In a growing trend, television channels are turning to social media influencers to front classic shows and attract new audiences. Now, it appears that Blue Peter will be swapping one influencer for another.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal that Kyle Thomas, who boasts a staggering 34 million followers on TikTok, is set to take over from Joel Mawhinney, who resigned earlier this year. Mawhinney himself has 16 million TikTok followers.
Insiders at the BBC suggest that in the modern media age, the process of recruiting young talent is less about traditional auditions and more about follower counts. This approach ensures that new presenters bring their existing audiences with them.
Thomas, 21, from Lisburn, County Down, has amassed such a large following primarily through his posts about exotic animals. He also has 1.3 million followers on Instagram.
A source close to the show commented: “Thomas has a genuine passion for animals, and that has proven immensely popular on TikTok. If they can attract even a fraction of his followers to Blue Peter, signing him up is a no-brainer.”
Thomas has previously appeared as a guest on the CBBC show, presenting a segment that aimed to show viewers that “creepy crawlies can be cute.” However, his involvement has not been without controversy. His mother, Zena Foord, was convicted of smuggling an unlicensed capybara—the world’s largest rodent—from Cambridgeshire into Northern Ireland. Her son regularly featured the animal in his social media posts.
Thomas named the capybara Queen Elizabeth and dressed it in jewellery, tiaras, and dresses. The animal fell ill shortly after arriving at the family home and later died.
Mawhinney, 28, from Bangor, County Down, announced his departure from Blue Peter earlier this year. There were concerns that his co-presenter and girlfriend, Shini Muthukrishnan, 25, might also leave, though she has not done so yet.
This development marks a significant shift from the programme’s heyday in the early 1970s, when it was presented by John Noakes, Peter Purves, and Valerie Singleton. Back then, airing on BBC1, the show could attract an impressive eight million viewers.
