Blue Peter badge
Encyclopedia
A Blue Peter badge is a much coveted award for Blue Peter
viewers, given by the children's television program
me for those appearing on the show, or in recognition of achievement. They are awarded to children aged 6 to 15, or to adults who have appeared on the show.
The badges were introduced to the programme by editor Biddy Baxter
in 1963 from an idea by Blue Peter producer Edward Barnes
. Except for the "Gold" badge and the pre-2005 "Competition Winners' Badge", the badges are in the shape of a shield containing the Blue Peter ship logo, designed by the late Tony Hart
.
The badge provides the wearer with free entry to many British attractions, particularly museum
s and exhibitions that are featured on the show. The programme producers suspended the privileges amid concerns about the badges being sold in March 2006, but they were reintroduced with additional security a few months later (see below).
Sometimes new presenters first appear on the programme with no badge on before it is clarified to the audience that they are the new presenter. For example, Zöe Salmon
appeared as a customer on the show before one week later being introduced as a presenter; Simon Groom
first appeared during a filming assignment at a disco where he was a DJ; and Gethin Jones
made a debut appearance disguised as Santa Claus on Zoe Salmon's first appearance.
Many presenters are awarded a more prestigious "gold badge" when they leave the show, and several former presenters have been awarded them when appearing as guests on the program. When presenter Simon Thomas
left in 2005, he was awarded a gold badge on his last programme, and this has become a tradition with Liz Barker
, Matt Baker, Konnie Huq
, Katy Hill
, Joel Defries
and Andy Akinwolere
also awarded gold badges on their final show.
Valerie Singleton was awarded a gold badge during a studio interview recorded for the 1990 video release "The Best of Blue Peter, the 60's and 70's". Her fellow presenters John Noakes
and Peter Purves
were given gold badges on the first programme in 2000 when the time capsule
for the year 2000 was dug up. Peter Duncan
was presented with a gold badge in February 2007, whilst appearing on the programme as a guest.
In 2004, coinciding with the show's September revamp, a new badge design was introduced. It is slightly larger in dimension and with a much bolder printing of the new-style traditional ship without its rigging detail (though the pre-2000 style flags remain).
Over the years, several variations of badge have been introduced with specific applications, as discussed below. Various limited edition birthday badges have also been produced:
. Trace was working at a factory at the time and his colleagues made the award to be presented to a viewer who had achieved some remarkable endeavour, such as saving a life or overcoming a particular adversity. It was rarely presented, typically only once a year on the show's anniversary, and has not been awarded since the late 1980s .
attracted a great deal of media interest, with the suspicion that the right to free entry was being abused. In a leader article The Times
described the news as "a knife to the national psyche", while The Sun
launched a campaign in which readers could "send in the names of people they know who have an illegal Blue Peter badge".
After news of the sales reached a wide audience, the number of badges for sale on eBay exploded from a few dozen to 300. eBay said that it would remove any auctions proven to involve fake badges on the grounds of copyright infringement, but that trade in real badges was not illegal and would not be halted by eBay administrators.
On 29 March 2006 the decision was made to withdraw the privileges the badges offered until measures could be put in place to stop the badges being sold for commercial gain, with the show appealing to the public for ideas. Accompanying the statement of suspensions the show's Editor Richard Marson said Blue Peter wished to "protect children who have earned their badges and who are feeling very let down by this cynical trade."
Blue Peter badges were re-introduced on 19 June 2006, under a new system in which all current holders of a Blue Peter badge and those who win a badge will also need to be issued with a photo ID card. The idea was thought up by 11-year old Blue Peter viewer and Blue badge winner Helen Jennings, who even included a prototype design of the ID card in the letter that she sent to the show. The producers awarded Helen with a Silver badge for proposing the system. ID cards for previous badge winners aged 6 to 15 can be obtained by entering details into a form on the Blue Peter website.
Blue Peter
Blue Peter is the world's longest-running children's television show, having first aired in 1958. It is shown on CBBC, both in its BBC One programming block and on the CBBC channel. During its history there have been many presenters, often consisting of two women and two men at a time...
viewers, given by the children's television program
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
me for those appearing on the show, or in recognition of achievement. They are awarded to children aged 6 to 15, or to adults who have appeared on the show.
