Blue Peter, an iconic television programme, might be undergoing significant changes.
The longest-running children’s series presently airs every Friday at 5pm on CBBC, hosted by Abby Cook, Joel Mawhinney, and Shini Muthukrishnan. However, the live aspect is not assured in the future, and presenters may change as the BBC invites producers to submit bids to renew the series.
Blue Peter debuted in 1958 to fill a void in the market for shows aimed at children aged five to eight. Christopher Trace, the late actor, and Leila Williams, the winner of Miss Great Britain, led the 15-minute black-and-white programme.
Over time, it became a staple show for many young people, who were often keen to obtain the elusive badges. They included more instructional portions, stories outside of the studio, and increased the length from 15 to 30 minutes.
The show has started the careers of several presenters, including Helen Skelton, Konnie Huq, Gethin Jones, and Richard Bacon.
Throughout its history, the show has had remarkable occurrences such as a visit from King Charles, Lulu the elephant leaving an unsavoury memento, and Diane-Louise Jordan’s groundbreaking use of the internet on broadcast (1995). She utilised the opportunity to update the Blue Peter website and email then-US President Bill Clinton.
Blue Peter had a peak viewership of eight million, but the most recent episode drew only 37,700.
The BBC website advertised the exciting chance to tender the series, encouraging bidders to come up with new and innovative concepts while honouring the show’s legacy.
‘Whilst we wish to protect the Blue Peter legacy, this tender is an opportunity to consider what Blue Peter represents in the current multi-platform, multi-device space and how the Blue Peter brand might interface with the lives of our modern, evolving young audiences who have a very different relationship with media consumption than when the show started,’ the invitation to tender begins.
‘The format has hardly changed in those sixty-six years, so we are looking for proposals that not only capitalise on the strengths of the Blue Peter brand but that also demonstrate creative ways to think differently including suggestions for supporting the necessary drive to digital.’
They also stated that while this is the current mix of live and studio recordings, there is ‘no compulsion’ to stick with that methodology. The BBC is likewise willing to changing up its presenters.
‘Blue Peter presenters are particularly iconic and we all have our own favourites. We have had an evolving roster of presenters over the years which has served the format well,’ it explained.
‘The current three presenters are all relatable to the audience and well-liked. We are open to suggestions for refreshing presenters on a regular basis to capitalise on modern consumption patterns.’
Former host Peter Duncan (1985-1986) doesn’t think it would work, especially due to the show’s pet, Henry the dog.
‘I can’t see how that’s going to work,’ he stated.
‘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?’
The deadline for submissions closed last month, with the BBC now likely considering the applications.
A BBC spokesperson said: ‘The tender is a procedural document and to draw anything further from it is total speculation. Blue Peter has a bright future.’
There were reports in 2023 that the series would be cancelled when three presenters all left within 14 months, however the BBC clarified that this is not the case.
‘The future for Blue Peter is bright, there are categorically no plans to stop it. The programme continues to be enjoyed by audiences on the CBBC channel and iPlayer,’ a BBC spokesperson told us at the time.
Blue Peter airs at 5pm on CBBC every Friday