Blimey, you lot.

Following yesterday’s extra batch of Blue Peter information from Paul R Jackson, Daniel James Webb has written in (okay, he posted in the comments, but I’m trying to get a Blue Peter aesthetic going) with the following list of details of presenter reunions for each landmark anniversary. Take it away, Daniel!

20th anniversary (16th Oct 1978): 7 from 9 living ex-presenters present (77.78%)

Anita was missed when they did the research for this programme, and subsequently left out of the show’s official history for the next 20 years. John N was filming Go With Noakes on the day, but sent a pre-recorded message on film.

25th anniversary (17th Oct 1983): 9 from 13 (69.23%)

Anita remained forgotten. John N and Lesley were not there, but clips of them were shown at the appropriate point during the presenter parade. Leila was also not there, and, as far as I can glean from the archive, not mentioned during the presenter parade, presumably as no footage of her time on the show survived.

30th anniversary (17th Oct 1988)

No presenter reunion as such, although Val presented the O.B. during which the Outstanding Endeavour Award was announced, and Simon G, Peter D, Janet and Sarah all sent pre-recorded messages on VT.

35th anniversary (14th Oct 1993): 13 from 18 (72.22%)

Peter P and Janet each appeared on VT introducing their favourite moment on the show. Anita was still forgotten. Christopher W and Yvette were not there and not directly mentioned in the part of the show regarding past presenters, although as Mark’s favourite moment was being deafened by Yvette at Blackpool Pleasure Beach she was at least seen in archive footage.

40th anniversary (16th Oct 1998): 24 from 25 (92.31%)

The only living presenters that weren’t there were Anita West (whose association with the show emerged in the press very soon afterwards, resulting in her being invited to take part in the Blue Peter Panto that Christmas with various other ex-presenters) and the then-recently-departed Romana.

45th anniversary (15th Oct 2003)

No returning presenters this time. Instead viewer Ryan Gilpin became a presenter for one show.

50th anniversary (16th Oct 2008)

No returning presenters again, but Christopher T’s granddaughter was interviewed.

55th anniversary (17th Oct 2013)

No returning presenters yet again.

60th anniversary (16th Oct 2018): 27 from 33 (81.82%)

Matt Baker appeared via either pre-record or satellite (not sure which) from Broadcasting House in London, as he was doing The One Show that evening. Mark Curry was explicitly mentioned in the show as having become ill at the last minute. Three consecutive presenters, Simon G, Chris W and Tina were all absent and unmentioned, and the way the other presenters were lined up in consecutive order meant that an obvious space at one end would have been precisely where Simon, Chris and Tina would have gone if they’d been there, which made me suspect they had in fact turned up and something of some sort may have happened before transmission that prevented them being in the live show, although that is entirely speculation on my part. Gethin Jones also seems to have been missing too.

65th anniversary (13th Oct 2023)

No full reunion, but Matt, Radzi and Lindsey returned and took part in the show.

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Lovely stuff. A (still solely spiritual) Broken TV Gold Badge to Daniel for all that excellent work. Now, unless someone is able to go even further with, I don’t know, an exact transcript of Christopher Trace’s inner monologue from the first episode, that’s probably where the Blue Peter ship sets sail from this blog, at least for now.