John Noakes
| John Noakes | |
|---|---|
| Born |
6 March 1934 Shelf, Halifax, West Riding of Yorkshire, England |
| Residence | Andratx, Majorca, Spain |
| Occupation | Actor, presenter, television personality |
| Years active | 1965–2013 |
| Spouse(s) | Vicky (1965–present) |
John Noakes (born 6 March 1934) is an English television presenter and personality, best known for co-presenting the BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter in the 1960s and 1970s. He remains the show's longest-serving presenter, with a tenure that lasted 12 years and 6 months.
Born in Halifax, West Yorkshire, he was educated at Rishworth School, where he excelled in cross-country running and gymnastics.
Noakes trained as an aircraft engine fitter for the RAF and BOAC, before deciding to become an actor. He trained at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and made his stage debut as a dog and a clown in a pantomime. He appeared on television in programmes such as the military police drama series Redcap and worked with the comedian Cyril Fletcher.
Noakes joined Blue Peter as a presenter on 30 December 1965; his colleagues at the time were Christopher Trace and Valerie Singleton. Trace left the programme in 1967, and was replaced by Peter Purves, creating the 'Val, John and Pete' line-up which lasted until 1972. When Singleton began to diversify her television career, former Young Generation dancer Lesley Judd joined the team. At a time when most BBC presenters spoke with received pronunciation (RP), Noakes's broad Yorkshire accent was a novelty.
Noakes usually fulfilled the role of action man in the series. Highlights included free-fall parachuting with the RAF's Flying Falcons display team and bobsleighing (his sled hit a hole in the ice and turned over, injuring him). After his five-mile-high free-fall with the RAF in 1973, he held the record for the longest free-fall parachute jump by a British civilian for a few years, although it has since been broken.
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