VALERIE SINGLETON

'Valerie Singleton' OBE (born 9 April 1937) is a British television and radio presenter, best known as the longest-serving female presenter of the popular children's series, ''Blue Peter''. She was educated at the Arts Educational School at Tring Park in Tring, Hertfordshire.
Originally having wanted to be a ballerina, she trained at RADA and began a career as an actress. In 1959, she starred in the sitcom ''The Adventures of Brigadier Wellington-Bull''.
She joined ''Blue Peter'' in 1962, and stayed for nearly ten years. Along with John Noakes she continues to be more closely associated with ''Blue Peter'' than any other former presenter. (Initially, Singleton was for a long time credited for being the 3rd ever presenter, but the acknowledgment of her predecessor Anita West as a former presenter, in 1998, helped her slip down a place to 4th.) During her long stint on ''Blue Peter'', Singleton pulled off the coup of jointly presenting a wildlife safari special in the company of Princess Anne.
During her time as a presenter, she had a well-publicised relationship with Radio 1 disc jockey, Pete Murray. She also lived with the singer Joan Armatrading.
After leaving ''Blue Peter'' in 1972 (although she continued to make occasional special appearances during the next two years), Singleton presented a solo spin-off series, ''Blue Peter Special Assignment'', which was shown at weekends and ran from 1973-76, followed by a final series in 1981. She then went on to host many other programmes, notably Radio 4's ''PM'' and BBC Two's ''The Money Programme'', and was awarded the OBE for her services to children's television, in 1994. She still makes occasional guest appearances on the show.
In the 1990s she presented the popular quiz on Channel 4 - Backdate.

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★ Blue Peter biography