network back in 1998.

Another of Match of the Day ’s main men, Wilson commentated on his first FA Cup final in 2018.

Jonathan Pearce

An instantly recognisable voice, Jonathan Pearce has been commentating on the Beeb since the 90s, covering major men’s and women’s tournaments and featuring prominently on Match of the Day .

Away from football, he’s known for his long stint behind the mic on cult show Robot Wars .

Steve Bower

Part of the BBC’s major tournament commentary team for well over a decade, Steve Bower has covered football from non-League right up to the Champions League.

A presenter of the Premier League’s global output, Bower can regularly be heard on Match of the Day .

Pien Meulensteen

Born in the Netherlands, Pien Meulensteen began her broadcasting career working for BBC Manchester.

The daughter of former Fulham manager Rene Meulensteen, she commentated for the Beeb at the 2022 World Cup – and, in 2023, became Sky Sports’ first female commentator on a Premier League game.

Vicki Sparks

A regular on the BBC’s women’s football coverage, Vicki Sparks became the first woman to commentate on a World Cup match on UK TV when she held the mic for Portugal vs Morocco at Russia 2018.

Sparks – who has also reported from games for Final Score and 5 Live – was nominated for Commentator of the Year at the 2023 Football Supporters’ Association awards.

BBC's Euro 2024 Co-commentators

Dion dublin.

If you get to the ground early enough, you might just see Dion Dublin ascending the stairs going up to the gantry.

A popular co-commentator and pundit across Match of the Day and live BBC coverage, Dublin – who earned four England caps – shared the 1997/98 Premier League Golden Boot with Michael Owen and Chris Sutton – and later went on to present property show Homes Under the Hammer AND invent a musical instrument, the Dube.

Martin Keown

Three times a Premier League champion with Arsenal, Martin Keown regularly provides co-commentary and punditry on the Beeb.

Capped 43 times by England, the former defender played in all three of his country’s games at Euro 92.

Danny Murphy

Regularly seen on Match of the Day and often heard on talkSPORT, Danny Murphy is one of the BBC’s most established co-commentators.

An England international on nine occasions, the ex-midfielder was a key member of Liverpool’s 2000/01 FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup-winning side.

Stephen Warnock

Murphy’s teammate at Liverpool for a short while, former left-back Stephen Warnock represented England twice.

Since hanging up his boots, he’s worked for a variety of broadcasters in Europe and the USA.

BBC's Euro 2024 5 Live Team

Ex-Scotland, Chelsea and Everton man Pat Nevin is a familiar voice to listeners of 5 Live, having gone into broadcasting not long after his retirement in 2000.

England’s first-choice goalkeeper at the 2010 World Cup, Rob Green turned out for the likes of West Ham and Norwich City at club level, and has appeared as a pundit on the BBC and Sky Sports, among others.

Izzy Christiansen

A regular on the Beeb and Sky Sports, Izzy Christiansen earned 31 England caps and won the 2016 Women’s Super League title with Manchester City – having previously lifted the Women’s FA Cup with Birmingham City.

Chris Sutton

Partner to Alan Shearer in ‘SAS’ strike force which fired Blackburn Rovers to the 1994/95 Premier League title, Chris Sutton is one of the BBC’s most opinionated pundits and a firm fixture on weekly football phone-in 606 .

Conor McNamara

Irish commentator Conor McNamara made his 5 Live debut back in 2002 and has worked on every Euros since 2004.

John Murray

John Murray is 5 Live’s senior football commentator and has also covered golf, cricket and the Olympics during his career.

Alistair Bruce-Ball

Host of 606 since 2018 with Chris Sutton, Alistair Bruce-Ball is one of 5 Live’s principle Premier League commentators.

5 Live’s Chief Football Reporter, Ian Dennis began commentating for the BBC back in 1998 and has covered numerous major tournaments for the network.

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EURO 2024 HUB  Dates, fixtures, stadiums, tickets and everything you need to know

EURO 2024 SQUAD  All the teams previewed

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EURO 2024 WALL CHART  Free to download with full schedule and dates

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BBC Radio 2 in the Park Preston - line-up, tickets, last entry and parking

Here's everything you need to know about bbc radio 2 in the park in preston including line-up, bag limits, parking and how to get to moor park.

• 06:14, 4 SEP 2024
• Updated 15:41, 7 SEP 2024

Thousands of people are expected to flock to Lancashire this weekend for three days of live music with a huge line-up of some of the biggest bands and singers.

BBC Radio 2 in the Park will be heading to Moor Park in Preston from Friday to Sunday (September 6 to 8) featuring the likes of Pet Shop Boys , Sting, Sugababes , Craig David, Paul Heaton, Snow Patrol, Gabrielle, and Manic Street Preachers.

The radio channel's flagship live music festival will also feature a host of takeovers and broadcast shows from DJs including Scott Mills, Jo Whiley, Rylan, Dermot O'Leary, Vernon Kay , Sara Cox, Paddy McGuinness and Trevor Nelson.

READ MORE: Noel Gallagher shares 'greatest ever' Liam Gallagher story that's 'peak Oasis'

Hailed as one of the biggest music festivals outside London, BBC Radio 2 in the Park has attracted big names since it first began back in 2011. Last year, the festival took place in Leicester and featured Kylie Minogue, Tears for Fears, Bananarama, Texas, and The Pretenders.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, said of this year's offering: "I’m delighted that this year’s Radio 2 In The Park will take place in Preston. Following last year’s epic extravaganza in Leicester, we can’t wait to head north with our fantastic family of Radio 2 presenters, as well as some of the most loved music artists on the planet, to party with the good people of Lancashire!"

Adrian Phillips, chief executive at Preston City Council, added: "We are absolutely delighted to welcome the BBC to Preston with Radio 2’s flagship live music event, Radio 2 In the Park. As this year’s host city, we’re really excited to be staging two jam-packed days, full of incredible live performances from some of the music world’s biggest stars.

Here's everything you need to know about BBC Radio 2 in the Park 2024 in Preston, including how to get there, when it takes place, and who is performing on which day.

Where and when in Preston is BBC Radio 2 in the Park taking place?

The festival will be held in the Grade II* listed Moor Park, which sits on the outskirts of Preston city centre. The oldest and largest parkland in the city, Moor Park features a wealth of open green spaces and notable beauty spots.

For the first time ever, the festival will now span three days. Whilst the official festival will take place on September 7 and 8, the event will actually begin on Friday (September 6) with a ‘pre-party’ featuring some of BBC Radio 2’s biggest names.

Who is on the BBC Radio 2 in the Park 2024 line-up?

Friday 6 September

• DJ Spoony's Good Groove
• Rylan's Rybiza Anthems
• Sara Cox's Wower Hour
• Scott Mills' Wonder Years
• Vernon Kay's Dance Sounds of the 90s

Saturday 7 September

• Snow Patrol
• Craig David
• Shaznay Lewis
• Dermot O'Leary's Alternative Sounds of the 90s
• Jo Whiley's Shiny Happy Playlist
• Michelle Visage's Handbag Hits
• Romesh Ranganathan's For The Love of Hip Hop
• Tony Blackburn's Golden Years

Sunday 8 September

• Pet Shop Boys
• Manic Street Preachers
• Sister Sledge feat. Kathy Sledge
• Paul Heaton
• Delta Goodrem
• Haircut 100
• Gary Davies' Sounds of the 80s
• Paddy McGuinness' Sunday School Disco
• Trevor Nelson's Rhythm Nation

How can I get tickets and watch the show live?

Unfortunately, tickets for Saturday have now sold out. There are a limited number of tickets for Friday, starting from £32, available on Ticketmaster here.

There are also a small number of tickets for Sunday, starting from £64, currently available on Ticketmaster here.

BBC Radio 2 presenters will be introducing artists on stage and broadcasting live from an on-site studio. Some shows and sets will be available live plus on demand on BBC Sounds and BBC iPlayer across the weekend and for 30 days afterwards.

What are the event timings?

On Friday, gates will open from 5pm with stage entertainment beginning from 6pm. Last entry will be at 9.30pm with the event ending at 10.45pm.

On Saturday, gates open from 11am with the first act onstage at around 1pm. Last entry is at 9pm, with the event ending at 10pm.

