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Blue Peter icon Biddy Baxter has died at the age of 92.
The news was announced on Monday in a statement that read: ‘We are sad to report that longtime Blue Peter Editor Biddy Baxter has died at the age of 92.
‘We salute a true pioneer, who navigated changing times in the television industry with instinct, tenacity and style.’
No cause of death has been given.
Biddy was described as a ‘dedicated, passionate and pioneering children’s producer’ having worked on the iconic BBC show Blue Peter for 26 years.
The media professional is said to have ‘wielded extraordinary power and control’ when other women in her profession had less of a sway in their roles.
For 26 years, from 1962 until her retirement in 1988, Biddy edited Blue Peter, the twice-weekly magazine show which has been ‘enjoyed, imitated, talked about, mocked, criticised, revered’, in the words of Richard Marson who wrote the book Biddy Baxter: The Woman Who Made Blue Peter.
Blue Peter, the world’s longest-running children’s television programme, remains a mix of animal and pet items, competitions, charity appeals, global exploration, cookery demonstrations, gymnastic displays and history lessons.
Biddy was the big boss, and ‘her perspective and emphasis prevailed. She wielded extraordinary power and control’, which was unique at a time when women in public life were seldom influential.
Her attitude was, ‘I didn’t see why girls shouldn’t do everything’, and Biddy’s approach to life has always been splendidly brisk and matter-of-fact: ‘Get on and do what you can do, don’t dwell on what you can’t.’
Colleagues found her like a headmistress, ‘scarier than the Daleks’, ‘the witch in Snow White’, or ‘Miss Marple on acid’.
Biddy had an instinct for finding good, clear ideas which worked for the pre-pubescent audience.
She had no hesitation, for example, in turning down an appearance by Paul McCartney.
Biddy also once hit headlines after former Blue Peter host Yvette Fielding said she was left ‘a shaking, jibbering wreck’ after being ‘berated’ by the boss.
Social media was awash with tributes for the star.
Fans and former colleagues penned: ‘Sad to hear of the death of the iconic & influential Biddy Baxter. I got to work with her on our ‘Who Peter’ film back in 2009 and she was entirely fascinating.
‘In her career, she pushed hard, suffered no fools, but created an incredible legacy with her vision of Blue Peter. RIP’;
‘Just heard the sad news that legendary #BluePeter editor Biddy Baxter has died.
‘She lived a wonderful life and gave pleasure to millions of Blue Peter viewers. Her legacy will be remembered for years to come.’
‘Biddy Baxter rewrote the rules for children’s programming and proved that a woman could be both in charge and wildly successful on mainstream TV. she was also one of the first female producers in BBC television, at a time when Broadcasting House were very much a boys’ club.’
‘Biddy Baxter, who has died at 92, was one of the most inspirational figures for anybody who grew up in the 1960s and 1970s. One of the first people to realise children wanted their minds opened to a world of wonder. “Blue Peter” was incredibly trailblazing!’
‘Sad news about Biddy Baxter. For those who are perhaps not old enough or just have no interest in telly stuff, Biddy Baxter didn’t create Blue Peter, but she did make it become the Blue Peter that many of us remember.’
Biddy was born in Leicester in 1933, the only child of a deaf mother and a father who was the director of a textile company.
She had been given the name Joan, but after given there were so many children with that moniker at her school, she quickly earned the nickname Biddy.
She went to grammar school, performed in amateur dramatics with Joe Orton, and graduated from Durham University with a Third.
Intending to be a probation officer or psychiatric social worker, in 1955 Biddy instead joined the BBC as a trainee studio manager, creating sound-effects, such as coconut shells for horses’ hooves.
Children’s television programmes weren’t highly regarded in those days, but Biddy quickly climbed the ranks, making puppet films, learning about storyboards, and it was her idea to set up the Correspondence Unit, replying to the children who wrote in, and distributing the Blue Peter badges.
Biddy’s private life was kept under wraps.
Little was known about her personal life. She married her life-long partner John Hosier, principal of the Guildhall School of Music and Dance, in 2000, when he was on his death-bed.
Biddy was long-estranged from her father and had no children.
In 2008, she hit out at the direction Blue Peter was taking, claiming the BBC was trying to kill off the show by dropping the elements which have made it popular over the years.
She said: ‘What I gather is [the programme-makers] don’t want to bother with the garden or makes or cooking. They don’t want to do animals.
‘It is wrong to discard areas of enormous interest to pre-pubescent children.It almost seems they are letting it go pear-shaped on purpose, so they can say it doesn’t work.
‘It seems they want it to go out with a whimper, not a bang.’
In March this year, it was revealed that after 66 years, Blue Peter will no longer be transmitted live.
Its presence on a broadcast channel – CBBC was due to close in 2025 and move online, with a recent reprieve being widely viewed as only temporary – is sure to be short-lived.
Its director confirmed the show’s fate, describing the move as ‘the end of an era’.
At its peak, Blue Peter was watched by eight million viewers, making household names of presenters such as John Noakes and creating memorable moments such as Lulu The Elephant relieving herself on the studio floor.
It was also the springboard for television presenters including Konnie Huq, Morning Live duo Helen Skelton and Gethin Jones, Anthea Turner and Sky Sports host Simon Thomas.