The badges were introduced to the programme by editor Biddy Baxter
Biddy Baxter
Biddy Baxter MBE is best known as the former editor of the long-running popular BBC One children’s magazine show Blue Peter, a position she held from 1965 to 1988. She was also its producer from 1962 to 1965...
in 1963 from an idea by Blue Peter producer Edward Barnes
Edward Barnes
Edward Barnes is the name of:* Edward Barnes , British soldier who became governor of Ceylon* Edward Barnes , American composer and producer* Edward Larrabee Barnes , American architect...
. Except for the "Gold" badge and the pre-2005 "Competition Winners' Badge", the badges are in the shape of a shield containing the Blue Peter ship logo, designed by the late Tony Hart
Tony Hart
Norman Antony "Tony" Hart was an English artist and children's television presenter. He was famous for television shows such as Vision On, Playbox, Take Hart and Hartbeat.-Early life:...
.
The badge provides the wearer with free entry to many British attractions, particularly museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
s and exhibitions that are featured on the show. The programme producers suspended the privileges amid concerns about the badges being sold in March 2006, but they were reintroduced with additional security a few months later (see below).
Use by presenters
The presenters almost always wear their badges - the only exception being when their apparel is incompatible (for example, a life jacket), in which case a sticker with the ship emblem is normally used instead. In addition, large prints or stickers of the ship are attached to vehicles driven by the presenters during filming assignments.Sometimes new presenters first appear on the programme with no badge on before it is clarified to the audience that they are the new presenter. For example, Zöe Salmon
Zöe Salmon
Zöe Salmon is a television presenter who hosted the children's television show Blue Peter from 23 December 2004 to 25 June 2008. She also appeared on Dancing on Ice in early 2009.-Life and career:...
appeared as a customer on the show before one week later being introduced as a presenter; Simon Groom
Simon Groom
Simon Groom is a British Producer & Director, best known as a former presenter of Blue Peter.Groom was born in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, and was brought up on a farm in Dethick, which he often visited for Blue Peter reports...
first appeared during a filming assignment at a disco where he was a DJ; and Gethin Jones
Gethin Jones
Gethin Clifford Jones is a Welsh television presenter who has co-presented the BBC children's programme Blue Peter....
made a debut appearance disguised as Santa Claus on Zoe Salmon's first appearance.
Many presenters are awarded a more prestigious "gold badge" when they leave the show, and several former presenters have been awarded them when appearing as guests on the program. When presenter Simon Thomas
Simon Thomas (television presenter)
Simon Thomas is a British television presenter, who worked on Blue Peter for six years.-Early life:Simon Thomas was born in Norwich, Norfolk to Andrew and Gill Thomas. He has two sisters called Hannah and Rebecca...
left in 2005, he was awarded a gold badge on his last programme, and this has become a tradition with Liz Barker
Liz Barker
Elizabeth Jane 'Liz' Barker is a television presenter on British television. She has one younger sister, Suzanne and is a distant relative of guitarist Dave Hill....
, Matt Baker, Konnie Huq
Konnie Huq
Kanak Asha "Konnie" Huq is a British television presenter, who is best known for being the longest-serving female presenter of Blue Peter, having presented it from 1 December 1997 until 23 January 2008...
, Katy Hill
Katy Hill
Katy Hill is an English television presenter, who worked on the BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter for five years.-Biography:...
, Joel Defries
Joel Defries
Joel Defries is a British-born presenter, who worked on the BBC1 children's programme Blue Peter from 2008-10. He previously worked on the New Zealand television station, C4.-Education:...
and Andy Akinwolere
Andy Akinwolere
Andy Akinwolere is a British television presenter.-Early life:Akinwolere was born in Nigeria in 1982, and moved to the United Kingdom with his family when he was eight years old. They settled in Birmingham, where he was educated.-Education:Akinwolere attended St...
also awarded gold badges on their final show.
