Lesley Judd facts for kids

Lesley Judd (born 20 December 1946) is a British former television presenter and dancer. She is most famous for being a host on the popular BBC children's show Blue Peter from 1972 to 1979.

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Lesley Judd was born in London, England. She attended the Arts Educational School, Tring Park in Hertfordshire. This school focuses on performing arts.

As a child actress, Lesley appeared in a BBC Television show called Heidi in 1959. She played the character of Clara. She also had a small role in the TV series Z-Cars in 1962.

Dancing and Other Appearances

Lesley Judd was also a talented dancer. She appeared on BBC TV's The Language of Love in 1964. In 1967, she was a dancer on the BBC2 show Hey Riddle Diddle.

She also worked as a hostess on a game show called Exit! It's the Way-Out Show. Later, she joined a dance group called The Young Generation. They performed on several TV shows, including The Rolf Harris Show.

Lesley also had small roles in movies. She was a background dancer in the musical film Half a Sixpence (1967). She also appeared in the first Monty Python film And Now for Something Completely Different (1971). She was also in the horror film I, Monster (1971).

Becoming a Blue Peter Presenter

Lesley Judd joined Blue Peter in 1972. She became a presenter when Valerie Singleton started to work on other TV projects. Lesley presented alongside Valerie Singleton, John Noakes, and Peter Purves.

The team of Lesley, John Noakes, and Peter Purves was the longest-running lineup on Blue Peter. This team worked together until 1978. Lesley's time on the show was sometimes uncertain. She often worked on short, three-month contracts.

Memorable Moments on Blue Peter

During her time on Blue Peter, Lesley took part in many exciting challenges. In 1975, she visited the Bishop Rock lighthouse. This was a very brave challenge for her. She had to travel by rope to the lighthouse from a boat.

Her harness slipped during this journey. This meant she had no safety support if she lost her grip. Lesley could not swim, which made her bravery even more impressive. She also presented a spin-off series called Blue Peter Special Assignment.

Lesley left Blue Peter in 1979 due to family reasons.

After Blue Peter: Continued TV Work

After leaving Blue Peter, Lesley Judd continued her television career. She hosted a children's TV chat show on BBC1 called In The Limelight With Lesley. On this show, she interviewed famous people.

One of her guests was British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. Lesley also appeared on an ITV series for children called Dance Crazy. This show explored the history of dance. She was also a regular guest on game shows like Punchlines.

Lesley also featured as 'The Mole' in the educational game show The Adventure Game. She co-presented the technology game show The Great Egg Race. She also worked on Micro Live from 1984, which was about computers. Another show she presented was Pets in Particular in 1985.

Radio and Other Appearances

From 1982 to 1988, Lesley was a presenter on Woman's Hour on BBC Radio 4. She also appeared as a TV newsreader in the film Threads (1984). In the late 1980s, she presented on the London radio station LBC.

She also presented various programs for the Open University. In 1992, Lesley presented an interview program on UK Channel 4 called Time To Talk. She interviewed many celebrity guests on this show.

Life After Presenting

Lesley Judd now lives near Toulouse, France. She works as a conference organiser. She has generally chosen not to take part in many Blue Peter reunions. She feels that her television career is no longer a main part of her life.

However, she did appear on Blue Peter's 35th birthday program in 1993. She also took part in the 50th birthday celebrations in 2008. In December 2017, she appeared in a tribute show for her fellow Blue Peter presenter John Noakes. He had passed away earlier that year. On 16 October 2018, she appeared on BBC Breakfast and Blue Peter to celebrate the show's sixtieth anniversary.