Five stars who quit Blue Peter and why - divorce shame, drug scandal and ditching fame

Blue Peter has been running for more than 60 years, making it the BBC's longest-running children's programme.

Kicking off in 1958, the series was created by John Hunter Blair and first presented by Leila Williams and Christopher Trace. Originally 15 minutes long and scheduled to run for just six weeks, Blue Peter is now the badge of honour for anyone who lands a place on the kids TV show.

Viewers have watched 43 presenters come and go over the years, with the series currently fronted by Joel Mawhinney, Abby Cook and Shini Muthukrishnan.

While some of these stars have gone on to have illustrious careers in TV and showbiz, others have turned their back on fame all together. Here, Express.co.uk takes a look at some of the presenters who quit Blue Peter and why.

Konnie Huq

Presenting Blue Peter for 11 years from 1997 to 2008, Konnie Huq currently stands as the show's longest serving female presenter. She achieved her ambition of overtaking Valerie Singleton, who hosted the series from 1962 to 1972.

Despite enjoying her time on the programme, Konnie confessed she felt "owned" by the BBC as she reflected on her decision to leave. The TV star was also unable to have a life outside of work, forced to miss out on important events and holidays.

In an interview with The Standard, the 48-year-old said: "For ten years, I had almost no social life. I could never commit to anything, such as going to a friend's wedding, or planning a holiday, because I was always being sent off somewhere at the last moment. It was fun, yes, but free, no.

Anita West

Currently the show's shortest-serving presenter, Anita West fronted Blue Peter for just 16 episodes in 1962. Anita, now 89, abruptly handed in her resignation while she was in the process of a divorce.

The BBC host had been married to the late jazz musician Ray Ellington for six years, however, their union was under heavy strain due to Ray constantly being away on tour.

Anita, who had two young children with Ray at the time, found herself breaking down in the Blue Peter dressing room, concerned about how her divorce would affect the show's image.

Unable to cope, Anita resigned after just four months. Producers reacted so badly to the decision that she wasn't included in the broadcaster's official archives of the show and was not publicly acknowledged as a presenter until 1998.

In 2008, Anita reflected on her sudden departure during an interview with Mail Online. "My time on Blue Peter was just awful," she admitted. "Not because I didn’t want to do it – I desperately wanted to do it. But the timing was so bad."

Anita continued: "I was 28 with two children and I was just about to get a divorce. In the Sixties, divorce wasn’t very accepted and I didn’t want my personal life to hit the headlines and drag the show into disrepute."

She added: "So I resigned without really telling anyone why and they thought very badly of me. I left Blue Peter to save hurt and embarrassment all round and, of course, to look after the children. The BBC were unhappy with me. I was effectively relegated after that. From the time I left, it was like I hadn’t existed."

Richard Bacon

Richard Bacon was the face of Blue Peter until he was fired in 1998. Aged 22 at the time, Richard was axed from the series after his drug use was revealed by News of the World on a front page spread.

With his contract terminated midway through the series, the Head of BBC Children’s programmes Lorraine Heggessey was forced to go on air and explain why he had been axed from the programme.

She said: "Richard has not only let himself and the team of Blue Peter down, but he’s also let all of you down badly. So, we have decided that Richard cannot present on Blue Peter and he agrees that that is the right decision."

The now 48-year-old had no choice but to return his Blue Peter badge upon his dismissal. He has been open about the scandal in the past, previously telling the i: "I was publicly shamed after Blue Peter. If this happened now, I think I’d still have lost my job, but the response would have been even louder.

"Back then it was down to the good graces of the newspapers to decide if you’re going to be publicly shamed. These days, it’s down to the actual public to decide who gets publicly shamed."

He added: "That sounds like a positive, democratic move, but I’m not sure it is because what it involves is rushed judgement and Twitter pile-ons. It can be unforgiving."

Zoe Salmon

In 2008, Zoe Salmon announced she was leaving Blue Peter after nearly four years. She quit at the same time as Gethin Jones, admitting it was a huge privilege to appear on the beloved kids programme.

At the time of her departure, the now 44-year-old said: "I grew up watching the iconic show, it's been an incredible privilege and honour to have been part of the fantastic team and I will always treasure my Blue Peter Badge and memories."

Zoe, who appeared on Dancing on Ice in 2009, has remained mainly out of the spotlight since her departure. She now runs a family-owned bakery with her husband, William Corrie.

The TV star made a surprising return to screens back in March, when Queen Camilla’s visit to Northern Ireland was overshadowed by her one-year-old son.

Camilla popped into Knotts Bakery on Lisburn Road in Belfast where she met with Will and Zoe. The star of the show, however, was their son, Fitzwilliam, who could not take his eyes off the cameras and television equipment in the bakery.

Helen Skelton

Renowned for her work as a reporter for children's news programmes, Newsround and Sportsround, Helen Skelton landed her biggest gig yet when she became a presenter on Blue Peter in 2008.

At just 25, Helen replaced the departing Zoe Salmon, making her the 33rd permanent host of the TV show.

"I am absolutely thrilled to have been chosen," Helen said at the time. "It's a dream come true to get the best job in telly and to join the series in its 50th anniversary year is a massive honour."

Five years later, the Strictly Come Dancing star decided it was time to pursue other projects as she announced her exit from the programme.

Helen, now 40, said: "I have been so lucky over the last five years. I have travelled the world, met amazing people, been part of some unbelievable adventures and I have loved every second of it."

Sharing the extensive committment that comes with starring on the series, Helen added: "However, Blue Peter is a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year job, and with so many exciting new projects in the pipeline, I can't be there as much as I would like, so I've made the difficult decision to hang up my badge."