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Blue Peter Presenters: Then and Now

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Blue Peter is 60 on 16th October 2018, so we thought we'd check in with some of the past presenters and see how they have changed since their time on Blue Peter!

Presenters and emoji faces.

Leila Williams

Leila was the first female Blue Peter presenter who appeared on the show from 1958 - 1962. After leaving Blue Peter Leila did some acting and tried all sorts of different jobs. How interesting!

Peter Purves

Peter was on Blue Peter from 1967 - 1978 and looked after the most famous Blue Peter dog, Petra. Here he is with Petra while he was presenting the show and now, taken with her statue in the Blue Peter garden in Salford. Since leaving the show, Peter has continued to present TV and act in some big dramas - he was even in Doctor Who!

Janet Ellis

Janet was on the show from 1983 - 1987. After leaving, she wrote books and continued to present on TV. Her daughter Sophie Ellis-Bexter occassionally appeared on Blue Peter as a girl and grew up to be a famous popstar, who is even performing on the 60th show!

Peter Duncan

Peter presented from 1980 - 1986 and was known for his comedic style and his iconic green-and-white check suit. Looks like his fashion sense has changed a bit since! Peter went on to write and direct pantomimes, appear in travel documentaries and other TV shows and became Chief Scout from 2004 until 2009.

Anthea Turner

Anthea was a BP presenter from 1992 - 1994 - she hasn't changed a bit! She still has the Tracy Island she famously made for the show, over 20 years after it was made. Since leaving the show, Anthea has continued to present and take part in TV shows.

Konnie Huq

Konnie holds the record for longest running female Blue Peter presenter, and she appeared on the show from 1997 - 2008. Since leaving the show, she has continued to present on stage and screen and has even written for TV!

Matt Baker

Matt Baker presented the show from 2000 - 2006 and has remained in the BBC family, presenting The One Show and Countryfile. It has been over ten years since he was on BP and we think he looks exactly the same!

Helen Skelton

Helen only left the show in 2013, but she has changed a bit since starting as a BP presenter in 2008. She's can't keep away from a good challenge though, taking part in a boxing match for Sport Relief in 2018. She also still has Barney the Blue Peter dog, who she adopted while presenting the show. Tell him we said hi, Helen!

What do you think?

Which presenter do you think has changed the most? Write your thoughts in the comments below.

Take a look at the full list of Blue Peter presenters on the CBBC website. 

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