Blue Peter is set to honour Prince William with a green badge, acknowledging his contributions to The Earthshot Prize, a quest for the most groundbreaking solutions to the world’s most pressing environmental dilemmas.
His Royal Highness will be presented with the badge by Blue Peter’s Joel Mawhinney during the 65th Birthday special airing on Friday, 13th October at 5pm, on CBBC and BBC iPlayer. In the course of the programme, The Prince will also join Joel in unveiling the ‘big badge wall’, showcasing illustrations and letters from viewers centred around nature and the environment.
The green badge was introduced in November 1988 and has been the central focus of Blue Peter’s environmental endeavours for over 35 years. It is awarded to youngsters who demonstrate a genuine concern for the planet, climate change, recycling, animal conservation, and their habitats. Joel, who is a magician, will not only present the badge to The Prince but also amaze him with a card trick.
Esteemed recipients of the green badge encompass Her Royal Highness The Princess of Wales, Sir David Attenborough, Greta Thunberg, Steve Backshall, Chris Packham, Megan McCubbin, and Bella Ramsay.
Both The Prince and The Princess of Wales were also bestowed with the Gold Blue Peter badge in 2017.
Joining the festivities at the Blue Peter studio in Salford for the 65th birthday celebration are former presenters Matt Baker, Lindsey Russell, and Radzi Chinyanganya. They will join current hosts Abby Cook, Joel Mawhinney, and Henry the Blue Peter pet in taking on various challenges and games.
In the true spirit of Blue Peter, Abby and Joel will embark on an extraordinary adventure, tackling white-water rafting.
Offering their best wishes to Blue Peter for its anniversary in Friday’s show will be an array of familiar faces including Alex Scott, Gaby Roslin, Gary Lineker, Gethin Jones, and stars from Coronation Street. Also extending their wishes will be Gold Blue Peter badge holders Sky Brown, Ellie Simmonds, and Joe Wicks. A birthday message for Blue Peter has even graced The BT Tower in London.
Monday, 16th October 2023, marks not only the 65th anniversary of the inaugural broadcast of the world’s longest-running children’s TV show but also the 60th birthday of the iconic Blue Peter badges, which were first introduced in June 1963.
Today, there are nine badge categories – Blue, Silver, Green, Sport, Purple, Orange, Gold, Music, and Book Badge. Since 2017, Blue Peter’s green, blue, and purple badges have been crafted from recycled yoghurt pots in a solar-powered factory in Cornwall.
To commemorate this special year, Blue Peter has just unveiled a brand-new Book Badge designed by Sir Quentin Blake. Additionally, in partnership with Doctor Who, 500 fortunate fans will receive a special limited edition competition winners’ badge on Friday, 24th November.
Blue Peter transcends generations and continues to inspire children to submit over 100,000 competition entries, letters, artworks, and ideas for the show each year. A dedicated team reads and personally responds to each child who writes in.
At present, over 265,000 children aged 5 to 15 possess at least one Blue Peter badge, and in the past month alone, 6,000 children have applied for the new Book Badge, launched in September 2023.
Blue Peter is a production of BBC Studios Kids & Family for CBBC. The Blue Peter 65th Birthday special will air at 5pm on Friday, 13th October, on CBBC and BBC iPlayer.
