CBBC 30th anniversary: Hacker’s Birthday Bash

Hosted by current presenters Hacker T. Dog, Cel Spellman, Katie Thistleton and Dodge T. Dog, it will bring 30 former presenters and puppets together, as well as exclusively announcing the newest recruit to the CBBC Presentation team live on air!

With something for every generation, viewers will be able to watch nostalgic archive clips from the past 30 years, while past presenters will share their own memories and play classic CBBC games. Andi Peters will reunite with Edd the Duck in the Broom Cupboard, while Zoe Ball is quizzed on her 90s fashion choices, and Phillip Schofield shares his memories of launching Children’s BBC in 1985.

A raft of household names including Zoe Ball, Andi Peters, Angellica Bell, Dick and Dom, Kirsten O’Brien, Jake Humphrey and Matt Edmondson started their careers on the CBBC Presentation team.

Commenting on the milestone, Phillip Schofield says: “I can't believe it’s 30 years since I welcomed viewers to the first afternoon of Children's BBC. I had great fun in the Broom Cupboard, learning the skills of live TV. If you can introduce Newsround with a fluffy Gopher squeaking next to you, you can handle anything! I’m delighted to be involved in CBBC’s anniversary celebrations. Here's to the next 30 years.”

Former presenters who will be joining the live celebrations include Andy Crane, Simon Parkin, Toby Anstis, Steve Wilson, Simon Grant, Kirsten O’Brien, Angellica Bell, Andrew Hayden-Smith, Dick and Dom, Adrian Dickson, Otis the Aardvark, Chris Jarvis, Simeon Courtie, Matt Edmondson, Ortis Deley, Ed Petrie and Iain Stirling, as well as the current presenting team.

Zoe Ball, who presented on CBBC from 1993 to 1995, says: “Thirty years is a fantastic achievement. Happy Birthday Children's BBC - and long may it continue. It's such a joy to have been part of. Happy days!”

Andi Peters adds: “I'm really looking forward to getting back in the Broom Cupboard with my old mate Edd the Duck for the 30th anniversary. He's combing his green mohican as I speak! When I last presented Children's BBC, Take That were topping the charts and Chris Evans was everywhere... perhaps not that much has changed in the last 22 years after all!”

Jake Humphrey says: “I give all the credit for my career to CBBC. They took a chance on me as a lanky, inexperienced, 20 year-old from the countryside. I left them eight years later, capable of hosting the toughest of live sports programmes. From Noel Edmonds to Phillip Schofield to Ant and Dec - without kids' TV, none of us would have been able to hone ours skills and had the chance to progress. Thanks CBBC, and Happy Birthday!!”

Hacker’s Birthday Bash: 30 Years of Children’s BBC is a Children’s Presentation production. The Producer is Jamie Wilson and the Executive Producer is Ian France. The programme will TX on CBBC, Wednesday 9 September at 6pm.

Notes to Editors 

A gallery of BBC Presentaton archive images is shown below. More images are available to press via BBC Pictures.

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Children's BBC Presentation: Thirty 30th anniversary facts

1. Live Children’s BBC Presentation began on 9 September 1985.

2. A raft of household names began their careers as Children’s BBC Presentation presenters, including Phillip Schofield, Andi Peters, Zoe Ball, Jake Humphrey, Holly Willoughby and Angellica Bell.

3. Phillip Schofield was the first presenter, and programmes on the first afternoon included Blue Peter, John Craven’s Newsround and Beat the Teacher.

4. The ‘Broom Cupboard’ was actually the BBC One continuity suite at TV Centre.

5. Phillip Schofield was awarded a ‘Golden Egg’ by Noel Edmonds on his Late, Late Breakfast Show for an early technical disaster in the Broom Cupboard in 1985.

6. The famous ‘Birthday Cards’ send-in item first began in 1986, when the BBC began showing programming in the daytime. Phillip Schofield was the first presenter. The Birthday Cards are still an important part of CBeebies today and many sacks of cards are received every week.

7. Children’s BBC’s first female presenter was Debbie Flint in 1986, now a regular on QVC.

8. Gordon the Gopher first appeared at Christmas 1986. He was a present from Phillip Schofield’s Auntie.

9. CBBC’s longest serving staff member was production secretary Doreen. She was drafted in to help when Phillip Schofield’s mailbag was getting out of control in 1986 and stayed until 2006.

10. Phillip’s last day at Children’s BBC in 1987 included a sketch where he appeared to be fired by executive Michael Grade, while Gordon the Gopher was cast in a remake of Gone with the Wind!

11. Famous faces that have appeared on Children’s BBC links over the years include Bruce Forsyth, Tom Jones, Take That, Kylie Minogue, David Hasselhoff, Ant and Dec, Spice Girls and Little Mix.

12. Viewers voted for Andy Crane to be gunged in 1988, as part of Comic Relief. He beat Phillip Schofield and Terry Wogan in the vote.

13. Around 40,000 viewers wrote in for a song sheet to join Andy Crane in singing along to the theme tune of the finale of ‘Around the World with Willy Fog’ - a popular cartoon in 1988.

