Blue Peter Legend Valerie Singleton Reveals Mortifying Incident
A Blue Peter legend has come forward with a mortifying story about accidentally flashing some hot air balloon passengers while sunbathing topless on her balcony. Valerie Singleton, 88, who joined the longest-running children’s TV show back in 1962 and served as a presenter for 10 memorable years, until her exit in 1972, has opened up on a embarrassing incident that saw her reveal slightly more of herself than intended.
According to the Daily Mail, Valerie Singleton has recalled how she once accidentally flashed some hot air balloon passengers, while sunbathing topless on her balcony. The broadcaster has spoken about the incident on BBC Radio Solent, explaining how at her home in Dorset, she had cleverly arranged plants around her so that she could sunbathe topless with privacy. However, while she had hidden herself from view of her neighbours, Valerie explained that she hadn’t anticipated being seen from the skies.
Valerie Singleton, who presented alongside Christopher Trace, John Noakes, Peter Purves, and Lesley Judd during her Blue Peter stint, recalled: ‘I was sitting on my balcony and I had window boxes all around so I could sunbathe topless without all my neighbours seeing me. Then suddenly, quite a long way off, I saw a hot air balloon.’ In accordance with her friendly nature, she immediately jumped up to wave to the passengers, momentarily forgetting her state of undress. Valerie admitted being slightly too slow to grab a towel to protect her modesty in time, giving the hot air balloon quite an eyeful.
The Daily Mail reports that Valerie Singleton told listeners: ‘Quite without thinking I stood up and waved to it and then the hot air balloon turned to me and dipped its basket to me. I was a bit too late to reach a towel. They must have had binoculars because they were quite a long way off.’ After her time on Blue Peter, Valerie went on to host the likes of Nationwide, The Money Programme, and BBC Radio 4 show PM.
In a reflective piece for The Mail on Sunday, Valerie penned: ‘I’ve lost count of the people who’ve told me they had been inspired to pursue their careers – be it designing hats, becoming a painter or an engineer – because of something they had seen on the show. That is the lasting impact of Blue Peter.’ She added: ‘So yes, I can happily say I loved every moment of my nearly ten years at the helm, and I missed it terribly when I left in 1972.’
The Daily Mail also reported that Valerie Singleton has remained a member of the Blue Peter family, staying friends with many of the presenters who came after her, from Mark Curry and Tim Vincent to Janet Ellis, Diane Louise Jordan, and Anthea Turner. During her Blue Peter stint, Valerie presented alongside Peter Purves, Lesley Judd, and John Noakes. In 2008, she memorably revealed that she and a then-married Peter had had an affair while on the show.
Valerie Singleton’s co-presenter, Peter Purves, recently opened up on the drunken fling in an interview with The Telegraph last month. He said: ‘To be fair it was only one night. And there was never any sexual tension on screen. We’ve remained great friends. Although we also used to fall out all the time. Val was/is extremely high maintenance. She always expected people to do things for her.’ The Daily Mail has provided further insight into the lives of Blue Peter legends, highlighting the programme’s lasting impact on its viewers and its presenters.