Valerie Singleton was awarded a gold badge during a studio interview recorded for the 1990 video release "The Best of Blue Peter, the 60's and 70's". Her fellow presenters John Noakes
John Noakes
John Noakes is a British television presenter and personality, best known for co-presenting the BBC children's magazine programme Blue Peter in the 1960s and 1970s. He remains the show's longest-serving presenter, with a stint that lasted 12 years and 6 months...
and Peter Purves
Peter Purves
Peter Purves is an English television presenter and actor.Purves was born in New Longton, near Preston, Lancashire, and was educated at the independent Arnold School in Blackpool, he had originally planned to go into teaching, training at Alsager College of Education, but began to act with the...
were given gold badges on the first programme in 2000 when the time capsule
Time capsule
A time capsule is an historic cache of goods or information, usually intended as a method of communication with future people and to help future archaeologists, anthropologists, or historians...
for the year 2000 was dug up. Peter Duncan
Peter Duncan (actor)
Peter Duncan is a British actor and television presenter, best known as a former presenter of Blue Peter and for his later family travel documentaries.-Education:...
was presented with a gold badge in February 2007, whilst appearing on the programme as a guest.
The History Of Badges
The badge was originally introduced in 1963, featuring the blue ship logo on a white plastic shield. This design remained unchanged until the 1990s when a revised badge featuring a raised moulding of the ship design by Tony Hart was introduced (more detailed and neater than the previous printed reproduction). This version disappeared in 1997 when the old-style badge returned.In 2004, coinciding with the show's September revamp, a new badge design was introduced. It is slightly larger in dimension and with a much bolder printing of the new-style traditional ship without its rigging detail (though the pre-2000 style flags remain).
Over the years, several variations of badge have been introduced with specific applications, as discussed below. Various limited edition birthday badges have also been produced:
- A 25th birthday badge, introduced in October 1983.
- A 30th birthday badge, introduced in October 1988.
- A 35th birthday badge, introduced in October 1993.
- A badge to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the launch of the original badge in 1963, introduced in October 2003. This moulding was made of rubber and larger than the traditional badge; it consisted of a white shield with a raised 'bubble ship' applique.
- A 50th birthday badge, introduced in October 2008. This was a gold shield with a blue ship, with the digits "50" superimposed. It was awarded to viewers who sent in something to the programme which celebrated the 50th birthday. However this badge was not announced on the programme itself.
- The Factbyte Factory badge (a shield containing a hologram which oscillates between the Blue Peter logo and a "factbyte" logo): was introduced in early 2009, this badge was awarded to those achieving VIP Level 7 in the online Factbyte Factory game. This is achieved by collecting factbytes (interesting facts and information represented by a gold circle containing an f) from the programmes and the website. This was a limited edition badge and ended after the close of the 2009 series.
The types of Blue Peter badge
Along with the limited edition 50th birthday badge (see above), there are six current types of Blue Peter badge:- The Blue badge (a blue ship on a white shield): This is what the presenters on the show usually wear. Viewers of the programme can win one by either sending in an interesting letter, poem, picture or story, or by appearing on the programme.
- The Silver badge (a silver ship on a blue shield): This is awarded to viewers who have already won a Blue badge, for a further achievement.
- The Green badge (a white ship on a green shield): This is Blue Peter's environmental award, awarded for any correspondence from viewers with a conservation, nature or environmental theme. Presenters on the programme occasionally wear this badge instead of the blue one, as does the gardener Chris Collins, and they have been given out to those appearing on editions of the programme dedicated to environmental issues.
- The Competition Winners, or Orange badge (a white ship on an orange shield): This is given to viewers who have been either a winner or runner up in any of Blue Peter's many competitions. This replaced the original competition winners badge, which was a circular metal badge with the ship in the centre and the words "Blue Peter Competition Winner" around the outside, in 2005.
- The Purple, or Team Player's badge (a white ship on a purple shield): Introduced in September 2006, this was originally awarded to 12 children a month who won the chance to spend a day working with the Blue Peter team by having ideas for the programme. It was also awarded to the 'Purple Lady' visited by Gethin JonesGethin JonesGethin Clifford Jones is a Welsh television presenter who has co-presented the BBC children's programme Blue Peter....
on the show broadcast on Thursday 10 May 2007. From the September 2007 series, the team players scheme was changed and viewers are now awarded these badges when writing a review of an edition of the programme. - The Gold badge (a gold-plated brooch in the shape of the ship logo): This is Blue Peter's highest award and is given for exceptional achievement, such as to people who have performed acts of extreme bravery, or represented their country in a major event. It takes the form of a gold-plated ship-shaped pin brooch. Gold badge holders include David BeckhamDavid BeckhamDavid Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
, JK Rowling, Queen Elizabeth II (2001), Tom DaleyTom Daley (diver)Thomas Robert "Tom" Daley is an English diver who specialises in the 10 metre platform event and was the 2009 FINA World Champion in the individual event at the age of 15. He started diving at the age of seven and is a member of Plymouth Diving Club. He has made an impact in national and...
