A former contributor to the iconic children's programme Blue Peter has shared a remarkable story of how their appearance in the 1970s culminated in an on-set punch-up after a charity race spiralled into chaos.
The Chaotic Charity Race
The contributor, who recently posted their account on Reddit, explained they were part of a fundraising sedan chair race scheduled from the Houses of Parliament to Mansion House. Their youth leader allegedly kept the Blue Peter involvement a secret until the last moment to ensure only committed participants took part. To their surprise, they were also assigned a Bunny Girl from Mayfair's Playboy Club as a passenger and learned a show presenter would be joining the race.
Filming in the studio proved disastrous. The first attempt saw all four teams collide as they scrambled for the racing line at the studio entrance. After three failed takes, producers gave each team a specific point to aim for. They were also told it "didn't matter who won" as the winner wouldn't be shown.
The Fourth Take and the Fight
Despite the new instructions, the fourth take also ended in catastrophe. The teams navigated the entrance but collided again in a curved tunnel, with one team's foot-pads tripping another, sending them broadside into a wall. "Our Bunny Girl was distraught, we weren't having that, honour had to be done for m'lady..." the contributor wrote on Reddit.
This incident allegedly sparked a punch-up. The Reddit user claimed the situation escalated to the point where a presenter "verbally laid into" the guests. When the episode finally aired, the contributor was furious to see the programme DID show the race winner, contrary to what they were told. The scuffle was glossed over with a long shot and a commentator's mild remark about a "bit of a collision."
Blue Peter's Modern Evolution
This bizarre slice of television history emerges as Blue Peter, the world's longest-running children's TV show, has undergone dramatic changes to stay relevant. Launched in 1958, the BBC programme has seen viewing figures plummet, with a 2017 re-run reportedly recording zero viewers. Today, it averages around 37,700 viewers.
In a major revamp, the show has moved to a new, influencer-style studio in Manchester with exposed brick and wooden floors. More strikingly, it has axed its traditional live broadcast format after over six decades, with episodes now pre-recorded. The most unexpected change is the addition of puppet Hacker T Dog as the show's 44th presenter—its first non-human host.
The show continues to air on CBBC every Friday, presented by Joel Mawhinney, Abby Cook, Shini Muthukrishnan, and Hacker T Dog. The Daily Mail has contacted the BBC for comment regarding the 1970s incident.
