MovieChat Forums > Blue Peter (1958) Discussion > does anybody remember these short-servin...

does anybody remember these short-serving presenters?

posted 13 years ago by frana43
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There have been 35 so far, from the late Christopher Trace in October 1958 to Barney Harwood who has been hosting BP since January 2011 - so the hosts this thread will devote itself to are:

(1) Christopher Wenner - replaced John Noakes, served from September 1978 to June 1980, did not get his contract renewed due to his being unpopular with viewers (he was generally stiff in front of the cameras and out-of-place among his co-hosts) and difficult to work with), and was replaced by Peter Duncan, who slowly proved himself to be hugely popular, and similar to Noakes. As for Wenner, he went on to work for ITN.

(2) Michael Sundin - replaced Duncan, served from September 1984 to June 1985, did not get his contract renewed due to his being more unpopular with viewers than any presenter before him (reasons being that he lacked the confidence required of a BP presenter, his Geordie accent brought in too many complaints, and he was effeminate), and was replaced by...Duncan, again! As for Sundin, he had his gay past exposed by the tabloids, and died of an AIDS-related illness in 1989.

(3) Romana D'Annunzio - replaced Diane Louise-Jordan, served from March 1996 to February 1998, becoming the programme's second Scottish presenter (after John Leslie). Although she claims she chose to leave in order to return to acting, she may as well have been fired, as she proved difficult to work with in more ways than one. D'Annunzio (who is now a teacher) was replaced by Konnie Huq.

Interestingly, Duncan was offered the chance to be a presenter back in 1978, when Noakes was about to step down (after too long in the role) - except than when Duncan came to the studio, one of the items being recorded (and then broadcast) was a performance by transexual artist, which freaked Duncan out! So Wenner replaced Noakes instead - and the only way in which he is remembered, is via his doing a feature about door-knockers on a cathedral. We all know what led to - right?

As for Sundin...had he not been given the boot, then would Caron Keating (who replaced Duncan in 1986) have ever got to join the team?

D'Annunzio auditioned alongside another Scottish girl, one Gail Porter - perhaps she might have fared better, as a host?

To the various generations who can recall these unlucky presenters...what do you all think?

[–] nordeuropa 10 years ago

I remember Christopher (although I wasn't aware of his surname at the time) Wenner as being "the one who wasn't Simon Groom", but he was pretty much overshadowed by his Goldie-owning, DJ-ing farmer's son colleague. Good to Wenner had quite a successful career after Blue Peter.

I also remember Michael Sundin. They made quite an issue of the fact that he had played Tick Tock in Return to Oz, which looked terrifyingly uncomfortable! It involved walking bent double and wearing a metal sphere over his body, Unfortunately, I thought of him as a rubbish version of Peter Duncan, and I'm afraid I couldn't understand his accent at all! But I was genuinely shocked a few years later when I read that a Blue Peter presenter I remembered had passed away.