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.

Blue Peter and the R.N.L.I

The tradition of the Blue Peter appeal began in 1962. The first appeal to support the R.N.L.I was in 1966. Viewers were asked to send in old paperback books. A target of 60,000 books was set to buy one inshore lifeboat. The result was 240,000 books, which allowed four inshore lifeboats to be bought.

Lifeboat Appeal Totaliser from 1966

The boats were stationed at the following locations :-

Blue Peter 1 - at Littlehampton
Blue Peter 2 - at Beaumaris on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales
Blue Peter 3 - at North Berwick in Scotland
Blue Peter 4 -  at St Agnes in Cornwall

In the mid 1970's Blue Peter viewers helped to fund the replacement of all four boats.

In 1984 it was decided to help the R.N.L.I again. It had been known for a while that the four boats were wearing out. The boats must be in excellent condition to meet the stringent tests of the R.N.L.I.
However at this time all the heart breaking footage of the tragic famine in Ethiopia was being shown on the news every night. Thousands of Blue Peter viewers wrote into the programme asking can't we do something to help. So 1984 saw the double life saver appeal. The target 800,000 envelopes of buttons and postcards, to replace the four lifeboats and 800,000 envelopes of  used stamps to provide long term aid for Ethiopia including water tanks, a truck and cattle feed, so that children could have fresh milk to drink. Both targets were smashed, allowing 6 lifeboats to be bought, now locating one in Northern Ireland, along with a relief boat to take over when regular boats are being serviced. Extra equipment for Ethiopia included a well digging scheme, tools, seeds and cooking utensils.

In 1993 The pieces of eight appeal, collected enough broken jewellery, watches and postcards, to once again replace all six lifeboats and also provide an additional ocean going lifeboat.

This video shows an R.N.L.I crew putting Blue Peter 1 through its paces in 2010.

2006 saw the 50th anniversary of the relationship between Blue Peter and the R.N.L.I.

Thanks to four appeals Blue Peter viewers have funded 25 lifeboats, which at that time had been lunched more than 4,600 times and helped lifeboat crews save more that 1,000 lives.

Next time we shall look at the relationship between Blue Peter and Guide Dogs.