Kids’ TV stars who quit fame for normal jobs – from a Stagecoach driver to the Blue Peter baker who charmed the Queen
One star is keen to return to the show that made him famous
THE world of children’s TV is full of bright colours, zany antics, and larger-than-life personalities that leave kids glued to their screens.
But what happens when the cameras stop rolling and the presenters swap puppets for paperwork or costumes for classrooms?
This week, The Sun revealed that Melanie Grant, 53, who shot to fame as a cheerleader on ITV‘s Fun House, is now pulling pints at Wetherspoons.
From 1989 to 1999, she was joined by her twin sister Martina and featured in all eleven series of the show, which was hosted by Pat Sharp.
Speaking about life after the show, Melanie said: “Since Fun House came to an end, Martina and I haven’t been on TV regularly. We still get the odd showbiz jobs here and there but it’s not my full-time job anymore and I needed something to pay the bills.”
She added: “I’ve always been a real people person, and I love working with the public, so when the Wetherspoons job came up, I thought it sounded perfect.”
Astonishingly, she says some people still recognise her from her time on the show.
One now works as a teacher, helping shape young minds, while another has become a real-life guinea pig, testing medicines for science.
Here, we track down the stars of CBBC, CITV, and beyond to uncover their surprising second acts.
Zoe Salmon-Corrie
Zoe Salmon-Corrie, 44, was one of the most popular presenters on Blue Peter.
Before joining the show in 2004, she was also crowned Miss Northern Ireland in 1999.
But after four years, she quit to pursue other ventures. In 2009, she was a contestant on Dancing on Ice but quit fame soon after.
She started working in her family bakery, co-owned by her husband, William Corrie.
Earlier this year, she was thrust back into the limelight when Queen Camilla visited the bakery located in Belfast.
In snaps, her son Fitzwilliam is seen photobombing the Queen in an adorable tuxedo.
Although Zoe has largely stayed out of the limelight, she still has an agent and does very rare presenting jobs.
Simeon Courtie
Simeon Courtie‘s work on BBC kids’ TV made him a household name.
He was known for his appearances alongside puppet Otis the Aardvark.
Since leaving the show, he has embarked on several other hustles, including presenting at a local BBC radio station and contributing to on shows like Have I Got News For You?
In 2020, he surprised fans appearing on Good Morning Britain and explained that he was to take part in the first Covid vaccine trials.
Blue Peter's biggest stars
With over 5,000 episodes produced, Blue Peter has been on air since 1958 and has seen a raft of famous faces at the helm
Christoper Trace – 1958 to 1967
Valerie Singleton – 1962 to 1972
John Noakes – 1965 to 1978
Peter Purves – 1967 to 1978
Simon Groom – 1978 to 1986
Janet Ellis – 1983 to 1987
Peter Duncan – 1985 to 1986
Yvette Fielding – 1987 to 1992
John Leslie – 1989 to 1994
Konnie Huq – 1987 to 2008
Matt Baker – 1999 to 2006
Gethin Jones – 2005 to 2008
Helen Skelton – 2008 to 2013
Barney Hardwood – 2011 to 2017
Lindsey Russell – 2013 to 2021
Radzi Chinyanganya – 2013 to 2019
He said: “They think it will be somewhere along the lines of having flu.
“They don’t know, everybody’s different. You might just get very mild side effects but I think at worst, maybe a fever for a couple of days maybe some aches and pains – it shouldn’t be too disruptive to my life.”
Simeon, now 54, lives in Oxfordshire with his wife, former BBC journalist Jillian Moody and their three children.
Rodd Christensen
Balamory was one of the most exciting kids’ shows in the early 2000s.
One of the most beloved show regulars was Spencer the Painter, played by American actor Rodd Christensen.
When the Scottish live-action show wrapped in 2005, many of its stars shunned the limelight, including Rodd, who became a bus driver for Stagecoach.
He has even admitted that he often gets recognised by passengers while on duty.
Following an announcement that the show was set to return, Rodd said he would like to reprise his role. “If they ask me to go back, then I’ll absolutely be there with bells on, I’m sure,” he said.
Although he has stayed out of the public eye, he made headlines in 2017 when it was revealed that his daughter, Raylin Joy, was working as an X-rated film star.
Liz Barker
In 2009, Liz Barker joined Blue Peter and became the show’s 29th presenter.
She hosted the programme for six years and left in 2015. Since then, she has become a mother of four and enjoys spending time with her family.
She also began working on her family’s chain of bakeries as a cake decorator.
Liz took on jobs as a local radio presenter in Cambridge and still does occasional acting gigs.
Andrew Hayden Smith
has had an interesting career – before he began appearing on CBBC, he was cast in Byker Grove as Ben Carter.
He was also a regular guest in the CBBC studio and was encouraged by other hosts to ask bosses for a chance to present.
He became a main presenter from 2002 to 2006 and even had a short stint on Blue Peter in 2004. Subsequently, he appeared in three episodes of Doctor Who in 2006.
Andrew, 41, became a regular on Hollyoaks from 2016 to 2017, appearing in 64 episodes.
But he appears to have now retreated from the limelight and mostly works as a continuity announcer behind the scenes on ITV, providing voice-over work on TV.
Kim Tserkezie
Fans of Balamory will remember Kim Tserkezie as Penny Pocket, known for her incredible mathematics talent and running the village shop with her pal Suzie.
Kim’s character was a wheelchair user. In real life, she was diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular disorder as a child and has had to use wheelchairs for most of her life.
After the show, Kim established her own production company, Scattered Productions and became a writer and producer.
She later returned to university and started a new career path last year as a fully qualified integrative psychotherapeutic counsellor.
Peter Duncan
Peter Duncan, 70, started on Blue Peter in 1980 and left after six years.
Speaking to MailOnline about his time in the show, he said: “I only got paid a few hundred pounds per episode. There was a sense that you were lucky to do it, that you’re going to be famous and all that malarkey.
After his exit, he initially pursued a career in acting. He has also sporadically taken part in TV shows such as Tumble and Through the Keyhole.
From September 2004 to July 2009, he was appointed as the Scout Association’s Chief Scout.
He is also a co-founder of the Natural Adventure Company in 2009.
The company’s website says it aims to “facilitate financially accessible walking or cycling holidays for people who want to delve a little deeper into nature and the local community, but who want some infrastructure along the way.”
Romana D’Annunzio
Romana D’Annunzio made her name as Blue Peter’s second Scottish presenter.
Richard Bacon, Katy Hill, and Tim Vincent were among her co-presenters. She appeared on the show for just two years before leaving to pursue acting opportunities.
However, the 52-year-old eventually became a secondary school teacher after graduating from Glasgow University.
She has said she caught the teaching bug while working as an English teacher in Rome.
Speaking to the Scotsman, she said: “There were a number of times when I was in the front of a class, that I thought, ‘This isn’t so unlike presenting Blue Peter’.”
Simon Groom
From 1978 to 1986, Simon Groom was a presenter on Blue Peter. Peter was raised on a farm in Dethick, Derbyshire and often visited for reports on the show.
The 74-year-old also worked as an English teacher before getting his big break.
His co-hosts on Blue Peter included Lesley Judd, Tina Heath, and Peter Duncan. After leaving the program, he released a cover of Elvis Presley’s Can’t Help Falling in Love via his own record label.
He also produced TV documentaries but ultimately returned to his first love – farming. The farm in Derbyshire has been in his family for generations.
