Tuning in…
Tuning in…
Castaway
1 appearance
Actor and television presenter, best known for presenting Blue Peter.
On the island
Eight records
No reason or quote given in transcript for this track selection; appears to be an introduction to the show's theme but not explicitly listed as a disc.
Climb Every MountainFavourite
Richard Rodgers / Oscar Hammerstein
No explicit quote; probable selection based on his climbing exploits mentioned in transcript.
Frederick Loewe / Alan Jay Lerner
No explicit quote; likely chosen for its connection to theatre.
The keepsakes
No book or luxury recorded for this episode.
In conversation
Presenter asks
0:08What part of Yorkshire do you come from?
[Hallyfanks? - unclear from transcript; likely refers to a place name, but verbatim: 'Hallyfanks']
Presenter asks
0:11What did you do when you left school?
Well, I started life as uh an engine fitter in the RAF.
Presenter asks
0:32Had you done any acting as an amateur before pursuing it professionally?
No, none at all. Um we had things like Pirates of Penzanthon at school, and I used to sit in the audience thinking, This is terrible I could do much better. But there again, I didn't have the courage to try.
Presenter asks
2:54How did you come to join Blue Peter?
It was one of these fairy story type things where I was there at the right time, it was the right face. Biddy Baxter, who's the editor, the boss. Her mum comes from Leicester. I was up at Leicester rep doing a guest appearance as Willie Mossop in Hobson's choice. My picture appeared in the Leicester Mercury. They were looking for a third person to join the programme. So Biddy's mum sent the local paper down to Biddy and she saw the picture and wrote to me and said, Would I come down for uh an interview? So down I went and it was very strange because … After the interview, I knew the job was mine. It was a very odd feeling.
Presenter asks
3:38How did you adjust to being yourself on camera after enjoying acting as other people?
…the first few months were quite terrifying because I enjoyed being other people, pretending to be other people. I enjoyed dressing up, putting on the makeup and false whiskers and saying somebody else's words. Myself, I hadn't anything to offer, but I liked to be somebody else. And then sat in front of the camera, the camera wanted to see me, and it was a terrifying battle. It was quite frightening, in fact. It took quite a time to adjust to it. … And somehow I I came to terms with it. And now uh it's me in front of the camera instead of trying to be somebody else.
Presenter asks
7:49Who in particular do you remember as a fascinating visitor to the Blue Peter studio?
Chief Red Fox. He was a marvellous old fellow. Hundred and one he was. This red Indian, uh … he was really the last of the old wild west. You could have listened to him for hours, in fact. Uh one of the things that he did say that when he was a lad uh he he remembered uh Custer's last stand. He saw it from the hills. Which uh I think really is the best place to see it from.
“I thought well, maybe when I'm an old man I'll look back, and I've never tried, I'll regret it.”
“I'll never forget actually. On the first time I went out there, uh I was terrified and I was dusting the audience. This was a sort of uh rehearsal audience, dress rehearsal, and I saw a little boy w with a lady there and as I turned to him to dust him, he turned to me and the look of horror as he saw this terrifying clown's face he screamed about twenty minutes afterwards.”
“Myself, I hadn't anything to offer, but I liked to be somebody else. And then sat in front of the camera, the camera wanted to see me, and it was a terrifying battle.”
“Half an hour you've got to learn somebody's job more or less … And also the thing I do, I find out what can happen, what can go wrong. … if this goes wrong, do that. So I I must do it straight away. That's why I live so long in fact.”