Peter Duncan (actor) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter Duncan
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| Born | 3 May 1954 London, England
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| Alma mater | Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts |
| Years active | 1970–present |
| Spouse(s) | Annie Francis |
Peter Duncan is an English actor and TV presenter, born on May 3, 1954. Many people know him from his time as a presenter on the popular children's TV show Blue Peter in the 1980s. He also made exciting travel documentaries with his family. In 2020, he directed, produced, and starred in a film version of Jack and the Beanstalk, which was shown in cinemas across the UK.
Contents
Early Life and Training
Peter Duncan was born in London, England. He went to the Italia Conti Academy of Theatre Arts, which is a special school in London for performing arts. This school helped him learn how to act and perform. He also studied later with the Open University.
Starting His Acting Career
Peter began his career as an actor on stage. He played Jim Hawkins in a play called Treasure Island. After that, he spent two years working at the Royal National Theatre, which is a very famous theatre in London.
He also appeared in many TV shows. Some of his early TV roles include parts in The Tomorrow People, Space 1999, and Survivors. In films, he had roles in Stardust (1974) and Flash Gordon (1980). He even starred in a children's TV show called Storybook International.
Adventures on Blue Peter
Peter Duncan is perhaps most famous for being a presenter on Blue Peter. He was on the show for two different periods: first from 1980 to 1984, and then again from 1985 to 1986.
During his time on Blue Peter, Peter became known for doing amazing and sometimes risky stunts. He followed in the footsteps of another famous Blue Peter presenter, John Noakes, who was also known for daring challenges. Peter even had his own spin-off TV series called Duncan Dares, where he continued his adventures.
One of his most remembered stunts happened in 1980. The Blue Peter team had him clean the face of the Clock Tower (which holds Big Ben) while hanging on a rope swing. He didn't even have a safety harness! This caused a lot of discussion and trouble for the BBC at the time.
Peter also took part in the first ever London Marathon in 1981. He ran it in 3 hours and 10 minutes! He ran the marathon again in 1991, 2001, and 2012.
In 2007, Peter received the highest Blue Peter award, called The Gold Badge. He got this award because of his important role as the Scout Association's Chief Scout.
Back to the Stage
After leaving Blue Peter for good in 1986, Peter went back to acting in plays and musicals. He appeared in popular musicals like Barnum and Me and My Girl. He was even nominated for a special award called an Olivier Award for his role in the musical The Card.
In the 1990s, Peter was in many pantomimes, which are fun, musical plays often performed around Christmas. He even produced some of them himself! He also wrote and directed the pantomime for the Oxford Playhouse theatre for several years. More recently, he has continued to act in plays, including When Darkness Falls, a ghostly play.
Family Travel Adventures
Between 1999 and 2005, Peter Duncan created and filmed three series of travel documentaries. These shows were special because they featured his whole family going on exciting backpacking trips around the world! His family includes his wife, Annie, and their four children: Lucy, Katie, Georgia, and Arthur.
- Travel Bug: The first series, filmed in 1999, followed the family on a six-month trip around the world. At the time, his children were aged 7 to 13. This series was shown on BBC1.
- Chinese Breakaway: The next series, filmed in 2002, showed the family's two-month backpacking adventure across China.
- Arthur's Trip to India: In the third series, Peter's son, Arthur, who was 13 years old, became the main presenter! There was also an extra episode called Arthur's Trip to Jordan.
Leading the Scouts
Peter Duncan was chosen to be the Scout Association's Chief Scout. This is a very important role in the Scouting movement in the UK. He held this position for five years, from 2004 to 2009.
Recent Activities
In 2007, Peter took part in a TV show called The Games, where celebrities compete in different sports. He has continued to write and direct pantomimes for various theatres.
In 2014, Peter competed in another BBC show called Tumble, which was about acrobatics and circus skills. He made it to the semi-finals!
Peter also started a company in 2015 called The Natural Adventure Company. This company helps people plan walking holidays and special tours, especially in places like southeast Europe. He is also a supporter of British Youth Music Theatre, which helps young people get involved in musical theatre.
In 2020, Peter wrote, produced, and directed a film version of Jack and the Beanstalk, where he also played the character of Dame Trott. The film was released in cinemas across the UK.
Films Peter Duncan Has Appeared In
- Stardust (1974) – Kevin
- Mister Quilp (1975) – Kit Nubbles
- The Lifetaker (1976) – Richard
- Flash Gordon (1980) – Young Treeman
- Jack and the Beanstalk (film) (2020) – Dame Trott
- Cinderella (film) (2021) – Billie Eyelash
