Biddy Baxter, the pioneering editor who turned Blue Peter into a national institution, has died at the age of 92, the BBC has announced.
Born Joan Maureen Baxter in Leicester, she studied at St Mary's College, Durham University, before joining the BBC as a radio studio manager in 1955. She later produced Schools Junior English programmes and Listen With Mother before moving into television.
Baxter became editor of Blue Peter in 1965, a role she held for more than 20 years. She introduced the iconic Blue Peter badge and the programme's national appeals, encouraging children to send in letters, pictures and ideas. Under her leadership, the show won two Bafta awards and received 12 nominations.
Former presenter Peter Duncan described her as 'a true force of nature', telling BBC Breakfast: 'She was a wonderful, inspiring person... She was a true enthusiast and a supporter of young people.'
After leaving Blue Peter in 1988, she was awarded a gold Blue Peter badge, the programme's highest honour. She later acted as a consultant to BBC directors general John Birt and Michael Checkland, and received a special Bafta children's award in 2013.
Baxter was made an MBE in 1981 and founded a trust in 2003 to support gifted music scholars. Reflecting on her career in 2013, she said: 'I didn't want to do anything other than Blue Peter... It was an absolute dream.'
