Peter Purves facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Purves
Purves in 2010
Born	Peter John Purves (1939-02-10) 10 February 1939 (age 86) New Longton, Lancashire, England
Occupation	Television presenter, actor
Years active	1965–present
Notable work	Steven Taylor in Doctor Who (1965–1966) Blue Peter Presenter (1967–1978)
Spouse(s)	Gilly Fraser ​ ​ (m. 1962; div. 1982)​ Kathryn Evans ​ (m. 1982)​
Children	2

Peter Purves, born on February 10, 1939, is a famous English TV presenter and actor. He started his career as an actor. He became well known for playing Steven Taylor in the popular show Doctor Who from 1965 to 1966.

In 1967, he joined the children's TV show Blue Peter as a presenter. He worked there for eleven years. Peter Purves has continued to appear on TV, including covering the famous Crufts dog show.

Peter Purves's Early Life

Peter Purves was born in New Longton, a village near Preston in England. His dad was a tailor and also ran a hotel for a short time. Peter went to Arnold School in Blackpool. Later, he studied at Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School for Boys.

He passed his math exams and first planned to become a teacher. He even started training at Alsager College. But he decided to become an actor instead. He began acting with the Barrow-in-Furness Repertory Company.

Becoming a Doctor Who Companion

In 1965, when Peter Purves was 26, he first appeared in Doctor Who. He played a small role as an American tourist named Morton Dill in an episode called The Chase.

Later in the same story, he played a different character: a space pilot named Steven Taylor. This role made him very famous. Steven Taylor became one of the first companions to travel through time with the Doctor. At that time, the Doctor was played by William Hartnell.

Peter Purves has shared his memories of making Doctor Who in his book, Here's One I Wrote Earlier. He was also good friends with Jon Pertwee, who played the Third Doctor. Peter has said he liked the historical stories on the show best. These include The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve and The Myth Makers.

He has returned to play Steven Taylor in audio dramas since 2007. In 2023, he played Steven again in the TV series Tales of the TARDIS.

Life on Blue Peter

Purves in 1976, covering the White City Rebels for Blue Peter

After leaving Doctor Who, Peter Purves became a main presenter on the children's show Blue Peter. He worked there from 1967 to 1978. He presented the show with John Noakes and Valerie Singleton, and later with Noakes and Lesley Judd. Many people remember this as a great time for Blue Peter. Peter Purves is the second longest-serving male presenter on the show, after John Noakes.

He often talked about Doctor Who on Blue Peter. He would host special features and interview the actors. He even showed clips from old Doctor Who episodes that are now lost. These included parts of The Daleks' Master Plan, which he had acted in himself.

Dogs have been a big part of Peter's career. On Blue Peter, he was in charge of one of the show's pets, Petra, a German Shepherd cross. Peter also presented a spin-off show called Blue Peter Special Assignment.

Other TV Shows and Work

Purves at The Television and Movie Store in Norwich in March 2009

After Blue Peter, Peter Purves presented other shows like Stopwatch and We're Going Places. He also presented darts events for the BBC. He was the host of the long-running BBC1 motorcycle trials series Kick Start.

Later, Peter Purves made guest appearances in TV shows like the soap opera EastEnders. He also played himself in an episode of the sitcom The Office. In that episode, he was in a customer care training video. Peter is actually a qualified business trainer and motivational speaker in real life.

For over 40 years, Peter Purves has been involved in TV coverage of major dog shows like Crufts. He also writes for dog magazines and presents awards at dog shows. His book, Here's One I Wrote Earlier, was released in 2009.

Theatre Work

Peter Purves has directed many pantomime shows, over 30 in total. In December 2012, he acted in a pantomime called Dick Whittington. This was his first time performing in a pantomime since 1985. He also works as an after-dinner speaker.

Peter Purves's Personal Life

Peter Purves lives in the village of Sibton in Suffolk, England. He lives there with his wife, Kathryn Evans, who is an actress. He was married before to Gilly Fraser from 1962 to 1982. Peter Purves is an atheist.

In 2022, the University of Central Lancashire gave Peter Purves an honorary fellowship. They said his career was "inspirational" and that he had made a "significant contribution" to television, acting, and presenting.

Credits

TV career

• Doctor Who (46 episodes, 1965–1966)
• Blue Peter (1967–1978)
• Blue Peter Special Assignment (1977–1981)
• Stopwatch (40 episodes, 1978–1981)
• We're Going Places (23 episodes, 1978–1980)
• Kick Start (1981–1992)
• Tales of the TARDIS (2023, episode "The Time Meddler")

Audio dramas

See also

In Spanish: Peter Purves para niños