14. Andy Crane introduced Scott and Charlene’s wedding on Neighbours in 1988 – in front of millions of viewers.

15. Edd the Duck joined CBBC in 1988.

16. Edd the Duck released his own single, ‘Awesome Dood’, after having singing lessons from Eighties popstar Sonia.

17. Children’s BBC has broadcast live links from Wimbledon most years since 1991. Andi Peters and Edd the Duck presented that year alongside Des Lynam, while most recently Hacker T. Dog and Cel Spellman filmed with Sue Barker in 2015.

18. Edd the Duck was the official UK team mascot for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

19. Edd the Duck also had several spin off pantomimes on Children’s BBC – with guest stars ranging from Nicholas Witchell to Lesley Joseph!

20. Most Children’s BBC presenters have had to cope with programme ‘break downs’. This often means ‘filling’ for several minutes while the tape was fixed or replaced. Kirsten O’Brien had to fill for the entire duration of a Popeye cartoon, while Toby Anstis had to cope with no lighting in the Broom Cupboard one afternoon - they used torches instead!

21. Chris Jarvis and Josie d’Arby created CBBC’s own soap opera in the 1996. ‘Wood Lane TV’ ran for over 100 episodes and attracted guests stars including Grange Hill’s Mr Bronson, aka Michael Sheard.

22. In 1996 the Children’s BBC presenters appeared to be releasing a single – a cover of the Rembrands track ‘I’ll Be There For You’. It was later revealed to be an April Fools’ joke.

23. Among the longest-serving CBBC presenters are Angellica Bell (6.5 years) and Simon Parkin (4.5 years).

24. In 2002, BBC Children’s launched two channels – CBBC for 6-12s and CBeebies for 0-6s.

25. The CBBC Channel was launched by Jake Humphrey and Sophie McDonnell in 2002.

26. Chris Jarvis is the only presenter to have worked across both CBBC and CBeebies. His first stint was on the CBBC links from 1993 to 1997, then he returned to front the new CBeebies channel from 2002 to 2009.

27. Over the years, CBBC has filmed outside broadcasts across the country including from Buckingham Palace in 2006 to celebrate the Queen’s 80th birthday.

28. The BBC Children’s department, including CBBC and CBeebies presentation, moved to Salford in 2011.

29. Children’s presenting duo ‘Dick and Dom’ began as presenters in Presentation – going by their real names, Richard and Dominic!

30. In total, over 11,000 Children’s Presentation links are broadcast every year on the CBBC and CBeebies channels combined.

Children's BBC Presentation presenters 1985-2015

Phillip Schofield
1985-1987

Debbie Flint
1986

Andy Crane
1986-1990

Simon Potter
1987-1988

Simon Parkin
1987-1992

Andi Peters
1989-1993

Lisa Jones
1989-1990

Philippa Forrester
1990-1994

Toby Anstis
1992-1995

Zoe Ball
1993-1995

Chris Jarvis
1993-1997
2002-2009 (CBeebies)

Josie D’Arby
1994-1997

Simeon Courtie
1995-1996

Kirsten O’Brien
1996-1999

Richard McCourt
1996-2000
2002-2004

Dominic Wood
1997-1998
2002-2004

Anji Kreft
1997-1998

Steve Wilson
1998-1999

Ana Boulter
1998-2001

Michael Underwood
1999-2002

Angellica Bell
2000-2006

Adrian Dickson
1999-2004

Liam Dolan
2001-2002

Ortis Deley
2002-2003

Sophie McDonnell
2002-2006

Jake Humphrey
2002-2007

Fearne Cotton
2002

Barney Harwood
2002-2007

Michael Absolom
2002-2004

Mohini Sule
2002-2006

Kate Heavenor
2002-2004

Holly Willoughby
2002-2003

Maddy Stevens
2002-2003

Andrew Hayden Smith
2002-2006

Gemma Hunt
2003-2004
2006-2007

Simon Grant
2003-2006

Anne Foy
2004-2008

Rani Khanijau
2004-2006

Matt Edmondson
2004-2006

Andrew McEwan
2005

Ed Petrie
2007-2010

Ben Hanson and Ciaran Joyce
2008

Holly Walsh
2008

Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner
2008-2009

Iain Stirling
2009-2013

Chris Johnson
2010-Present

London Hughes
2010-2011

Chloe Bale
2011

Ben Hanlin
2012-2013

Ceallach Spellman
2012-present

Katie Thisleton
2013-present

Shannon Flynn
2013-present

Karim Zeroual
2014-present

Sidekicks

Gordon the Gopher
1986-1987

Edd the Duck
1988-1993

Ratz
1993-1994

Otis the Aardvark
1994-1999

Emlyn the Gremlyn
1999-2001

Nelly Nut and Miss Bunny
2003-2005

Oucho T Cactus
2007-2010

Dunceton
2008

Hacker T. Dog
2009-Present

Dodge T. Dog
2010-Present

Related Media Centre Links

• CBBC offers life-line to Gordon The Gopher as stars reunite to celebrate 30 years of live Children’s BBC Presentation