On Sunday, gates open from 11am with the first act onstage at 12.30pm. Last entry will be at 8.15pm, with the event ending at 9.15pm.

However, it is important to note that all timings are subject to change. There will also be no re-admission to the event. If you choose to leave, you will not be able to get back in.

How do I get to Moor Park from Greater Manchester?

Big Green Coach will be providing a number of day return coach services on Saturday and Sunday - with pick-up locations including Bolton , Manchester and Wigan . Coaches can be booked here .

All coaches are scheduled to arrive at the gates in time for doors opening and will depart after the music has finished.

If you are looking to travel from Greater Manchester to Preston city centre, you can also get a train to Preston (Lancs) Station - with services running from Manchester Piccadilly and usually taking less than an hour. There are services returning from Preston to Manchester Piccadilly on Saturday until 11.34pm and until 10.51pm on Sunday.

If you are arriving into Preston city centre, there are a number of options listed below to then get to Moor Park for the festival.

How do I get to Moor Park from Preston?

There will be a number of shuttle bus services transporting attendees from Preston city centre to Moor Park, which is situated just on the outskirts, on Saturday and Sunday. You can book tickets online in advance via Big Green Coach here (return fare is £10 per person). The pick up/drop off point will be at Coach Bays, Central Bus Station, Tithebarn Street, PR1 1YT.

Moor Park is also accessible by foot from Preston City Centre, Preston Station and all Park and Walk Car Parks. Official routes will be signed and stewarded before and after the show. It is roughly 1.5 miles, around a 35 minute walk, from Preston Station and 1.3 miles or within 30 minutes walking distance from Preston City Centre.

There will also be a designated area for Pick Up and Drop off at Sainsburys on Flintoff Way. Cars will be permitted to pick up and drop off at this location only.

A designated area is also available for Hackney Cab Taxis and Private Hire at Preston North End Stadium. Taxis (including those booked via apps like Uber or Bolt) will be permitted to pick up and drop at this location only.

Can I park at Moor Park?

There will also be a limited number of parking options available via official Park & Walk Carparks and these must be booked in advance to avoid disappointment. Spaces can be pre-booked here.

It will not be possible to park on residential streets and the roads surrounding Moor Park and these will be protected via a resident’s parking protection zone.

There will also be parking options available in Preston City Centre, where you can then make use of the additional shuttle bus or taxi services to get to Moor Park and back again afterwards.

Will there be food and drink onsite?

There will be plenty of food and drink options, including vegan, gluten-free and halal food and no-alcohol drinks, available to order from once you're through the gates.

Traders confirmed to be taking part in this year's festival will be selling the likes of wraps, schnitzel, crepes, ice cream, pizzas, waffles, tacos, donuts, falafels, crumbles, and risotto.

What can and can't I bring with me?

Attendees will only be able to bring one small bag with them, and it must be no bigger than W21cm X H30cm X D8cm in size.

Food for personal consumption can be brought into the event but must also fit within the permitted bag size. Attendees will also be able to bring one picnic blanket, camping chair OR shooting stick per person. This can be carried in addition to the bag policy and can only be set up within designated signposted areas.

No alcoholic drinks may be brought into this event, but people can bring one sealed plastic bottle or paper carton containing up to 500ml of water, soft drink, or juice.

No glass items, including bottles, perfume and aftershave, are allowed into the festival site, and umbrellas more than one meter in length are also prohibited. A full list of prohibited items can be found here.

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Nick Knowles reveals 8kg weight loss with 'more to go' ahead of BBC Strictly Come Dancing debut

The DIY SOS presenter has spoken about his own transformation ahead of taking to the dance floor

• 00:01, 13 SEP 2024

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DIY SOS presenter Nick Knowles knows all about transformations. As presenter on the long-running BBC show, he has made huge differences to people's lives by making their homes suitable to their needs.

Now, the star finds himself having to transform himself in readiness for a starring role in Strictly Come Dancing which returns to BBC One for its latest series on Saturday night. And Knowles, 61, who lives near Cirencester, has spoken about turning himself into a Strictly sensation.

He said as soon as his Strictly job was confirmed, he knew he had to get back to 'fighting weight'. He said: "So, I’ve been on a tough fitness regime, losing eight kilos in five weeks, with about 4 or 5 more to go.

"I’m following my old rugby training routine because I used to really enjoy the off-season, eating and drinking well. That’s the first part. The second part is the actual training, focusing on getting fit and losing weight to be ready to compete."

Knowles joins Strictly for its 20th anniversary series. And with DIY SOS being around in various guises for 25 years, he knows about being part of a staple of the TV world.

He said: "It’s amazing to be around for the anniversary. I remember when Strictly started, and how Brucey had a kind of rebirth right along with it. It was a magical fit—everybody loved Brucey, and the show instantly caught everyone’s imagination.

"Families don’t gather around a computer to watch things together, they sit down together for shows like Strictly and DIY SOS. These are feel-good, fun programmes that people watch as a group. So, being part of an anniversary period, even for a short time, is very special."

He also looked back to his own life and what he was doing when he was 20. He said: "At 20, I was working for the Ministry of Defence dealing with mainframe computers. I realised I didn’t like computers and much preferred working with people, so I decided it was time for a change. I went to Australia to play rugby and ended up getting on TV while I was there. 20 years ago today, I was building houses, because DIY SOS has been going for 25 years!"

As a master of TV presenting - not just DIY SOS, but quiz shows and travel shows, he said he is relishing the chance to show off a different side of himself. "I enjoy new challenges," he said. "Throughout my career, I’ve succeeded at something and then thought, 'Okay, let’s roll the dice and start again.'

"I began as a journalist, moved into factual entertainment, did Saturday night quiz shows, wrote seven history dramas, made a film, then tackled a cookbook, and recently did travel shows. The next thing I do will be something different again. So when this opportunity to learn a new skill came up, I was excited."

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Boeing Starliner’s Future Is Unclear, Even After Safe Landing

Two NASA crew remain on the International Space Station after the troubled vehicle they rode undocked and then landed in the New Mexico desert.

Starliner Returns to Earth Without NASA Crew

Because of safety issues, nasa officials decided the boeing spacecraft should return to earth without the two astronauts who had traveled aboard it to the international space station..

“And we just heard confirmation that the umbilicals are retracting and hooks are beginning to drive.” “Separation confirmed. Starliner is now backing away from station and starting its return to Earth. Starliner’s thrusters will then complete two short firings to gradually increase the separation speed to help the spacecraft carefully move away from the orbiting lab.” “We have one more burn to go. But they have confirmed that Starliner has crossed the keep-out sphere, or the K.O.S., which is an imaginary 200-meter sphere centered on the International Space Station that helps flight controllers here on the ground monitor the arrival and departure of visiting vehicles.” “Station, Houston, Space to Ground two, Starliner has exited the keep-out sphere.” “Forward heat shield and drogues out.” “Really interesting view of this coming down from in the vicinity of the landing site. Again, this is a view from a little lower than the WB-57 we were seeing.” “Touchdown. Starliner is back on Earth. That landing coming at 11:01 and 35 seconds Central time, 10:01 and 31 seconds Mountain time at White Sands Space Harbor.”

By Kenneth Chang

The Starliner has landed.

Boeing’s troubled spacecraft has finally come home, but the two NASA astronauts who traveled in it to the International Space Station in June remain in orbit.

Because of problems with Starliner’s propulsion system during its approach to the space station in June, NASA officials decided not to put the astronauts, Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, on Starliner for the return trip. They will spend an additional five months on the space station as part of the crew before coming back to Earth around February in a spacecraft built and managed by SpaceX.

For the most part, the undocking and atmospheric re-entry of Starliner proceeded smoothly. So did the capsule’s landing under parachutes at White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico at 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday (10:01 p.m. Friday local time). That supported the earlier assertions of Boeing officials that the company’s vehicle was safe for the astronauts.

The #Starliner spacecraft is back on Earth. At 12:01am ET Sept. 7, @BoeingSpace ’s uncrewed Starliner spacecraft landed in White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico. pic.twitter.com/vTYvgPONVc — NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) September 7, 2024

“It would have been a safe, successful landing with the crew on board, had we have had Butch and Suni on board,” Steve Stich, manager of the commercial crew program at NASA, said during a news conference early Saturday morning after the landing.

