Blue Peter baby

[Glossopswift]

A colleague has this afternoon declared that Blue Peter once had a baby. Apparently his name was Daniel and he had a donkey. BP 'followed' him for a few years to show his progress and made things for him (including a house for his donkey). Colleague says that the baby was chosen as being a typical/ordinary/representative child of his generation. This would be in the 1970s. Can anyone give more details? How is little Daniel doing now? Please note that this has nothing to do with Joey Deakin.

[spudqueen]

Yes, I remember the 'Blue Peter' baby, don't know what he's up to now though.

[natalie_1982]

Peter Purves (1967-78)
Quieter, more cerebral, supply teacher-like foil for action man Noakes, ex-Dr Who companion Purves often ended up studio-bound. Famously resisted being involved in the bringing up of the so-called 'Blue Peter baby', Daniel ("...it's not a bloody man's job!") until ordered to do so by Baxter. A fixture at CRUFTS for many years, he now edits "Top Dog" magazine.

Apparently baby Daniel arrived in 1969 which would make him .... erm..... 36?

[natalie_1982]

The Blue Peter Baby
It was decided that Blue Peter should feature a baby on the show, to demonstrate to viewers without a brother or a sister just how babies grew and developed and how they should be looked after. On 30th September 1968, at just fourteen weeks old, Daniel made his debut. Up until June 1970 Daniel made regular appearances. Peter Purves was none too pleased about being given the job of being Daniel's on-screen father-figure.

(Just google Blue Peter baby Daniel)

[natalie_1982]

Who's Joey Deakin?

[Englishbird]

The only other reference to him online is when richard bacon got fired for taking cocaine, it mentions Daniel Scott - the blue peter baby, who went on to drop out of school and take drugs.  Otherwise there's no other references to him.

[tonymclark]

Didn't he get into drugs as a teenager? Or trouble with the Police?

I too remember Daniel, and there are often clips of him among Blue Peter clips wheeled out for The 100 Greatest... The Best of... et-al.

The last clip I saw a few years ago, was him watching "his favourite TV programme", The Magic Roundabout.

[Glossopswift]

Thanks all. Colleague did say that things went a bit pear-shaped for the poor lad but it looks like we may never know where Daniel is now.

natalie_1982 - Joey Deakin was another BP 'project' who, to the shame of myself and my age-group, was a source for playground name-calling. He was a sweet man with a disability and we 8 year olds only saw the disability.

[tonymclark]

I've found a photo of him.

www.bbc.co.uk

go to CULT click on CLASSIC TV then BLUE PETER. In the section with a picture of Val, John and Pete, 1967-1972 there is a Picture Gallery. He is labeled as "Blue Peter Baby"  Sorry, I'm useless at doing those automatic links to web pages

[kempie]

Joey Deakin (or as I remember Deacon) was born to a mother prescribed Thalidomide during pregnancy before it was realised that the drug caused major deformities to developing foetuses.

[OBonio]

Joey Deacon. A source of great playground amusement in the 80s. Nowt as cruel as children!

[mongos bird]

Joey Deacon was an elderly gentleman who was unable to speak but could make noises with his mouth.  He appeared on Blue Peter with his friend who claimed he could interpret the noises Joey made.  It later emerged that his friend was telling porkies, he didn't have a clue what Joey was on about!!  Made it all up, the ******!!

I too hang my head in shame, I'm amongst the generation of school children who took to calling people a 'joey'. 

[bernardo]

Why on Earth did you say "this has nothing to do with Joey Deacon" as if we might have thought that it did?

Incidentally, the fact that his friend was able to interpret Joey's noises accurately was confirmed by fairly straightforward tests; he wasn't making it up.

[THECORBYLOON]

bernardo I can confirm what you said. I think it was because Joey's speech was so difficult to understand, folk assumed his friend could be making up things but he was indeed tested and found to be truthful.  

[Glossopswift]

bernardo - because that is exactly what happened when we were discussing it at work.