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CBBC offers life-line to Gordon The Gopher as stars reunite to celebrate 30 years of live Children’s BBC Presentation
Wednesday 9 September will bring together dozens of the nation’s childhood favourites to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Children’s BBC Presentation, and will announce a brand new presenter live on air.
CBBC has offered Gordon the Gopher a reprieve by extending an invitation for him to take part in a special celebration marking 30 years since the launch of Children’s BBC Presentation. Devised as the “bits in-between the shows”, live children’s presentation first aired at 3.55pm on 9 September 1985, hosted by Phillip Schofield, from a tiny control desk fondly remembered as the BroomCupboard.
Gordon the Gopher has been off the rails for several years, and has been promised a role as long as he cleans up his act.
Cheryl Taylor, Controller of CBBC says: “We’d be delighted to welcome all the stars back to CBBC for this special event. Even Gordon is welcome - as long as he’s a good gopher! So he’s on the guest list... for now”
To mark the anniversary, a 60-minute live programme, Hacker’s Birthday Bash, hosted by current presenters Hacker T Dog, Cel Spellman, Katie Thistleton and Dodge T Dog will bring more than 20 former presenters and puppets together, as well as exclusively announcing the newest recruit to the CBBC Presentation team live on air!
With something for every generation, viewers will be able to watch nostalgic archive clips from the past 30 years, while past presenters will share their own memories and play classic CBBC games. Andi Peters will reunite with Edd the Duck in the BroomCupboard, while Zoe Ball is quizzed on her 90s fashion choices, and Phillip Schofield shares his memories of launching Children’s BBC in 1985.
A raft of household names including Zoe Ball, Andi Peters, Angellica Bell, Dick and Dom, Kirsten O’Brien and Matt Edmondson started their careers on the CBBC presentation team.
Commenting on the milestone, Phillip Schofield says: “I can't believe it’s 30 years since I welcomed viewers to the first afternoon of Children's BBC. I had great fun in the BroomCupboard, learning the skills of live TV. If you can introduce Newsround with a fluffy Gopher squeaking next to you, you can handle anything! I’m delighted to be involved in CBBC’s anniversary celebrations. Here's to the next 30 years.”
Former presenters will be joining in the celebrations live at BBC Children’s headquarters at MediaCityUK, Salford, including Andy Crane, Simon Parkin, Toby Anstis, Steve Wilson, Simon Grant, Kirsten O’Brien, Angellica Bell, Andrew Hayden-Smith, Dick and Dom, Adrian Dickson, Otis the Aardvark, Chris Jarvis, Simeon Courtie, Matt Edmondson, Ortis Deley, Ed Petrie and Iain Stirling, as well as the current presenting team.
Zoe Ball, who presented on CBBC from 1993 to 1995, says: “Thirty years is a fantastic achievement. Happy Birthday Children's BBC - and long may it continue! It's such a joy to have been part of. Happy days!”
Andi Peters adds: “I'm really looking forward to getting back in the BroomCupboard with my old mate Edd the Duck for the 30th anniversary. He's combing his green mohican as I speak! When I last presented Children's BBC, Take That were topping the charts and Chris Evans was everywhere... perhaps not that much has changed in the last 22 years after all!”
Hacker’s Birthday Bash: 30 Years Of Children’s BBC is a Children’s Presentation production. The Producer is Jamie Wilson and the Executive Producer is Ian France.