Christopher Trace facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Christopher Trace
Christopher Trace on Blue Peter
Born	(1933-03-21)21 March 1933 Hambledon, Surrey, England
Died	5 September 1992(1992-09-05) (aged 59) Tower Hamlets, London, England
Education	Cranleigh School, Surrey Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Occupation	Journalist Actor Television presenter
Known for	Original Blue Peter presenter with Leila Williams
Children	Three

Christopher Leonard Trace (born March 21, 1933 – died September 5, 1992) was a famous English actor and television presenter. He is best known for being one of the very first presenters of the popular BBC children's TV show, Blue Peter. He worked on the show for nine years.

Early Life and Career

Christopher Trace was the youngest of three children. His parents were Edith and Lawrence Trace. He had two older siblings, Ann and David.

Christopher went to Cranleigh School, which is a boarding school in Surrey. He left school a bit early.

After school, he worked on a farm for a while. Then, he joined the British Army. He trained at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. In 1953, he became an officer in the Royal Regiment of Artillery. He was promoted to lieutenant in 1955 but left the army in 1956. After the army, he tried acting. One of his biggest roles was being a body double for Charlton Heston in the movie Ben-Hur (1959).

Becoming a Broadcaster

When he was 25, Christopher Trace became the first male presenter of Blue Peter. The very first show was broadcast on October 16, 1958. He stayed with the program until July 24, 1967. The BBC says he got the job because he and the show's producer, John Hunter Blair, both loved model railways.

While working on Blue Peter, he also presented another BBC Schools program called Signpost. He worked on Signpost from 1961 to 1965.

By 1967, the Blue Peter team felt it was time for Christopher to move on. His next resignation was accepted, and John Noakes became a popular new member of the team.

After Blue Peter, Christopher worked for a film company. He was a writer and production manager. Unfortunately, the company didn't do well, and he lost his savings. He later returned to the BBC. He worked on local television in East Anglia. He also appeared on the national TV program Nationwide. In the 1970s, he presented a local radio show called Roundabout East Anglia. He also presented the local TV news program Look East.

Later Life and Legacy

By the mid-1970s, Christopher Trace left the media world. For a short time, he worked in a pub near Norwich. Later, he became the general manager of an engineering factory. He had an accident there and was injured.

In 1978, Blue Peter celebrated its 20th anniversary. Christopher appeared on the show for the special event. The factory where he worked even closed for the day so everyone could watch him! On the show, he announced a new award called the "Outstanding Endeavour Award." This award became a yearly Blue Peter tradition.

In the 1980s, he worked for a charity called the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association (SSAFA). In the 1990s, he briefly returned to the BBC. He was a guest and then a host on a nostalgia radio series called Are You Sitting Comfortably? on Radio 2.

Death

Christopher Trace passed away in 1992 from cancer. He was living in Walthamstow at the time. Just a few days before he died, his Blue Peter colleagues Valerie Singleton and Biddy Baxter visited him in the hospital.

Famous Phrases

The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography says Christopher Trace created two famous phrases. These phrases are now well-known in British culture. One is "And now for something completely different." This phrase was later used by the comedy group Monty Python. The other famous phrase is "Here's one I made earlier." Almost all Blue Peter presenters after him have used this line.

Images for kids

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  Christopher Trace on Blue Peter