But the difficulties during the mission and the extended stay in orbit for the two astronauts have embarrassed Boeing , and there could be uncertainty how much the company is willing to continue to invest in the Starliner program.

During the news conference, Mr. Stich referred to the next Starliner flight as Starliner-1 — the designation of the first operational mission after NASA certifies the vehicle as ready for taking crews of four to and from the space station.

He talked about changes that engineering teams that Boeing has formed to come up with changes needed before the next Starliner flight, in particular how to avoid overheating of the thrusters.

“That work has already started, and that’s really the path to Starliner-1,” Mr. Stich said. He also said that engineers need to delve into the data collected during the test flight before deciding on a plan and a timeline.

NASA initially announced that two high-level Boeing space officials would take part in the Saturday news conference, but then they did not. “They deferred to NASA to represent the mission,” said Joel Montalbano, deputy associate administrator of NASA’s space operations mission directorate.

Boeing did release a statement quoting Mark Nappi, vice president and program manager for Starliner.

“I want to recognize the work the Starliner teams did to ensure a successful and safe undocking, deorbit, re-entry and landing,” he said. “We will review the data and determine the next steps for the program.”

Mr. Montalbano said Boeing played a key role for the International Space Station, the commercial crew program with Starliner and in manufacturing the core stage of the new Space Launch System. “Their work is critical our success, and we fully expect calling to continue all three of those programs,” he said.

Before the undocking, Ms. Williams, who several years ago had given this vehicle the name Calypso, thanked the mission control team.

“It is time to bring Calypso home,” she said. “We have your backs and you’ve got this. Bring her back to Earth. Good luck.”

In turn, Chloe Mehring, the flight director, thanked the astronauts, who have spent years preparing for this flight. “We remember every setback and every revelation with you,” Ms. Mehring said. “The teams on the ground have worked countless hours over the last few weeks, months, and, for a group of us, years to bring Calypso back, and we’re ready to that today.”

Starliner began its trip back to Earth by retracting hooks that had held it tight to the space station. Springs on the spacecraft then pushed it away from the docking port. At that moment, it was about 260 miles above central China.

A series of thruster firings gently nudged Starliner up and over the space station.

At the higher altitude, it is moving more slowly than the space station and the distance between them is growing quickly.

That was an uneventful beginning to the end of the mission, which launched in June, on a test flight that was the first time Starliner carried people to orbit. The flight was intended as a final shakedown before NASA certified the spacecraft for once-a-year missions taking astronauts to and from the space station.

The vehicle’s propulsion system experienced problems during its approach to the space station, including several balky thrusters and leaks of helium, a gas used to push propellant in the weightlessness of orbit. Although Starliner was able to dock successfully, the cause of the problems is still not fully understood, and NASA officials decided it would be safer for Starliner to return without anyone aboard.

As it moved into position to re-enter the atmosphere, Starliner conducted test firings of 12 thrusters on the crew capsule section of the spacecraft. One did not work, but that does not pose a problem, because there are two redundant systems of six thrusters each.

“This one, for some reason, just never fired,” Mr. Stich said.

It was, however, crucial that the redundant thruster did work for Starliner’s successful survival through the searing passage through the atmosphere.

The flight controllers also fired 10 of the thrusters on service module — the cylindrical section below the crew capsule — and those all worked as expected.

At 11:17 p.m., the large thrusters on Starliner fired for almost a minute to drop Starliner out of orbit. It then discarded its service module — the cylindrical component below the crew capsule that contained the troublesome thrusters.

The crew capsule re-entered Earth’s atmosphere over the central Pacific, traveling to the northeast, crossing northwest Mexico en route to touching down in the Chihuahuan Desert.

People in New Mexico , Arizona and northern Mexico shared videos on the social network X showing the heated spacecraft streaking through the night skies. Soon after, Starliner descended under three parachutes, with its final impact on the desert floor cushioned by airbags at the bottom of the capsule.

The two Starliner astronauts left behind by the spacecraft will become full-fledged members of the space station crew. NASA calls each rotation of crew members an “expedition,” and Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore will now be part of Expedition 72.

Later this month, two other astronauts, Nick Hague of NASA and Aleksandr Gorbunov of Russia, are scheduled to launch to the space station in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. They too will serve as part of Expedition 72.

For Ms. Williams and Mr. Wilmore to have seats on the return trip to Earth next year, two other NASA astronauts who had been scheduled to serve on Expedition 72 — Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson — were bumped from the mission, known as Crew-9.

Kenneth Chang, a science reporter at The Times, covers NASA and the solar system, and research closer to Earth. More about Kenneth Chang

What’s Up in Space and Astronomy

Keep track of things going on in our solar system and all around the universe..

Never miss an eclipse, a meteor shower, a rocket launch or any other 2024 event  that’s out of this world with  our space and astronomy calendar .

Four private astronauts aboard an ambitious space mission  led by a billionaire entrepreneur traveled farther from Earth than any other human being in more than half a century, reaching altitudes not visited by any astronaut since the Apollo moon missions .

A spacecraft operated by the European Space Agency and Japan made its closest approach yet to Mercury, sending back sharp, black-and-white images of the planet’s barren, speckled surface at sunrise .

Leaving behind the two NASA astronauts it took to the International Space Station three months ago, Boeing’s troubled Starliner spacecraft is set to begin  its return to Earth soon.

A speeding star is traveling through the Milky Way at around a million miles an hour. It could be moving fast enough to break free from the gravitational clutches of the galaxy .

Is Pluto a planet? And what is a planet, anyway? Test your knowledge here .

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The curse of Blue Peter! How life has taken a dark turn for presenters on the ultra wholesome show

• Since its 1958 launch the BBC children's show captivated millions of youngsters
• Read More:  What became of all former Blue Peter presenters after they left 

By Ellen Coughlan For Mailonline

Published: 09:40 EDT, 12 September 2024 | Updated: 11:11 EDT, 12 September 2024

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From explaining the news to children in a digestible way to demonstrating arts and crafts and inspiring them to take up new hobbies, there are few shows on TV more wholesome than Blue Peter . 

Since its launch in 1958, the BBC  children's show has captivated millions of youngsters and has gone on to become Britain's longest-running TV programme, as well as one of the most enduring children's shows in the world. 

Over the years, 37 hosts have fronted the show, with most becoming household names, while describing someone as being 'like a Blue Peter presenter' has become easy shorthand for 'wholesome'. 

However, away from the screen some of its stars have become embroiled in scandals a world away from the show's aura of childhood innocence - from cocaine stings to rape allegations. 

Others have complained of being badly treated by producers.  

Yvette Fielding - who was the show's youngest ever presenter aged 18 - recently claimed that her boss Biddy Baxter would tell her she was 'fat and useless' and she had 'never' received an apology from the BBC over the way she was allegedly treated.

Blue Peter's first ever Scottish presenter, John Leslie enjoyed a five-year stint on the show (Pictured: John Leslie, Yvette Fielding and Diane-Louise Jordan, UK in 1990)

Earlier this year,  Yvette also revealed she was molested by predatory paedophile  Rolf Harris  while she was a new starter on the BBC programme - saying that he 'squeezed and patted her bottom'.

While the show has certainly provided entertainment to viewers and helped launch many presenters' careers, there are certainly some who can't help but agree that there was a downside. 

Veteran presenter Peter Purves blames his travels to places such as Ivory Coast and Ethiopia in the 1960s and early 70s for his skin cancer. 

And while there's no correlation to appearing on the show, other presenters have died tragically young - such as Michael Sundin who was 28 when he died from Aids and Gloria Hunniford's daughter Caron Keating who lost her life to breast cancer aged 41.

Here, Femail how life has taken a dark turn for some of those closely associated with the show.  

John Leslie: Multiple accusations for rape and sexual assault, cocaine use and a sex tape 

Presented Blue Peter from 1989 to 1994

Diane-Louise Jordan, John Leslie and Anthea Turner all with Bonnie the dog on Blue Peter in 1992

The Scot began his working life as a piano teacher who did DJ gigs at a disco in his spare time.

He did well, getting slots at bigger and bigger clubs before being invited to submit a show-reel for a job presenting a music show on a satellite channel.

Then, in 1989, the BBC called the 24-year-old in for audition and he landed the coveted job of Blue Peter presenter, on a salary of £16,800.

