‘Blue Peter’ icon Biddy Baxter passes away at 92

LOS ANGELES : Blue Peter icon Biddy Baxter has passed away. She was 92. Variety reported the news of her demise, citing information from BBC.

Biddy worked on the children’s show for more than 25 years and become renowned for her charity appeals, gymnastic displays and foreign travel reports.

Baxter edited ‘Blue Peter’ from 1965 to 1988, overseeing a period that cemented its reputation for hands-on creativity, audience participation and a spirit of adventure. Under her leadership, “Blue Peter” introduced the now-iconic Blue Peter badge and launched charitable appeals that invited young viewers to make a tangible difference, as per Variety.

She joined “Blue Peter” in 1962 and quickly became its driving creative force, setting high editorial standards and devising challenges that pushed presenters and audiences alike to aim higher.

After learning about her demise, many took to social media and penned heartfelt tributes.

Former presenter Peter Purves called her “the most remarkable television producer of her generation” and credited her with “total commitment to the programme and its audience.” Konnie Huq, who joined the show in the late 1990s, said Baxter was “a trailblazer who made a huge impact on children’s TV” and “created something timeless that touched millions of lives.”

She was made an MBE in 1981, received a BAFTA Children’s Special Award in 2013, and was presented with the Royal Television Society’s Baird Medal in recognition of her outstanding work in television. (ANI)