(2009), David TennantDavid TennantDavid Tennant is a Scottish actor. In addition to his work in theatre, including a widely praised Hamlet, Tennant is best known for his role as the tenth incarnation of the Doctor in Doctor Who, along with the title role in the 2005 TV serial Casanova and as Barty Crouch, Jr...
(2009), Anthony HorowitzAnthony HorowitzAnthony Craig Horowitz is an English novelist and screenwriter. He has written many children's novels, including The Power of Five, Alex Rider and The Diamond Brothers series and has written over fifty books. He has also written extensively for television, adapting many of Agatha Christie's...
(2011). Two dogs have also received the Gold badge: Bonnie in 1991 and Endal in 2003. It has also become tradition to present a leaving presenter with a gold badge on their final show, firstly with Simon ThomasSimon ThomasSimon Thomas is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician. He was Member of Parliament for Ceredigion from 2000 to 2005, after winning the seat at a by-election in January 2000 caused by the resignation of Plaid Cymru MP Cynog Dafis...
, (see above). Former editors of the programme; Biddy BaxterBiddy BaxterBiddy Baxter MBE is best known as the former editor of the long-running popular BBC One children’s magazine show Blue Peter, a position she held from 1965 to 1988. She was also its producer from 1962 to 1965...
and Lewis Bronze were both given the badge live on their last shows, whilst Richard MarsonRichard MarsonRichard Marson is an English writer, television producer and director, notable as the former editor in chief of Blue Peter—a BBC television program for children. Acting as the program's "unofficial historian", Marson directed and produced a number of documentaries, including: Children's TV on Trial...
was awarded one after his last programme by Baxter.
Other awards
As well as the badges, an "Outstanding Endeavour" award was introduced to the show in 1978. It is circular, made from brass, and bears the show's ship logo. It was presented to the programme on its 20th Anniversary show by original presenter Christopher TraceChristopher Trace
Christopher Leonard Trace was an English actor and television presenter, best remembered for his nine years as a presenter of the BBC children's programme Blue Peter.-Career:...
. Trace was working at a factory at the time and his colleagues made the award to be presented to a viewer who had achieved some remarkable endeavour, such as saving a life or overcoming a particular adversity. It was rarely presented, typically only once a year on the show's anniversary, and has not been awarded since the late 1980s .
Badges for sale
In March 2006 the news that Blue Peter badges were available for sale on auction websites such as eBayEBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
attracted a great deal of media interest, with the suspicion that the right to free entry was being abused. In a leader article The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
described the news as "a knife to the national psyche", while The Sun
The Sun (newspaper)
The Sun is a daily national tabloid newspaper published in the United Kingdom and owned by News Corporation. Sister editions are published in Glasgow and Dublin...
launched a campaign in which readers could "send in the names of people they know who have an illegal Blue Peter badge".
After news of the sales reached a wide audience, the number of badges for sale on eBay exploded from a few dozen to 300. eBay said that it would remove any auctions proven to involve fake badges on the grounds of copyright infringement, but that trade in real badges was not illegal and would not be halted by eBay administrators.
On 29 March 2006 the decision was made to withdraw the privileges the badges offered until measures could be put in place to stop the badges being sold for commercial gain, with the show appealing to the public for ideas. Accompanying the statement of suspensions the show's Editor Richard Marson said Blue Peter wished to "protect children who have earned their badges and who are feeling very let down by this cynical trade."
Blue Peter badges were re-introduced on 19 June 2006, under a new system in which all current holders of a Blue Peter badge and those who win a badge will also need to be issued with a photo ID card. The idea was thought up by 11-year old Blue Peter viewer and Blue badge winner Helen Jennings, who even included a prototype design of the ID card in the letter that she sent to the show. The producers awarded Helen with a Silver badge for proposing the system. ID cards for previous badge winners aged 6 to 15 can be obtained by entering details into a form on the Blue Peter website.