Leslie correctly calculated that the job would lead to other, more lucrative, opportunities, and accepted

While he was at Blue Peter, he dated the actress Catherine Zeta-Jones for 18 months, admitting in later years that she was the only woman he ever truly loved.

After five years on the show, he moved on to new projects starting with a short-lived big-budget, Gladiators-style show called Scavengers in 1994, which earned him £15,000 an episode.

John and Abi had a five year relationship before they ended up calling it off 

Former TV presenter John Leslie at Westminster Magistrates' Court, London, in 2019 where he was appearing charged with sexually assaulting a woman

He then started presenting Wheel of Fortune, initially filming three shows a week at £2,000 a show. His income was further boosted to £350,000 a year when, in 2001, he began presenting This Morning with Fern Britton .

It was a spectacular rise from being a newsagent's son to one of the best-known TV personalities in Britain. 

But his TV career came crashing down the following year when TV presenter Ulrika Jonsson released her autobiography in which she described how she'd had been raped when she was a 19-year-old TV-am weather girl. 

Timeline of accusations

October 2002

Leslie is wrongly identified on TV as the man who raped Ulrika Jonsson

December 2002

Arrested over claims of indecent assault in 1997 but charges are dropped

Arrested over rape and assault allegation from 1995. Does not go to court

November 2015

Accused of sex assault at radio awards. Not charged

Accused of attack at club but acquitted the next year

December 2017

Woman says he grabbed her breasts in 2008. He was acquitted in 2020

Leslie was accidentally named, live on air, as the man in question by presenter Matthew Wright. 

Ms Jonsson refused to confirm or deny that it was him and has never revealed the identity of her attacker.

But the huge publicity that the case attracted brought further complaints of 'improper sexual conduct' from other women, including one who alleged he had pinned her against a wall in a bathroom at London's Sanderson Hotel and indecently assaulted her.

Another said he had taken cocaine and pestered her to join in both group and lesbian sex sessions. And another claimed she had met him a nightclub where he had groped her and exposed himself. 

Yet another said that he had cornered her in a changing hut and molested her – all denied by Leslie.

'I turned and pushed him off,' she said. 'But he just looked at me and walked out as if nothing had happened.'

By his side through all of the allegations was his girlfriend Abi Titmuss, a nurse who he met in a bar in Fulham in 1999.

She supported her boyfriend in 2003 when he was charged with two counts of indecently assaulting a 23-year-old actress from the North East in 1997. 

He walked free from Southwark Crown Court after prosecutors dropped the case.

After causing headlines while leaving court with John, Abi went on to feature on the front page of various lads' magazines - including Nuts, Loaded and FHM, and the couple separated the following year. 

Perhaps Leslie could at this point have resurrected his career. But when photographs emerged of him taking cocaine, and a stolen sex tape of a threesome of him and Abi was leaked on the internet, it did nothing to help his reputation. 

In 2008, five years on from his last court appearance, he faced fresh rape accusations.  

Over the past 18 years, Leslie has always been adamant that he is the victim – the innocent target of malicious lies and a swathe of dishonest women drawn to his celebrity like moths to a flame. Anthea Turner shared her relief that John Leslie was cleared

A strong whiff of deja vu swirled around John Leslie’s triumphant appearance on the steps of Southwark Crown Court in October 2020, moments after he was cleared of sexual assault. He is pictured leaving Southwark Crown Court

This time, his accuser claimed that she was attacked in 1995 when she was in her early 20s. The case never reached court. 

Leslie has always been adamant that he is the victim and the innocent target of malicious lies. 

In 2013, he told presenter Lorraine Kelly : 'It was like a runaway train. It got to the point where the only way to stop it was contemplating suicide.

'For me – and I love life, I'm larger than life – to get to this point... I thought, "it has got to stop". I went home. I built the family up again. I'm here – not quite in the same place, but happy.'

In November 2015, after attending a radio awards ceremony in Edinburgh, he was accused of sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman and interviewed by police.

Detectives were later seen leaving his home carrying evidence bags. Three months later, Leslie was informed that he would not be charged.

He wrote about the incident at length on his Facebook page in 2017, saying he had been 'dragged out of my bed by police officers', handcuffed and detained for ten hours at a police station.

While he was held, he claimed, police searched his house and removed items of bedding and clothing, adding 'This was very upsetting for me, and even worse for my elderly parents'. He said he was 'glad to be cleared', but added: 'I have served a hefty punishment for a crime that never was'.

In 2017, Leslie was accused of putting his hand down the back of a bride-to-be's trousers during her hen night at an Edinburgh nightclub. 

He was acquitted after a two-day trial at Edinburgh Sheriff Court but, as a result, lost his part-time work as a radio and club DJ - and more trouble was to follow.

In 2020, he was again in court  for allegedly groping a woman at a Christmas bash in London's West End in 2008.

John told jurors he was not an 'aggressive sexual monster' - and claimed he spent most of a party where he is alleged to have groped a woman instead talking to late Big Brother star Jade Goody , three months before she died of cervical cancer. 

Putting forward his denial to jurors, he said: 'I never sexually assaulted anyone. It's not in my nature.

'I'm a people person. I like life. I enjoy every day and I wouldn't do anything deliberately to hurt anyone.

'I've never done that. I wouldn't do that. I've been brought up correctly. My mum and dad raised me right. I've been surrounded by women from 16.

'I'm a larger than life person. I'm quite gregarious and happy and if that's been misinterpreted, then... I would never intentionally upset anyone. It's not in my nature.

'I'm tactile, yes, I hug people, but not sexually. I've been called a big kid sometimes. I'm not an aggressive sexual monster the tabloids made me out to be. I'm a million miles from that.'

Leslie had been asked questions about his time after being named by Matthew Wright as the rapist of Ulrika Jonsson, which he later said was a mistake and apologised for, and when he settled with News International after the phone hacking scandal.

He said: 'I became reclusive and suicidal. I lost everything after that. There was no public, I wouldn't go anywhere.

'Anytime I went out people knew who I was going. I lost my financial income, I lost the house I built, I lost my life.

'I was going to take my life to stop this happening because I wanted to protect my parents.

'I think they were suffering more than me. It was to stop what was going on.

'I tried to turn myself around. I thought I'd get myself back on track and try and get my life back.

'I started going out and started to be social again. I had great friends and a lot of love, I wouldn't be here today without that.

'Every time I put my head above the parapet, they'd do some headline, it would bring all the past up again. It was constant for years and years. I was paranoid.

'When I did go out, I was just aware I would never go near women because of what had been said because people thought I was that type of character.'

A string of former colleagues came out to defend Leslie at his trial. Fern Britton, who he co-hosted This Morning with in the 90s, said she was 'confident' the allegation was not true.

Anthea Turner, 60, the TV presenter turned clean-up queen, appeared in person to give evidence in front of jurors. She presented Blue Peter from 1992 until 1994, all with Leslie.

'I didn't have a lot of confidence at the time (when I started Blue Peter). I was very green. He, with open arms, welcomed me aboard,' she recalled.

'John is somebody historically who always had a smile on his face, and was the most welcoming person.

'I like to say that he's the type of person who was brought up to share his toys. When you're a television presenter you get two types of people. You get the person who wants to drop you in it, letting you die in front of the camera.

'Or you get the person that is a real pal, and that is John. If you didn't remember the question he would pick you up. We were very much a team and John is a team player.'

She added he was 'absolutely adored by every woman I knew that worked with him'.

Ms Turner said there were 'two Johns', one before the Ulrika allegations, and one afterwards. She told the court: 'Before, John was just where the party was. He was the person who would give you a bear hug.

'The worst thing he would ever do is hold you up and hug you and as he was so tall your feet would come off the ground.

'That was John, a very confident John. Afterwards I think it's really sad, those who are friends of John, saw this amazing person just crumple.'

She added: 'He became very much the person who wanted to be with people he knew. He was constantly worried, where he was, who he was with and on edge. It was not the person that we all knew.'

Songs of Praise presenter Diane-Louise Jordan, 60, was the first black Blue Peter presenter in 1990. Wearing an orange, white and black plaid shirt dress she said: 'I was feeling a lot under the spotlight, very vulnerable.

'It was in that environment I got to know John and he's a gentleman. He was extremely kind to me. He's a larger than life character, always overbrimming with life in him.

