This is where the iconic presenters of CBBC are now

CBBC presenters were one of the only constants in our childhoods: You’d come home from school, whack the telly on and fill your evening with Blue Peter, Prank Patrol and Dick and Dom.

But have you ever spared a thought for what your favourite CBBC presenters are up to now, in the year of our Lord 2020? Some of them are mega famous, others are still desperately trying to cling on to their CBBC fame, and a couple of them have podcasts, because literally everyone else on Earth does.

Warning – most of them have been on Strictly Come Dancing or Celebrity Masterchef. Or both. Anyway, this is where all the iconic CBBC presenters are now:

Iain Stirling

Let’s get this one out of the way: There’s no way you don’t know what Iain Stirling’s up to, because he is quite literally everywhere. He was a CBBC continuity presenter (the person who doesn’t have a show as such but links all the other programs together) with the puppet, Hacker. Now, of course, Iain’s the narrator of Love Island, in a relationship with Laura Whitmore, and doing comedy shows around the country.

Ed Petrie

Like Iain, Ed was a CBBC continuity presenter with another puppet, a cactus called Oucho. He’s since presented various children’s TV shows, including Marrying Mum and Dad, a CBBC show where parents let their children plan their weddings for them. If you thought Don’t Tell The Bride was your worst nightmare, think again.

Fearne Cotton

Fearne presented CBBC programs including The Saturday Show, Smile, Eureka TV and Finger Tips. Since leaving CBBC, honestly what hasn’t she done? Fearne’s presented multiple programs, such as the second ever series of Love Island in 2006, and was a panellist on Celebrity Juice with Keith Lemon. She’s also presented shows on BBC Radio One and Two.

Fearne’s written six books, and has a podcast you’ve probably heard of, called Happy Place, where she goes to celebrities houses and interviews them.

Richard McCourt

Aka Dick from Dick and Dom. The programme everyone wanted to be on, Dick and Dom in da Bungalow ran from 2002-2006, but they also had other children’s TV shows. Richard’s since acted in several pantomimes, and in 2011, Dick and Dom were in Horrid Henry: The Movie, playing two kid’s TV presenters.

Dick and Dom have their own podcast, because literally why not. It’s called Dick and Dom’s Cash from Chaos, and it’s on Spotify. They also have a CBBC podcast, called Diddy Pod. There are 13 episodes if you fancy having a listen.

The two have a live show called Dick vs Dom, which has appeared at Edinburgh Festival and many other festivals over the years, including BST Hyde Park. Imagine running into them in the silent disco.

Dominic Wood

Obviously, he’s Dom from Dick and Dom, and since finishing their CBBC show has been doing, well, exactly the same as Dick.

He’s been married since 2005, and with his wife has two sons. Richard (Dick) is their godfather. How cute.

Angellica Bell

Angellica worked for CBBC from 2000-2006. At first she was the continuity presenter (like Iain and Ed), but went on to present CBBC programs like Short Change, That’s Genius, 50/50 and The Saturday Show. Angellica’s since presented episodes of The One Show, and was a contestant on Pointless Celebrities in 2012, paired with Konnie Huq.

In 2017 she won her series of Celebrity Masterchef, beating fellow ex-CBBC presenter, Barney Harwood.

Konnie Huq

Konnie was a Blue Peter presenter from 1997 until 2008, making her the longest-serving female presenter of the programme. Since Blue Peter Konnie’s had other presenting jobs, such as The Xtra Factor in 2010 and The One Show in 2016. She’s also been a guest on panel shows like Would I Lie To You?, and was on Pointless Celebrities with Angellica.

She married Black Mirror creator Charlie Brooker in 2010, and they have two children together. Konnie co-wrote a Black Mirror episode from the first series, 15 Million Merits – the one where they have to cycle for money and then are contestants on a talent competition. She wrote and illustrated a children’s book, published in 2019.

Last year Konnie also appeared on the Jeremy Vine show to talk about Brexit, where she pretty much just shouted for five minutes straight. Jeremy even said: “This is so far from Blue Peter, it’s brilliant.”

Barney Harwood

Barney started presenting for CBBC in 2002, and he’s still there. He presented Prank Patrol, Basil’s Swap Shop (with Basil Brush), and acted in Bear Behaving Badly (with Nev, the blue puppet bear-thing). More recently, Barney presented Blue Peter from 2010-2017.

Matt Edmonson

You probably know Matt as a BBC Radio One presenter, but he was a CBBC continuity presenter between 2004 and 2006. Other than his radio stuff, Matt hosted The Xtra Factor with Rylan Clark-Neal in 2016, as well as various other shows.

Helen Skelton

Helen presented Newsround in 2007, and Blue Peter from 2008-2013. She’s been presenting Countryfile since 2014, and presented swimming coverage at the 2016 Olympics for the BBC.

Helen’s taken part in various challenges to raise money for charities over the years, including: Running a 78-mile ultra marathon; solo-kayaking the Amazon River; walking a 150-metre tightrope between chimneys at Battersea Power Station, 66 metres above the ground; reaching the South Pole using a bicycle (???); and beating Love Island’s Camilla Thurlow in a boxing match for Sport Relief. Phew, I’m tired just reading all that.

Reggie Yates

Reggie presented various CBBC shows in the 00s, and since then has carried on presenting pretty much everything under the sun, including a lot of BBC Three documentaries that are now on Netflix. He won a Royal Television Society Television Award in 2016 for his Extreme Russia documentary. 

Reggie’s hosted lots of different BBC Radio One shows, played a character in Doctor Who, has written and directed a few films, and published a book in 2017.

Sam Nixon

Remember Sam and Mark? Well, this is Sam. The two presented CBBC shows such as Level Up, Copycats and Do Something Different. They’re still presenting Sam and Mark’s Big Friday Wind-Up, a CBBC show which began in 2011, replacing TMi (which they also presented).

Sam and Mark released two singles back in 2004 – their cover of The Beatles’ “With A Little Help From My Friends” was a UK no.1. Their second single debuted in the UK at no.19, and the two were dropped from their record deal after this.

Sam has two children, and was a finalist on Celebrity Masterchef in 2015. The winner of that series was Kimberly Wyatt, from the Pussycat Dolls.

Mark Rhodes

Clearly, Mark was Mark, in Sam and Mark. He’s been up to the same stuff as Sam (shocker), and also has two children.

Matt Baker

Matt presented Blue Peter from 1999-2006. He now presents Countryfile, and until earlier this year also presented The One Show, with Alex Jones.

Matt was on Strictly Come Dancing in 2010, and came second. He’s also done various bits of acting over the years, and according to his Insta has just got a new dog, which is fun.

Zoe Salmon

Zoe was a Blue Peter presenter from 2004-2008. She made an item for Blue Peter on St Trinians, and played a role in the film, which is pretty much a dream come true, even if it was only as a non-speaking extra.

Zoe’s been on and presented various TV shows since then, and came fifth on Dancing On Ice in 2009. Zoe’s spoken out about her mental health and how she was bullied in school. She also used to drink eight litres of water a day, and believes she was addicted.

Gethin Jones

Gethin was a Blue Peter presenter from 2005, leaving at the same time as Zoe in 2008. He’s since presented loads of different TV programs, and was on Strictly Come Dancing in 2007.

Gethin was also contestant on this year’s Celebrity Masterchef, but had to quit before the final due to illness. He now believes it was coronavirus as he had symptoms, but wasn’t able to get a test at the time.

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