Barney Harwood facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Barney Harwood
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Barnaby John Harwood
7 November 1979 Blackpool, Lancashire, England
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| Occupation | Actor, television presenter |
| Years active | 2002–present |
| Television |
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Barnaby John Harwood (born 7 November 1979) is a British actor and television presenter. He is famous for his exciting work with CBBC, which started way back in 2002.
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Meet Barney Harwood: TV Star!
Barney Harwood is a well-known face on British television. He has hosted many popular shows, especially for young audiences. His career has been full of fun and adventure, from pranks to magic and even meeting famous bears!
Barney's TV Adventures
Barney has been a big part of CBBC for many years. He hosted the exciting show Prank Patrol. He also lent his voice as a commentator for a show called The Smokehouse. On BBC Two, he co-hosted Basil's Swap Shop with the famous Basil Brush. This show was a new version of an older favourite, Multi-Coloured Swap Shop.
Early Shows and Awards
Before these, Barney worked on the game show Crush in 2004. He also presented Sport Relief Gets Sub'd! for Sport Relief in 2006. He was a co-presenter on Smile, which aired every Sunday. For his work on Smile, he won a special award called a Children's BAFTA for best presenter! Barney also helped host Totally Doctor Who, a show linked to Doctor Who. He even voiced a character called Control in the Doctor Who spin-off animated series The Infinite Quest. You might have spotted him as an extra in the Doctor Who episode "Love & Monsters" too.
Magic and Mischief
In July 2007, Barney led The Sorcerer's Apprentice. This was a daily reality show where kids learned magic at a school, much like the one in Harry Potter. He also starred in Bear Behaving Badly, a sitcom with Nev the Bear from Smile. This show was on BBC One between September and October 2007. In February 2008, Barney was the 'hidden' celebrity in an episode of Hider in the House.
Narrating Nature
Barney also worked on Inside Life. This was a children's show that went along with the BBC Natural History Unit's Life series. Barney narrated all ten episodes, telling viewers all about the natural world.
Barney Joins Blue Peter
On 13 December 2010, it was announced on the famous BBC show Blue Peter that Barney would be their new presenter! He took over from Joel Defries.
Blue Peter Highlights
Barney had a very successful time on Blue Peter, becoming one of the longest-serving presenters. He was on the show for six and a half years! He became very popular for his funny jokes and playful behaviour. He often used his famous catchphrase, "I want one!" He also liked to call out to "Camera Two" for a special shot and gave away silly prizes in the show's game "Spot Shelley". These prizes included a house in Spain, a unicorn named Colin, and a lifetime supply of chutney! His different hairstyles also became quite famous among viewers.
Barney is very good at cycling and did well in many bike challenges. He loves coffee, music, photography, and camping in his campervan. But he has one big fear: frogs! On his very first show, Steve Backshall made him hold a frog. Then, on his last show, he had to kiss a frog, which helped him conquer his fear!
Leaving Blue Peter
In early 2016, Barney took a short break from Blue Peter but returned later that year. In August 2017, it was announced that he would be leaving the show after six and a half years. His final show aired on 14 September 2017. Barney said he was moving on to "new adventures". He also announced that he was leaving CBBC after 16 years of working with the channel. On his last show, he received a Blue Peter Gold Badge, which is the highest award you can get on the programme. His co-presenter, Radzi Chingyanganya, said Barney was "at the very top of the list" when he gave him the badge.
In August 2017, Barney appeared as a contestant on Celebrity Masterchef.
Barney's Filmography
Barney has appeared in many TV shows over the years. Here's a look at some of them:
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002–05, 2007, 2014 | CBBC | Himself | Continuity Presenter |
| 2003-04 | Crush | Himself | Main Presenter (Series 1) |
| 2004-07 | Smile | Himself | One of the Presenters |
| 2006 | Sport Relief Get Sub'd | Himself | Main Presenter |
| Totally Doctor Who | Himself | Main Presenter alongside Liz Barker | |
| Doctor Who | Man in the street | Guest Role, "Love & Monsters" episode | |
| Doctor Who: The Infinite Quest | Control | Voice | |
| 2006-07, 2010 | Prank Patrol | Himself/Other Characters | Main Presenter/Actors (series 1) |
| 2007 | The Sorcerer's Apprentice | Himself | Main Presenter (series 1) |
| The Sorcerer's Apprentice Extra | Himself | Main Presenter (series 1) | |
| 2007-10 | Bear Behaving Badly | Himself | A Main Character |
| 2008-09 | Basil's Game Show | Himself | Narrator/Presenter for Series 1 |
| 2008-10 | Basil's Swap Shop | Himself | Alongside Basil Brush |
| 2008 | The Smokehouse | Himself | Narrator |
| Hider in the House | Hider | Celebrity Guest Appearance | |
| 2009 | Barney's Barrier Reef | Himself | Alongside Gemma Hunt |
| Newsround Specials | Himself | Main Presenter alongside Sonali Shah | |
| Inside Life | Himself | Narrator of the series | |
| 2009-10 | Bamzooki | Himself | Main presenter alongside Gemma Hunt |
| 2010 | Barney's Latin America | Himself | Alongside Gemma Hunt for series 1 |
| 2010-2012 | British Academy Children's Awards | Himself | Presenter |
| 2011 | Hotel Trubble | Himself | Guest star |
| 2011 | Hacker Time | Himself | Guest |
| 2011–2017 | Blue Peter | Himself | Presenter alongside Andy Akinwolere and Helen Skelton then Lindsey Russell and Radzi Chinyanganya |
| 2011–2012, 2016, 2018– | All Over the Place | Himself | Co-Presenter |
| 2017 | Celebrity Masterchef | Himself | Contestant |
| 2019 | CBBC Live Lessons | Himself | Presenter for S01E02 |
Radio Work
Besides his TV shows, Barney also worked in radio. He presented the children's magazine programme Go4It on BBC Radio 4. He also co-presented Big Toe Books (which used to be called The Big Toe Radio Show) for BBC 7.
Music Talents
Barney is a talented musician! He can play both the guitar and the piano. He is also the keyboard player in a band called The MüVs. As a singer and songwriter, he even wrote the theme music for Bear Behaving Badly and Prank Patrol!
Other Fun Appearances
Barney has also performed in many pantomimes, which are fun, musical plays often performed around Christmas.
Pantomime Roles
- In 2005-2006, he played Idle Jack in Dick Whittington in Basingstoke.
- From December 2007 to January 2008, he was Buttons in Cinderella in Tunbridge Wells.
- In April 2008, Barney appeared as Jangles the court jester in a musical version of Beauty and the Beast in Chatham, Kent.
- He starred in Peter Pan in Bournemouth (2008-2009) and again in Blackpool (2009-2010).
- In 2010, he played the lead role of Peter Pan in Lichfield, co-starring with his father, who is also a comedian.
- From 2011-2012, Barney played Muddles in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in Bromley.
- In December 2013, he played "Peter Pan" again in Nottingham, alongside famous stars like David Hasselhoff and Su Pollard.
- From 2016-2017, he played the main role in Aladdin in Blackpool.
- From 2018-2019, Barney played the Huntsman in Snow White in Lincoln.
Special Events
On 1 and 2 August 2009, Barney and Gemma Hunt hosted a BBC Proms concert in London. It was called EVOLUTION! A Darwin-Inspired Extravaganza for Kids. During the concert, they even interviewed the amazing Sir David Attenborough! Barney also made a guest appearance on the CBBC series TMi on 14 November 2009.
