Blue Peter swaps pets for gadgets to reclaim lost viewers
Blue Peter is attempting to reinvigorate its stuffy image following a recent flit to Salford by retiring off some of its aging pets from set.
The about turn reflects a desire on the part of producers to enhance the show’s appeal to pre-teens who are more interested in technology than animals.
The shows first episode to be broadcast from Salford will feature the latest smartphones and the best apps for children – including an anti-bullying app designed by children for children.
Absent from the set will be Socks and Cookie, two cats who have been moved into semi-retirement whilst Lucy, a Golden Retriever who died of cancer in March will not be replaced.
One animal which will remain on set is Barney, an Irish Settler dashund cross owned by presenter Helen Skelton.
Blue Peter will be the first live show to be broadcast from the new BBC North headquarters. It will boast a remixed theme tune and a reinterpretation of the famous garden built on the roofspace.
The set will retain the familiar blue sofa but be otherwise transformed into a ‘media hub’with viewers soon able to interact via phone, webcam and email.