Blue Peter host, 69, looks completely unrecognisable 38 years after BBC show as he appears on GMB
A TOP Blue Peter host looks completely unrecognisable almost four decades after starring on the BBC show.
He made an unexpected appearance on Wednesday’s Good Morning Britain as the ITV daytime programme discussed plans to scrap the BBC TV licence fee for a pay-per-view model.
Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, 59, previously suggested he could do away with the annual charge – which increases next month – with the BBC director general Tim Davie now claiming a reform is needed.
To discuss the potential change, former Blue Peter anchor Peter Duncan starred on the GMB panel.
He fronted the BBC kids show for five years from 1980.
He is the show’s only presenter to have two stints – firstly between 1980 and 1984 and then again from 1985 to 1986.
During his telly heyday he sported brunette locks and was known for his daredevil attitude.
Former Chief Scout Peter, now 69, joined the show as the resident action man, taking on the London Marathon in three hours.
He has gone on to front his own series of family holiday documentaries from 1999 to 2005.
The TV star juggled this with producing, directing and starring in a Jack and the Beanstalk movie which was played out in cinemas.
On GMB, he showed off his white hair and same cheeky chap grin as he argued the TV license should stay – as opposed to being a pay-for option.
He wore a green jacket and orange top for the interview and said: “It’s because it’s an institution.
“Just because something is old it doesn’t mean you have to do away with it.”
He then added: “We have got to do things differently to pay for it.”
This week, BBC director general Tim said he was open to making the TV license system “more progressive.”
Yet the Conservative government has shot down suggestions that the rich should pay more in a tiered price scheme.
Meanwhile, the BBC licence fee will rise from £159 to £169.50 as of April 1, an increase of £10.50.
How to watch TV legally without paying for a licence
YOU can legally use the following services without a TV Licence as long as you aren’t using them to watch or stream live TV:
- On demand TV – such as catch-up TV and on demand previews, which are available through services including ITV Player, All 4, My5, BT Vision/BT TV, Virgin Media, Sky Go, Now TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku and Amazon Fire TV. You can’t watch or download programmes on BBC iPlayer without a TV licence.
- On demand movies – from services such as Sky, Virgin Media, BT Vision, Netflix and Amazon Instant Video.
- Recorded films and programmes – either via DVD or Blu-ray, or downloaded from the internet.
- YouTube – Video clips that aren’t live through services such as YouTube.