Lesley Judd facts for kids

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

Early Life and Career Beginnings

Lesley Judd was born in London, England, on 20 December 1946. She went to the Arts Educational School, Tring Park in Hertfordshire. This school helps young people learn about arts like acting and dancing.

Early Acting and Dancing Roles

Lesley started acting when she was young. In 1959, she appeared in a BBC TV show called Heidi, playing the character Clara. She also had a small role in the TV show Z-Cars in 1962.

She began her dancing career early too. In 1964, she danced on a BBC TV show called The Language of Love. She was also one of the dancers on the BBC2 show Hey Riddle Diddle in 1967. Lesley was part of a dance group called The Young Generation. She appeared with them on several TV shows.

Lesley also had small roles in movies. She was a background dancer in the musical film Half a Sixpence (1967). She also had a speaking part in the first Monty Python film And Now for Something Completely Different (1971). Later, in 1976, she danced on Top of the Pops for one special performance.

Becoming a Blue Peter Presenter

Lesley Judd joined Blue Peter in 1972. She came onto the show when another presenter, Valerie Singleton, started doing other TV work. Lesley presented alongside Valerie Singleton, John Noakes, and Peter Purves. The team of Lesley, John, and Peter was the longest-running group of presenters on the show.

Challenges and Personal Life

Lesley's time on Blue Peter was sometimes uncertain. She was often given short contracts, meaning her job was reviewed every few months. When her first marriage ended in 1975, there were some challenges in her personal life. However, Lesley remained with the programme.

Later, Lesley married Terry Gabell, who was a film editor for Blue Peter. She left Blue Peter in 1979 because her husband had a health condition called multiple sclerosis. After her marriage to Terry ended, she married Anthony Relph. They had a son named Henry and adopted a daughter named Marta. Anthony sadly passed away when he was 48. Lesley later moved to France with Peter Thornton, who also passed away in 2002.

Brave Moments on Blue Peter

During her time on Blue Peter, Lesley was known for her bravery. In 1975, she visited the Bishop Rock lighthouse. This was a very challenging trip. She had to travel by rope from a boat to the lighthouse. Her safety harness slipped, which was very dangerous. Lesley could not swim, so this challenge showed how incredibly brave she was. The show's editors later praised her courage. Lesley also presented a spin-off series called Blue Peter Special Assignment.

Life After Blue Peter

After leaving Blue Peter, Lesley continued to work in television and radio.

Other TV and Radio Shows

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

Lesley also presented other educational and technology shows. She was 'The Mole' in the game show The Adventure Game. She co-presented The Great Egg Race and Micro Live, which was about computers. She also presented Pets in Particular in 1985.

From 1982 to 1988, Lesley was a presenter on Woman's Hour for 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 programmes for the Open University. In 1992, Lesley hosted an interview show on UK Channel 4 called Time To Talk.

Later Years

Lesley Judd now lives near Toulouse in France. She works as a conference organiser. She has often been asked to take part in Blue Peter reunions. While she usually declines, feeling her TV career is in the past, she has made some special appearances. She was on Blue Peter for its 35th birthday programme in 1993. She also appeared for the 50th birthday celebrations in 2008. In December 2017, she was part of a tribute show for her fellow Blue Peter presenter, John Noakes, who had passed away. On 16 October 2018, she appeared on BBC Breakfast and later on Blue Peter to celebrate the show's sixtieth anniversary.