Mark Curry (British TV presenter) facts for kids

Mark Preston Curry, born on August 27, 1961, is an English actor and a TV and radio presenter. He is famous for hosting the children's TV show Blue Peter from 1986 to 1989. He also hosted the British game show Catchphrase in 2002.

Mark Curry's Early Life

Mark Curry was born in Stafford, England. He grew up in a mining village called Allerton Bywater, near Castleford. His father, Arthur, passed away when Mark was five years old. His mother, Lily, worked as a maternity nurse.

Mark Curry's Entertainment Career

Mark Curry's journey in entertainment began when he was just seven. He auditioned for Jess Yates, a producer at Yorkshire Television. Mark became a regular performer on the show Junior Showtime from 1969 to 1974. During this time, he also attended the Jean Pearce School of Dancing in Leeds.

In 1976, Mark appeared in the film Bugsy Malone, playing the character Oscar. He also performed in pantomimes and variety shows. Mark found school to be a "distraction" from his passion for performing.

He has performed in many pantomimes across the UK. His first TV pantomime was Babes in the Wood in 1972. He and Bonnie Langford played the two babes in the show.

In the late 1970s, Mark co-hosted a Saturday morning TV show called Calendar Kids. This show was only seen in the Yorkshire Television area. He also played a main character in Sounding Brass, a comedy-drama series about brass bands.

TV Shows in the 1980s

In the early 1980s, Mark joined the Harrogate Theatre Company. He appeared in several plays over three years. In 1981, he co-hosted Get Set For Summer on BBC1. This show returned as Get Set the next year. It later became The Saturday Picture Show, with Mark as the main host until 1986. His co-hosts included Maggie Philbin and Cheryl Baker.

Mark moved to Manchester to present live Saturday morning TV shows for the BBC. He then moved to London to present Blue Peter in the late 1980s. In 1984, Mark was the question master for the last series of the BBC quiz show Screen Test.

Hosting Blue Peter (1986–1989)

On June 23, 1986, Mark Curry joined the popular children's TV show Blue Peter. He hosted the program alongside Janet Ellis, Peter Duncan, Caron Keating, Yvette Fielding, and John Leslie.

Mark spent three weeks in Malawi, where he saw many people suffering from blindness. He had an eye operation when he was two years old and wears glasses. He was very keen to help raise money for Sightsavers, a charity that helps people with eye problems. This was the Blue Peter appeal for 1986.

He traveled across the Soviet Union for the show's 1987 summer trip. Mark was known for his history features, his cooking mishaps, and his performances on the show. He was invited to join Blue Peter without an audition. This was because of his successful children's history program, Treasure Houses.

During the 1980s, the team of Mark Curry, Caron Keating, and Yvette Fielding was very popular. They worked together on the program's Christmas song and dance specials.

Mark Curry's Career in the 1990s

In 1990, Mark played a TV host in an episode of the ITV drama London's Burning. He also appeared in an episode of the BBC comedy series Bread. When Roy Castle became ill, Mark was asked to co-present Record Breakers for the BBC.

In 1994, he played one of the main roles in the London West End play The Woman in Black. He also starred in the centenary production of Charley's Aunt. Mark has appeared in a UK tour of Noises Off and in the stage musical Singin' in the Rain. He has also performed in several Alan Ayckbourn plays at the Theatre Royal in Windsor.

Mark Curry is a keen tennis player and a qualified tennis coach. He joined the BBC Radio 5 team to commentate on Wimbledon in the early 1990s. He is also the regular Master of Ceremonies for the AEGON Classic. This is a women's tennis tournament held before Wimbledon. He also presented the weekend breakfast show Morning Edition on BBC Radio 5 from 1992 until 1994.

From 1996 to 1998, Mark presented the DIY BBC One daytime series Change That. He also co-presented a daily live food series called Taste Today on the Carlton Food Network. He traveled to Italy, Cyprus, India, and Singapore for this series, covering various food topics.

Mark Curry's Work in the 2000s

Hosting Catchphrase (2002)

In 2002, Mark Curry presented the last series of the original TV quiz show Catchphrase. The show was then stopped, but it returned in 2013 with a new host.

Other Performances (2000s)

Mark made a guest appearance in an episode of Last of the Summer Wine in August 2007. He played a character trying to contact aliens. He also appeared in an episode of the BBC drama Doctors.

In 2009, Victoria Wood cast Mark as The Compere in a new version of her play Talent. She also directed this play at the Menier Chocolate Factory in London.

Mark Curry's Career from 2010 to Present

From January to late summer 2012, Mark presented the breakfast radio show Curry For Breakfast. This was on Talk Radio Europe, an English-language network in southern Spain, where he has a home. He played a leading role in Wife Begins at Forty in 2011 and 2012. He returned to Sonning in 2013 in the comedy Who's Under Where?.

Mark played Larry in Sondheim's Company and Andre Cassell in Victor/Victoria. These were at the Southwark Playhouse in London in 2011 and 2012. He has presented and performed in several BBC Children in Need TV shows. Once, he played Cliff Richard in a Eurovision Song Contest tribute. He sang "Congratulations" and "Power To All Our Friends".

Mark has commentated at Wimbledon for BBC Radio 5, Radio Wimbledon, and Talk Radio Europe. He has also appeared on ITV's Piers Morgan's Life Stories. On this show, he talked about his friendship with actress Beverley Callard.

He was a contestant on the BBC One quiz show Pointless in December 2012, alongside Peter Duncan. He also appeared as a guest on a celebrity edition of Antiques Roadshow. Mark won the BBC Children In Need Strictly Come Dancing special. From May to August 2014, Mark played Siegfried Farnon in the stage version and UK tour of All Creatures Great and Small.

In 2016, Mark Curry played the role of the Wizard in the West End musical Wicked.

Mark Curry's Personal Life

Mark Curry has a daughter and a granddaughter. In September 2008, he formed a civil partnership with his long-term partner, Jeremy Sandle.