'He's just a fun gorgeous person to be around. He has that exceptional quality of deep empathy and deep kindness. I can't describe how supportive and loving he was.'

The 59-year-old was found not guilty by a jury over claims he grabbed a woman's breasts at the Christmas party. 

Leslie was last known to be working DJ slots at local Edinburgh clubs.

He previously spoke of wanting to be a 'flagbearer' to campaign for anonymity for people accused of sex crimes.

Leslie told the Daily Record that names of accused should be withheld because 'your life is destroyed before you're charged'.

Yvetted Fielding: 'Buliled' by her boss and molested by Rolf Harris

Presented Blue Peter from 1987 to 1992

Yvette Fielding made headlines as the youngest-ever host of Blue Peter at just 18-years-old 

The Most Haunted presenter said her experience with Biddy has shaped her career and has 'no bitterness' towards her

Yvette Fielding made headlines as the youngest-ever host of Blue Peter at just 18-years-old. 

But behind the secens of what seemed like a dream job, Yvette claims she was bullied and  left 'a shaking, jibbering wreck' after being 'berated' by her former boss Biddy Baxter , who allegedly called her 'fat and useless'.

Yvette claimed that upon winning the job she had to leave her parents' house, was flown to Russia for six weeks before being told by producers she had to live with and care for the show's Gold Retriever, Bonnie.

The television personality said the responsibility of looking after Bonnie, who was a puppy from Blue Peter dog Goldie's second litter, was terrifying because she was 'the most famous dog in the country'.

'I felt very lonely because I was the youngest. I was considered a kid – and a pain in the a**e of a kid,' Yvette said on the Celebrity Catch-Up: Life After That Thing I Did podcast.

'I didn't enjoy the first year. I found it very traumatic. It got to the point where I’d just had enough. Being made to live with the dog, I had no say in it: "You will move out of your flat and you will move into this house with the dog".

Yvette said she quit Most Haunted after a terrifying incident 'defied all logic' and she threw in the towel live on air 

The presenter said she was left 'a shaking, jibbering wreck' after being 'berated' by her former boss Biddy Baxter (pictured) 

'Given this dog to look after at 18, and not just a dog – the most famous dog in the country.

'Poor Bonnie was pining for her owner, scratching at the door every night. It was too upsetting.

'Imagine how many hearts would be broken if anything had happened to her. It would have been national mourning.'

Bonnie made her first appearance on the show when she was six weeks old and later took over from her mother when she retired in the Summer of 1986.

Yvette was desperate to impress Biddy, who edited the show for 25 years.

'The problem was that I was trying to please my boss so much, but my boss seemed to be - I don’t know why - just incredibly cruel,' she said.

'I thought that I’d be doing OK and then I was told that I was useless. Absolutely useless, again and again and again and again.'

'I wanted her to be so proud of me, yet it was like being beaten by a parent. Every time I did what I thought was right, she’d come back and say something awful, or berate me in front of other people. It was absolutely soul destroying.'

Yvette added: 'You’ve got to be confident in front of eight million people twice a week, but my confidence was at an all-time low. I was a shaking, gibbering wreck.'

The Most Haunted presenter said her experience with Biddy shaped her career and she has 'no bitterness' towards her.

She said: 'The amount of awful people in the television industry … I always thank Biddy because I think, if it wasn’t for her, there’s no way I would’ve stood up, told them where to go and got on with it.

'She did that. She gave me the balls to do that. And I thank her for that. There’s no bitterness there whatsoever.

'But when people say to me, "Oh wasn’t it wonderful? Didn’t you have a fabulous time?", I think, no, not the first year. It was horrific. It was like a nightmare.'

She admitted that she had 'never' received an apology from the BBC over the way she was allegedly treated during the early days of her TV career.

She said: 'It doesn't bother me. I'm not bitter or unhappy about it. It was an experience.'   

Earlier this year,  Yvette revealed she was molested by predatory paedophile  Rolf Harris while she was a fresh-faced teenage new-start on the BBC programme - after she was left alone in a TV studio with him.

She said: 'It was very confusing and shocking — just bizarre to think Rolf Harris was squeezing and patting my bottom and I am standing there, thinking, "I don't know what to do."

'Other people in the industry must have known what he was like and (they) left me alone in the studio with him. That shouldn't have happened. I must have been 18 or 19. I think a lot of them did know.'

Australian entertainer Harris died almost a year ago in May 2023 from cancer, six years after being released from prison after being convicted of sexually assaulting four girls, one aged just seven or eight years old at the time.

He, like Jimmy Savile, was exposed as a child predator in 2013 by Operation Yewtree, the probe launched following Savile's death two years before.

Yvette said she also had a 'grotesque' encounter with Savile in which he took her hand and started stroking it as he said: 'Look into my eyes and tell me what you're thinking'.

She added: 'From what I heard, certain things were brushed under the carpet — and that should never, ever have happened.' She made the comments in an interview with The Sun.

The BBC apologised in 2016 for its role in allowing Savile and It's a Knockout presenter Stuart Hall to sexually abuse children on its premises following a brutal report into the culture at the corporation at the time.

Rona Fairhead, then-chair of the now-disbanded BBC Trust, said the corporation had failed not just their victims but 'the public, its audiences and its staff... it did not protect those who put their trust in it.'

In 2014, the corporation rejected calls or a similar probe into Rolf Harris' time at the corporation because his convictions were not related to the BBC.   

Yvette left Blue Peter after five years in 1992 and went on to present the ITV Saturday show What's Up Doc? followed by Disney Adventures in 1995.

She presented the Most Haunted series with her husband Karl Beattie since 2002 but recently quit after a terrifying incident 'that defied all logic'.

A crew member had fallen foul to a sudden injury without any explanation and when he had to be rushed to hospital, Yvette knew she had had enough.

The former I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here! contestant was left so shocked by the incident that she couldn't leave the house.

She admitted that was the first time she considered the possibility that ghosts could ever cause any harm.

Michael Sundin: Died aged 28 from Aids

Presented Blue Peter from 1984 to 1985

He joined Blue Peter in 1984 and appeared in a total of 77 episodes, his film connections meant he was often shown visiting various film sets and he also reported from Elton John's house

Michael Sundin was part of the British Men's National Trampoline squad before he embarked on a career in acting and later Blue Peter 

Michael Sundin was part of the British Men's National Trampoline squad before he embarked on a career in acting. 

His first big break was in the pantomime Jack and the Beanstalk at the Theatre Royal, Newcastle, opposite Barbara Windsor.

It was this role that led to him at just 20 being cast as Bill Bailey in the musical Cats. There, Disney spotted him and offered him the role of Tik-Tok in the 1985 film Return to Oz.  

It was during the filming that the Blue Peter team paid a visit to the studio and were impressed with the young Michael.

Janet Ellis interviewed him and the production team spotted his potential. It all moved pretty quick after that because the episode containing the report on the set visit ended with the announcement that Michael was to join the show. 

He joined Blue Peter in 1984 and appeared in a total of 77 episodes, while his film connections meant he was often shown visiting various movie sets and he also reported from Elton John's house.

Janet Ellis, Michael and Simon Groome at the BAFTA awards in the Grosvenor House Hotel in 1984 

However Sundin's contract was not renewed and he returned to acting. His only role post-Blue Peter was in the children's film Lionheart in 1987 playing Bertram, opposite Eric Stoltz and Gabriel Byrne.

Show producer Biddy Baxter has maintained that Michael was dropped due to his lack of popularity with viewers. 

Biddy wrote in her autobiography: 'Sadly because of his voice and manner he came across as a whinger - and an effeminate whinger to boot.'

Three months after he left the programme a video emerged showing him dancing in his underwear in a London nightclub. The tabloids were soon reporting various details about his lifestyle. 

In 1988 rumours began to surface that Michael was ill and on 26 July 1989 it was reported that he had died of liver cancer, aged 28.

It has since been revealed that his actual death was AIDS related.

John Noakes: Dog controversy 

Presented Blue Peter from 1965 to 1978

(From left) John Noakes, Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves with pets. Singleton holds Jason, the Blue Peter cat; Noakes holds Shep; and Purves holds Petra, another Blue Peter dog, in 1971

John Noakes sitting back-to-back with the Blue Peter dog Shep in Television Centre 

John Noakes watering the plants at his home in Majorca in 2000, where he moved with his wife

The late John Noakes was Blue Peter's longest serving presenter, fronting the children's show with a variety of co-hosts including Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves from 1965 until 1978.

