Christopher Trace was just 25 when he landed the role of a lifetime in 1958 as one of the first-ever presenters of the iconic children’s TV show Blue Peter
A Blue Peter icon passed away penniless after a nine-year stint on the BBC children’s show. Christopher Trace kick-started his presenting career at 25 in 1958 and was the one to launch the inaugural episode alongside co-host Leila Williams.
His career soared from there. He secured a regular presenting gig on BBC Schools programme Signpost in 1961, holding the position for four years, and even had an acting career prior to presenting, featuring in films like 1959’s The Hound of the Baskervilles and 1960’s Urge to Kill.
Regrettably, things didn’t pan out well for the star in the end. By 1967, Blue Peter chiefs were eager to replace him on the show, labelling him as difficult to work with on-set.
Matters worsened when his wife Margaret Cattrall filed for divorce after Trace had an affair with a 19 year old during a Blue Peter trip to Norway. Christopher and his wife Meg had two children together, Jonathan and Jessica.
Although he continued to work for BBC Radio and BBC Norwich for the following six years, Trace left Blue Peter in 1967 and gambled on a new business venture that ultimately cost him his life savings. He made a brief return to Blue Peter for its 20th anniversary in 1978, but largely retired from his media career and ended up pulling pints in a Norwich pub and working as a taxi driver, reports the Express.
One insider recalled: “I remember him being strong on screen on BBC East. He was only there as his wife had kicked him out, he’d lost all his money and was drinking and eventually he went off to run a pub in Norwich.”
In his twilight years, Trace turned his hand to a variety of odd jobs, even taking the helm as general manager at an engineering factory. It was there that he tragically lost two toes in a workplace mishap and subsequently stopped showing up for work.
After being declared bankrupt in 1973 – a mere two years post tying the knot with Prudence Day – the celeb passed away at the young age of 59 in 1992, succumbing to oesophageal cancer. At the time of his passing, he resided in Walthamstow and was comforted by visits from fellow presenters Valerie Singleton and Biddy Baxter during his last days in hospital.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
