Ayo Akinwolere

The beginning of July saw a trip down to Leicester to catch up with Ayo Akinwolere on The Time Capsule Tour.

Ayo at the time known as Andy presented Blue Peter from June 2006 until June 2011. Before joining the show he was working as a runner for CBBC. One evening whilst having drinks with friends in the BBC club, one of the Blue Peter production team heard him talking. She liked what she was hearing and suggested to Richard Marson the Blue Peter Editor at the time that Andy should audition. On 26th June 2006 Andy became Blue Peter presenter 32. His first challenges were abseiling and a bungee jump from a helicopter and this was the start of 5 years of fun and adventures.

During his final challenge before leaving Blue Peter Ayo set a new world record for the deepest location for an open water swim. He swam for more than five miles across the Palau Trench in the Pacific Ocean, the first person to ever do so.

Since leaving Blue Peter he has presenter Fort Boyard - Ultimate Challenge and taken part in Dancing on Ice, Celebrity Master Chef and The Great British Bake off. In 2012 he went to Jamacia to make a documentary for the BBC about Husain Bolt. Since 2014 he has presented Inside Out for the BBC in The Midlands Area.

In 2015 he created the swim challenge. a project to encourage people of colour to lean to swim.

In 2016 he changed his name back to Ayo, his birth name saying he wished to normalise his name and represent his community.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-37289733/ex-blue-peter-presenter-why-i-changed-my-name

Ayo features in Blue Peter books, 37,38,39 and 40.

Gethin Jones

During June I caught up with Gethin Jones on two occasions for Project 161018. The first was quite by chance in a coffee shop. The second was more planned at the studios of Gethin's new breakfast show on Hits Radio. Here Gethin signed some of my Blue Peter books and introduced me to his radio show colleagues.

Gethin presented Blue Peter from April 2005 until June 2006, however he made his first appearance on the show at Christmas 2004 as he walked through the appeal totaliser doors dressed as Father Christmas.

During his time on the programme Gethin completed The Royal Marines Commando Yomp, trained to be a butler, played the part of both a Cyberman and a Dalek in Dr Who and completed submarine escape training with The Royal Navy.

During The Royal Marines Commando Yomp

Gethin is both a keen sportsman and talented musician. He loves rugby and played for his school and University teams. He sported a rugby kit on many Blue Peter films about the sport. Gethin also plays the violin and played at The Proms with The BBC Philharmonic Orchestra. He also once played the Blue Peter closing theme on the electric violin, along with string quartet String Fever.

During a filming trip to Edinburgh as well as learning to play the bagpipes, reporting from Edinburgh Zoo and Murryfield the home of The Edinburgh Gunners Rugby team he also famously modelled a variety of kilts around the city's streets.

In 2007 Gethin took part in the fifth series of  the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, he was partnered with professional Dancer Camilla Dallerup and the couple came 3rd.

Gethin features in Blue Peter books 35 -38.

Since leaving Blue Peter Gethin has kept busy working on various television and radio shows including Daybreak and 71 degrees North both for ITV. He has also worked on This Morning and The One Show. During the 2016 and 2017 series of Strictly Come Dancing Gethin became a reporter for the spin off show It takes two. He stood in for regular host Zoe Ball for two shows during the 2017 series. Gethin took part in Soccer Aid both in 2008 and 2010 playing for The Rest of the World. Radio work includes The Sunday Morning Breakfast show on the Heart Network and in June 2018 Gethin began presenting the weekday breakfast show on the new Hits Radio along with Gemma Atkinson and Dave Vitty.

With Gethin and The Hits Radio Breakfast Team.