But it was his partnership with mischievous Border Collie puppy Shep that really won viewers' hearts. 

'Get down, Shep!' became Noakes' catchphrase, and such was their bond that he went to live with the presenter rather than being taken care of by the show's pet keeper.

Shep was, however, officially owned by the BBC despite living with Noakes. 

And in 1983, after he left the show, Noakes claimed that the BBC had forcibly separated him from Shep. 

The presenter had said: 'I thought Shep was mine - they told me I could keep him, but they went back on their word.' 

Blue Peter editor Biddy Baxter ended up receiving letter accusing her of animal cruelty because of the row.  

However, Baxter's biography released in 2023 claimed the BBC did not forcibly separate Noakes and Shep when the presenter said he was leaving in 1977.

Noakes was initially told he could take Shep with him, but was then asked to sign a disclaimer that the dog would not appear in adverts or shows by competitors.

Blue Peter host John Noakes on his yacht with Vicky Noakes in 1994. Noakes died in 2017

Biddy Baxter, who edited the programme from 1962 to 1988

This left Noakes so angry that he tore up the paper on his last day at work and threw the pieces on the studio floor, according to Baxter's biographer Richard Marson.

Noakes and Shep were then said to have lived happily together for the next few years - and Shep appeared with him in several series of the presenter's BBC adventure show Go With Noakes.

Noakes then signed a contract to make a dog food advert, but because Shep could not appear, a lookalike named Skip was hired, who also then lived with Noakes.

The book - 'Biddy Baxter: The Woman Who Made Blue Peter' – then states that both dogs were given away when Noakes and his wife Vicky decided to sell their home and go on a huge sailing adventure.

The claims were made in the new book 'Biddy Baxter: The Woman Who Made Blue Peter'

Noakes's widow, Vicky, told Mr Marson: 'Dogs find being at sea quite disturbing and get very anxious.'

And Mr Marson said: 'John and Vicky took the life changing decision to sell their home in Britain and embark on an epic sailing adventure. Neither Shep nor Skip would be joining them.'

Shep was rehomed with Blue Peter's long-standing pet keeper Edith Menezes.

The dog was owned by the BBC, which paid an allowance to cover expenses.

Meanwhile, Noakes and his wife set sail for the Caribbean in 1982, where they planned to settle -  only to be shipwrecked in a hurricane.

Their boat was hit by a 60ft wave; the couple were rescued by the crew of a passing tanker.

Noakes broke two ribs and suffered a deep cut above one eye that left a permanent scar. The Caribbean plan was shelved and ultimately he and Vicky decided to settle in Majorca.

They returned to the UK to pay a visit to Shep shortly before the dog died in 1987. 

Mrs Noakes said of their final visit to see the dog: 'We had just been to see Shep. By this time, he had stomach problems and was pretty much blind.

'But, immediately he heard John's voice, whoosh, down the path he went like a bullet and they were reunited. They were good mates and John loved him.'

Noakes famously loathed Baxter until his death in 2017, with issues over the ownership of Shep being a crucial point. 

Richard Bacon: Ousted over cocaine controversy 

Presented Blue Peter from 1996 to 1998

Speaking about the impact it had at the time, the presenter he was 'publicly shamed' over the scandal 

In 1997, following his work on L!VE TV, Richard Bacon scooped his dream job on Blue Peter.

However, he was hurtled into the spotlight when a tabloid - tipped off by one of his friends - revealed that he had taken cocaine at a London nightclub, and 18 months into his stint as a presenter he was abruptly sacked. 

He became the first host on the children's show to have his contract terminated mid-season, and it led the Head of BBC Children's programmes, Lorraine Heggessey, to go on air to explain why Richard had been axed from the programme following his 'late-night binge'.

'Richard has not only let himself and the team of Blue Peter down, but he's also let all of you down badly,' she told viewers at the time.

'So, we have decided that Richard cannot present on Blue Peter and he agrees that that is the right decision.'

He became the first host on the children's show to have his contract terminated mid-season, and it led the Head of BBC Children's programmes

He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Rebecca McFarland and their two children, having moved there in 2014, after leaving his presenting job on BBC 5 live

Speaking to the i , Richard said: 'I was publicly shamed after Blue Peter. If this happened now, I think I'd still have lost my job, but the response would have been even louder.

'Back then it was down to the good graces of the newspapers to decide if you're going to be publicly shamed. These days, it's down to the actual public to decide who gets publicly shamed.'

He added: 'That sounds like a positive, democratic move, but I'm not sure it is because what it involves is rushed judgment and Twitter pile-ons. It can be unforgiving.'

Speaking about the impact it had at the time, the presenter went on to say: 'The Blue Peter incident was such a big public thing at the age of 22. It was so big. Now it doesn't have to be a big, national event for someone to get that kind of attention.' 

Last year, Richard poked fun at the cocaine scandal that cost him his presenting role 26 years ago. 

When the hit kids' show marked its 65th birthday, former editor-in-chief Richard Marson took to Twitter to share a gushing message about the show.

Richard replied to the TV chief on X, formerly know as Twitter, writing: 'A very happy birthday Blue Peter. The most important stage of my career...

'Yes sure, I may not have lasted, you know, THAT long* But I love Blue Peter deeply. (I lost my job for poor punctuality**) (**When you take drugs, you tend to run late)

Former editor Richard's initial tweet read: 'Happy birthday Blue Peter! A part of the fabric of my life for as long as I can remember...

'So many memories - so many wonderful colleagues and friends. A television treasure which deserves to be nurtured and sustained for future generations'.

In 2022, Richard reflected on the scandal on his show Cancelled - about cancel culture - saying: 'A producer on Blue Peter said to me, 'you'll never work again,' so it did feel like being 'cancelled'.

'Today, if I was 22 and took drugs at a party, I think I'd get some empathy and sympathy from young people.'

On being told he wouldn't work again, he said: 'But I remember thinking: 'That's not true.' I just thought I'd find a way through...

'The ADHD side of me does lead to certain disorganisation and chaos in my life, and I have many flaws and things I'm bad at, but I'm quite good at getting back up again.'

Richard's fall from grace is an early example of 'cancel culture' - where social media has become a platform for public shaming due to old tweets.

He later revealed that the cocaine scandal had helped him deal with other traumas in life, saying: 'I was aware that I was processing it OK. When I've been through other traumas since then, I think I coped better because I went through that.'

Richard reflected on how the scandal has plagued him, saying: 'No matter what I go on to do in my career – I could bring peace to the Middle East – still, when I die, the top line of the obituary will be 'fired from Blue Peter'...

'I could cure Covid and still the first line would be: 'He was that guy who was fired from Blue Peter and the head of BBC One went on telly and said that thing about him.' It's irrelevant to what I do now.'

Despite this he continued to have a successful career hosting This Morning, The Wright Stuff and Radio 5 Live.

In 2018 he fell ill on a flight from the US to the UK, and was put into a coma after failing to respond to treatment for suspected pneumonia.

He spoke about his relationship with alcohol on Radio 5's podcast Hooked in 2019, admitting it's hard to stop once he has one drink.

He now lives in Los Angeles with his wife Rebecca McFarland and their two children, having moved there in 2014, after leaving his presenting job on BBC 5 live.

Anita West: Forgotten presenter who resigned because of a family secret - and was blacklisted by the BBC 

Presented Blue Peter in 1962

When Anita West joined Blue Peter in 1962 her six-year marriage to the late jazz musician Ray Ellington was under enormous strain

Singer and musician Ray Ellington (1916 - 1985) and his wife, actress Anita West, after their wedding ceremony at Caxton Hall in Westminster, 1956

Anita later appeared in the TV series The Saint and a few movies and she is now a grandmother

1962, Anita West joined the show as co-host, following the departure of Leila Williams.

At the time, her six-year marriage to the late jazz musician Ray Ellington was under enormous strain.

The couple – who had two young children – agreed to a divorce after growing apart, largely because of Ray's constant touring. 

Worried about how her private life would affect the show's squeaky-clean image, Anita decided to resign after just 16 episodes . 

