Classic Clips

Lulu the elephant makes her mark on Blue Peter
Valerie Singleton, John Noakes and Peter Purves
1969

In 1969, Lulu the elephant was brought on to Blue Peter before the presenters left on their Summer Expedition to Sri Lanka. The resulting chaos is probably one of the most watched moments in the programme’s history.

John Noakes climbs to the top of Nelson’s column
John Noakes
1977

This unforgettable Blue Peter moment saw John Noakes climb to the top of Nelson’s Column in London – without a harness! The film is just one of the many that contributed to Noakes’ reputation as the programme’s daredevil presenter.

Lesley Judd has a close encounter with a Gorilla
Leslie Judd
1975

Leslie Judd’s visit to a zoo in 1975 resulted in a close call with a fashion-conscious gorilla that took a fancy to her shirt collar. Nobody ever said being a Blue peter presenter was an easy job!

Peter Duncan runs the first London Marathon
Peter Duncan
1981

In 1981 Peter Duncan joined 6700 other runners to participate in the first annual London Marathon. He completed the course in a little over three hours and several other Blue Peter presenters have since followed his example.

The first Blue Peter time capsule is buried and unearthed
Valerie Singleton, John Noakes, Peter Purves, Katy Hill, Matt Baker, Simon Thomas and Konnie Huq
1971, 2000

In 1971 the first of four Blue Peter time capsules was buried in front of BBC Television Centre by Valerie Singleton, John Noakes, and Peter Purves. Several years later, the time capsule was moved to the Blue Peter garden and in 2000 it was unearthed by Val, Pete and John with the help of new presenters Katy Hill, Matt Baker, Simon Thomas and Konnie Huq. The original contents were still there – albeit a bit soggy!