Blue Peter announces new presenter Abby to start this week
20-year-old Abby will be the show's 42nd presenter.
Iconic and long-running children's show Blue Peter has appointed its newest presenter, with 20-year-old Abby Cook announced to be taking on the role.
Abby, who was born in Falkirk, will be the show's 42nd presenter, co-hosting alongside Mwaksy, Joel and Henry the dog, with her first live show airing this week (Friday 10th March).
Abby is a wheelchair user with a background in sport, training twice a week with Paralympians in wheelchair racing, while she also enjoys wheelchair basketball. She has also worked with Valley Disability Sport, supporting disabled and non-disabled young people to enjoy being active, and is a mental health project administrator for Scottish Disability Sport.
On her new role, Abby said: "I was speechless when I found out, I had to check it was true. It was a very emotional moment knowing I would actually be presenting a show I love and had grown up with."
Talking about her history with the show, she added: "Helen and Barney were my era, but I also became obsessed with watching ‘You Decide’ when the public got to choose the latest presenter and they picked Lindsey. I remember thinking what a great role model she was, she had never presented before but here was this strong woman going on the show and doing an amazing job.
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"I’m hoping to do the same because I know what a lasting impression the presenters can have on the audience."
Meanwhile, Blue Peter editor Ellen Evans said: "When Abby came to the studio, we knew she would be great for the show because she has an unstoppable ‘can do’ attitude. She’s up for any challenge and we know she’ll connect beautifully with our audience because she has a real affinity for working with young people, but she also has the biggest of hearts."
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Abby is a big animal lover, who has a soft spot for creepy crawlies and her family dog, Tato. She’s also very musical, playing electric guitar, bass guitar and the ukulele, and she enjoys crafting, including plate painting, pottery and embroidery, too.
She has been a big fan of Blue Peter all her life and while she is afraid of heights, her first challenge will be abseiling down Millers Dale Viaduct in the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Meanwhile, on her first show she will be seen demonstrating her skills at track and meeting animals in the studio.
Blue Peter airs on Fridays at 5pm on CBBC and is available on BBC iPlayer. Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on.
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