West never divulged her reasons for leaving to the producers, who deemed her 'unprofessional' for simply walking out on the show.

The producers reacted so angrily to the news that she was all but blacklisted from the BBC for good. 

For about 40 years after her demise, the BBC's official archives made no reference to her. 

Anita was married to Ellington for six years; the couple had a son, Lance, and a daughter, Nina.

She is Blue Peter's shortest serving presenter, other than stand-ins Sandra Michaels, Ann Taylor and Tony Hart. 

The length of time West presented was so short that, for several decades, she was not officially recognised as a presenter, only being added to the official list of presenters upon the show's fortieth anniversary in 1998.

Anita, who presented just 16 editions between May and September 1962, recalled her time on the show in an interview with The Mail On Sunday in 2008.

Anita attended the Blue Peter 60th Birthday celebration at BBC Philharmonic Studio in Manchester in 2018

She said: 'My time on Blue Peter was just awful. Not because I didn't want to do it – I desperately wanted to do it. But the timing was so bad. I was 28 with two children and I was just about to get a divorce.

'In the Sixties, divorce wasn't very accepted and I didn't want my personal life to hit the headlines and drag the show into disrepute. So I resigned without really telling anyone why and they thought very badly of me.'

She recalls: 'My marriage had fallen apart through no one's fault.

'We decided to divorce but the children were still young and it was very traumatic and painful for all of us. In the end, the stress began to get to me and I would cry for hours in my dressing room.

'I left Blue Peter to save hurt and embarrassment all round and, of course, to look after the children. The BBC were unhappy with me. I was effectively relegated after that. From the time I left, it was like I hadn't existed.'

Anita later appeared in TV series The Saint, Space: 1999, and Crossroads. Meanwhile she also appeared in a few movies, such as Ring of Spies, Impact, Joey Boy and Shadow of Fear.

Her ex-husband Ellington died of cancer in 1985, aged 68, and Anita is now a grandmother.

Christopher Trace: Ousted over affair 

Presented Blue Peter from 1958 to 1967

Christopher Trace was one of the two original presenters of Blue Peter alongside Leila Williams when the show first aired on October 16 1958

Blue Peter began at 5PM on Thursday October 16, 1958, with the first episode a being a brief 15 minutes long (pictured with Valerie Singleton (left) in 1965) 

After leaving school Christopher Trace had a variety of odd jobs including farm labouring and joined the army - but left to get into acting. 

He later began his screen career as Charlton Heston's understudy in Ben Hur and was one of the two original presenters of Blue Peter alongside Leila Williams when the show first aired on October 16 1958 at 5pm with a brief 15-minute episode.

At the time, it was billed in Radio Times as: 'Toys, model railways, games, stories, cartoons. A new weekly programme for younger viewers with Christopher Trace and Leila Williams.'

Williams stayed with the programme until 1962, while Trace remained a presenter until 1967.

Working long hours on the show, Trace claimed he was 'knackered' and requested a third presenter to share the load or he would leave. 

John Noakes became the third member of the team in 1966, which became the pioneering days of the programme. 

In 1971, Trace  married Prudence Day after the breakdown of his marriage to his first wife 

Trace took part in Blue Peter's first two summer foreign filming assignments, to Norway in 1965 and in 1966 to Singapore and Borneo. 

On the show Trace had helped pave the way for his own downfall. The married presenter had a fling with 19-year-old hotel receptionist Tone Keri Fjalstad, while on the filming trip to Norway. 

Details of the affair leaked out and unsurprisingly the BBC – which prided itself on Blue Peter's wholesome image – weren't happy.

Trace's wife Meg, the mother of his two children Jonathan and Jessica, also divorced him, but he clung on to his job for a short while.

Eventually in 1967 the TV host was pushed out which was dressed up as a resignation.

Peter Purves, replaced the disgraced presenter marking the start of Blue Peter's most famous line-up of Noakes, Singleton and Purves. 

BBC broadcaster Huw Wheldon said: 'There will be no Blue Peter without Christopher Trace.' 

After leaving the show he became a writer and Production Manager for a film company but the venture failed after two years and he was left penniless. 

In 1971 he married Prudence Day but two years later he was declared bankrupt and was forced to work as a mini-cab driver and in a pub to make ends meet.

He eventually got his TV career back on track by working for BBC's Nationwide, but a few years later he quit again to become store keeper and general manager at a factory in Hemel Hempstead. 

He said: 'I've always been interested in making things and using my hands, this is just the job for me.' 

Unfortunately soon after returning to TV he developed cancer of the oesophagus which he battled for five years and died in 1992, aged 59. 

Show Producer Biddy Baxter said: 'Like all great presenters, Trace would have barely batted an eyelid had a bomb dropped on the studio... 

'He had the authority of the professional, which gave the audience confidence and helped to build up a very special trust with viewers of all ages.' 

Peter Duncan: False claims over soft porn film 

Presented Blue Peter from 1980 to 1984 and 1985 to 1986

Peter Duncan first appeared on Blue Peter in 1980 but his time of the show was hit with scandal four years later (Peter Duncan, Valerie Singleton, Anthea Turner (with Tracy Island) and Stuart Miles)

He left Blue Peter to film TV series Duncan Dares, which was based on the derring-do image he had built for himself. He returned for a second stint in 1986 (pictured with Sarah Greene in 2018) 

Actor Peter Duncan was meant to replace John Noakes, but turned Blue Peter down, fearing it would ruin his career. He had been part of the company at the National Theatre for two years and appeared in the film Space 1999.

He eventually joined in 1980 and became the next daredevil by running a marathon and cleaning Big Ben without a safety harness. 

But the show was hit with a scandal four years later, when a newspaper claimed he had appeared naked in a racy film.

A shot of him in his birthday suit in a 1975 film, The Lifetaker, was unearthed. 

'They called me a soft porn star,' he says now, 'and it was nonsense. Yes, there was a little soft-focus nudity, but it wasn't salacious.' 

He took part in the movie five years before joining the programme when he was just 21 but has maintained it was not pornographic and was a 'psychological thriller.'

The Lifetaker was not actually pornographic at all, but the myth was born. These days he finds it amusing. 

In 2018, he said: 'I've always enjoyed the mythology, It's quite funny that you'd have a Blue Peter presenter who's supposedly a porn star. The dinner party jokes are quite fun: ''Would you like a copy of the film?''

Elsewhere Duncan previously revealed that he threatened to walk out on Blue Peter because the producers wouldn't show his wife, Lucy's breasts. 

'The thing I enjoyed most was the show following my eldest daughter's first year, when I was a dad for the first time. 

'But I nearly quit over breast-feeding, and thought about pulling my wife from the show. In the Eighties there was a feeling of, ''No, we can't show that.'' I said, ''Well, I'm sorry, that's what we do.'' Duncan won. 

'My wife is now a midwife, and my daughter, now aged 31, has got recordings of the show.'

Duncan was with Blue Peter from 1980 to 1986 with a one-year break in the middle, before making documentaries and eventually leading the worldwide Scouting movement as Chief Scout. 

He was part of Blue Peter's second golden age in the Eighties with fellow presenters Sarah Greene and Simon Groom – most famous for introducing an item on the restored doors at Durham Cathedral and slipping in the phrase: 'What a beautiful pair of knockers.' 

That went right over the head of the core audience of young children but became part of Blue Peter legend.

A Family Odyssey (pictured Duncan family, Katie, Lucy, Peter, Annie, Arthur and Georgia)

In a 2015 interview with Radio Times he recalled: 'A few years earlier I'd made a really rather good psychological thriller about… I suppose you'd call it rendition now. 

'It was about the conflict in Cyprus. I'd be very surprised if it counts as pornographic. I would show it to a scout troop, really.' 

In the early Noughties, Duncan and his wife Annie took their four children – Lucy, Katie, Georgia and Arthur – on three backpacking trips around the world for a series of well-received travel documentaries.

As Blue Peter revealed their would be a major shake-up with the show last year which could see the show slashed and presenters switched, Peter claimed it would never work. 

He said: 'I can't see how that's going to work. They're selling a brand of which all the people like me and the other presenters have been a part of. And how do you keep a pet if you have a different presenter each week?'

Speaking about his memories from the show Peter said: 'I'm still proud of our campaign to raise money for water pumps in remote Indonesian villages. Because it was a live show, things did go wrong.

