Janet Ellis MBE

Day two in London (1/3/18) and it was still snowing. Today I met the lovely Janet Ellis.
Janet presented Blue Peter for four years from April 1983 until June 1987.

Janet's first television role was in 1978 when she played the part of Princess Grizelda in Jackanory Playhouse. The following year she played Teka in the Doctor Who story The Horns of Nimon.

Then Janet joined Adrian, Jig, Bigum, The O - men, Noseybonk and Pterry in the crazy world of Jigsaw.  The show ran for 6 series and in 1980 won a BAFTA for The Best Childrens Programme. Janet left after series four in 1983 to become the thirteenth Blue Peter presenter.

Jig

The next four years  were action packed for Janet and some of her many highlights include Singing with the BBC Symphony Chorus at The Last night of the Proms. Taking part in the Royal Marines mud race, practising a cable car rescue, training  to be a British Airways flight attendant and on 8th October 1986 after 3 and a half years of training and a broken pelvis, Janet became the first civilian woman in Europe to jump out of an aeroplane at 20,000 feet.

Summer trips include Sri Lanka, Kenya and Australia where Janet had an asthma attack on Ayres Rock.

Janet in Sri Lanka

Janet left Blue Peter in the Summer of 1987 after she became pregnant with her second child. Janet is the mother of three children including singer Sophie Ellis Bextor. Sophie appeared on Blue Peter with her Mum on several occasions.

Since leaving Blue Peter Janet has kept very busy. Television work includes Open Air, Just the two of us, and she has been a regular panellist on Channel five's The Wright Stuff since 2002. She has provided voice overs for many television commercials including the long running Daz challenge. Then in 2016 published her first novel The Butchers Hook and is presently writing her second.

In 2016 Janet was appointed Member of the order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to acting and charity. In 2017 Janet was awarded a Gold Blue Peter badge (see Gold for Janet)

Janet with her daughter Sophie Ellis Bextor at Buckingham Palace
after being honoured with the MBE

Janet features in Blue Peter Books 20, 21,22, and 23.

Click the video below to see highlights of Janet's four years on Blue Peter.

Gold for Janet

Current presenter Razi Chinyanaganya has been following previous generations of Blue Peter presenters by training with the RAF Falcons to free fall and the results of this will be shown this coming Thursday on The Blue Peter Children In Need Special.

Yesterday former presenter Janet Ellis joined Radzi on the BBC Breakfast sofa to give her support and to reminisce on her time training with the Falcons. Janet completed her training, having broken her pelvis along the way. On 8th October 1986, Janet jumped out of an aeroplane at 20,000 feet and and became the first civilian woman in Europe to do so, a record she held onto for 5 months.

At the end of the interview, you could see Janet's genuine thrill as Radzi presented her with a Gold Blue Peter Badge in recognition of her four years on Blue Peter.

Later in the evening Janet joined the Blue Peter team at The Royal Television Society North West awards in Manchester, where the programme was presented with a judges special award ahead of the 60th Birthday celebrations next year.

A belated Happy 59th Birthday Blue Peter

Monday 16th October marked Blue Peter's 59th Birthday.

The previous Thursday was chosen as the day Blue Peter would celebrate, and in fact it also marked the start of a year of celebrations of the programmes 60th year. I am so pleased the BBC are going to celebrate this wonderful television milestone.

The 59th Birthday show included the unveiling of the Gold Badge Walkway at Media City UK. A pathway celebrating some of the famous faces that have been awarded a Gold Blue Peter Badge over the years (more on this soon). The show also featured a birthday quiz including a round that recreated a make first made by John Noakes in the 1960's

A brilliant film featured current presenter Lindsey Russell taking part in a training exercise with The RNLI at Beaumaris the former home of The Blue Peter 2 lifeboat.

The show ended with a teaser of Radzi's Children in need challenge. Following in the footsteps of past presenters John Noakes, Janet Ellis, Simon Thomas and Andy Akinwolere. Radzi has been training with The RAF Falcons and is going to attempt a free fall parachute jump.

Lots more is planned for the 60th year, including in February when 5000 editions of Blue Peter will have been aired, a special Diamond anniversary badge will be launched.

The 59th birthday also marks a year to go until the end of my Project 161018 challenge. If you would like to visit my fundraising page and sponsor me, it would be greatly appreciated