'I remember introducing a Chinese violin prodigy, but I mucked up and said, 'I understand you took up the violin when you were sick,' when I should have said 'six'. Everyone laughed except the unfortunate child, who began to cry.

'I subsequently made three series of travel documentaries with my wife and four children which led to my becoming Chief Scout for five years from 2004. But I like to think that my Blue Peter years played their part, too. You can leave the show, but, in a curious way, it never leaves you.'

CARON KEATING

Presented Blue Peter from 1986 to 1990

Fashion-forward Caron Keating enjoyed a four-year stint on Blue Peter before leaving in January 1990 ( pictured with Mark Curry, Yvette Fielding and Caron Keating (died April 2004) with Bonnie - 1988)

Sadly Keating lost her battle to cancer in April 2004, aged 41 . A statement issued by Keating's family said that her death had left an 'unfilled void'

Caron Keating enjoyed a four-year stint on Blue Peter before leaving in January 1990.

She took time out of presenting to raise her two sons before returning to TV in 1996, standing in for Richard and Judy on This Morning.

Keating was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1997, aged just 34, but went on to present Work It Out and appeared in television commercials. 

Keating also presented chat show Family Affairs with her mother famous Gloria Hunniford.

Sadly Keating lost her battle to cancer in April 2004, aged 41 . Her son Charlie was only nine and his younger brother Gabriel seven when Caron sadly died leaving behind also her husband Russ Lindsay who she wed in 1991.  

A statement issued by Keating's family said that her death had left an 'unfilled void'.

The family said: 'At 6.15pm last night broadcaster Caron Keating sadly lost her seven-year battle against cancer, a battle that she fought with enormous courage, tenacity and optimism.

Caron is buried in the graveyard at the church, St Peter's in Hever, Kent, and the family gathered there on April 13 to mark the 20th anniversary of her death 

Charlie was only nine and his younger brother Gabriel seven when Caron sadly died leaving behind also her husband Russ Lindsay who she wed in 1991 (seen at their wedding)

'She passed away at her mother's home in Sevenoaks, in Kent, surrounded by her family. Caron had a great sense of family and relished being a mother and wife.

'It goes without saying that she will leave an unfilled void in the family circle, but she leaves a legacy of wonderful memories and love, which will stay with us all our lives.'

Caron is buried in the graveyard at the church, St Peter's in Hever, Kent, and the family gathered there on April 13 this year to mark the 20th anniversary of her death.

Her mother Gloria said: 'To lose a child is the worst thing, in my opinion, that can ever happen to you. I was completely and utterly devastated and there was a point where I thought, 'This could take me out as well'.'

Gloria held back tears as she talked about her late daughter Caron on Loose Women in 2021.

She discussed how she tries to 'keep her alive in spirit' on her birthday and other milestones for the sake of Caron's sons Charlie and Gabriel.

During a discussion about how to deal with milestones in your life after you lose a loved one, Gloria said: 'The first one [milestone] is agonising.

'When we lost Caron - and her anniversary was just last week - I was determined in my own head, that her children, Charlie and Gabriel would mark occasions like Mother's Day, like Christmas , like her birthday. But on the date of her passing I try to keep it quite light.'

She went on to explain how balloons left over from her 80th birthday helped mark the special occasion.

She said: 'The '80' balloon was really big so I thought I'm going to let them off for Caron.

'So when the boys were there we said 'let's send these to mum' - we cut them loose and they went so high because they were filled with helium.

'So we have fun times - we've been know to tie balloons to the gravestone, to send rockets off with little messages in them...'

She added: 'I always think of the phrase 'people never die if they live on the lips on the living'.

'And that's why I always like to talk about Caron to keep her alive in spirit and for her two boys.

'It's really important for me that they learn - cause they're now in their 20s and I think for parents, grandparents in my case, you have to remind them that these days should be thought of.'

Gloria built up The Caron Keating Foundation in the wake of her daughter's death. 

She has previously discussed how Caron's positive attitude had helped her loved ones cope with the devastating diagnosis.

Gloria said: 'Caron never talked about losing her battle – she only ever talked about life. Her whole attitude to cancer was positivity. We all tapped in to that, and she became the teacher.'

She continued to say that at times she almost felt like there was 'nothing wrong' as their life was filled with so much fun.

PETER PURVES 

Presented Blue Peter from 1967 to 1978

Peter Purves presented the children's TV show for 11 years and often jetted to exotic locations to film segments for the show. 

The veteran television host now blames those travels for the skin cancer he was diagnosed with in 2014.

The 85-year-old said it was the result of travel to exotic destinations such as Ivory Coast and Ethiopia in an era when warnings about sun damage were rare. After being diagnosed with melanoma in 2014, he got the all-clear in 2020.

He told The Mail on Sunday: 'I travelled to 27 countries with Blue Peter in the 1960s and early 70s.

'We were going to places like Morocco on safari in a Land Rover, to where David Lean filmed Lawrence Of Arabia, very remote.

'I went to the Ivory Coast, to Ethiopia and Mexico at a time when very few people travelled.

'We had medical checks at the BBC before we went and we were given salt and malaria tablets so none of us suffered from the local diseases. 

'But I would put oil on my skin and fried myself, which is probably why I eventually ended up with melanoma. I either fried it or I didn't protect my skin at all. It was just stupid.

Peter Purves presented the children's TV show for 11 years and often jetted to exotic locations to film segments for the show (Peter, John and Valerie in Mexico in 1970)

Peter Purves and Petra, the first Blue Peter dog and pet, photographed in the 1970's

'The doctors asked me what my background was. I told them and they just nodded. I hadn't even heard of skin cancer back then. 

'It takes time and eventually it shows itself.' 

The disease can result from DNA damage caused by the sun's UV rays.

It may occur in the first few years after exposure, but cases can also develop from sun damage that happened decades earlier.

Speaking about his diagnosis, father-of-two Purves said: 'It was a bit of a shock. They cut it out and got rid of it. They knew the cancer was moving to the lymph nodes so they took them out too. 

'The NHS handled it the right way. I had lymphoma afterwards because of having the lymph nodes removed. That caused problems for a few months.

'My wife was very worried and I'm sure my children and my sister were. We all were, but I came through it. You're vulnerable, but I think I'm in reasonably good nick for an old 'un.'

He added: 'I had a brilliant surgeon. He did a brilliant job. I can't praise the medical staff enough. They were fantastic.'

A lifetime animal-lover, Purves also spent 41 years as the 'voice of Crufts' before Channel 4 unceremoniously axed him in December, a decision he criticised as 'ageism'. 

Speaking to the Mail , he described how the decision left him 'reeling'. 

'Honestly, I don't know when I last felt so upset and angry,' he said. 'The producers won't admit it but I am convinced that it's ageism, pure and simple.

'My voice and my ability to communicate are as good as they have ever been. I still seem to be well liked; I still get fan mail. It's ridiculous and painful.'

What made the decision so brutal for Peter was the fact that it came just as he was celebrating one of the greatest accolades of his career - an invitation to present the trophy to the Best In Show winner at Crufts 2020. 

Delighted, Peter promptly emailed Sunset+Vine, the company who make the programme for Channel 4, with the news. He explained that, for obvious reasons, he would not be able to commentate on that segment of the show next year.

A lifetime animal-lover, Purves also spent 41 years as the 'voice of Crufts' before Channel 4 unceremoniously axed him in December, a decision he criticised as 'ageism'

Peter Purves and Lesley Judd attend Blue Peter's Big Birthday, celebrating the show's 60th anniversary

But it was then that the show's executive producer, David Stranks, called to admit he had news of his own: Peter's services would no longer be required.

A follow-up email worded his sacking thus: 'As I am sure you're aware, a long-running production like Crufts is under constant pressure to refresh and revitalise what we do... as much in terms of the faces and voices who present the programming as in terms of the way we work to give our evolving audience insight and entertainment about the event and its wider subject matter.

'This is an ongoing process and has impacted many people who have been key members of our team over the years.'

Clearly, Peter was shocked. 'It was a body blow. I felt like I had been kicked in the stomach,' he said.

Peter (alongside Clare Balding) believes that the reason for his axe is because his 85-year-old face no longer fits at Channel 4

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