Valerie Singleton was born on 9 April 1937 and is an English television and radio presenter best known as a regular presenter of the popular children's series Blue Peter from 1962 to 1972.
24 Facts About Valerie Singleton
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Valerie Singleton presented the BBC Radio 4 PM programme for ten years, as well as a series of radio and television programmes on financial and business issues, including BBC's The Money Programme from 1980 to 1988.
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Valerie Singleton studied dancing at the Arts Educational School, London, and at the age of twelve, appeared as a young dancer in Cinderella at the Finsbury Park Empire.
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When Singleton was 16, she danced in Aladdin at the King's Theatre, Edinburgh, with Stanley Baxter playing Wishee Washee, and she was a young singer in the Ovaltineys.
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Valerie Singleton went on to spend two years at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, winning a scholarship for her first term, and she began her career as an actress at the New Theatre in Bromley.
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For several years Valerie Singleton pursued her acting career, including Nest of Robins, a No 1 Tour starring Jessie Mathews and Sonnie Hale.
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Valerie Singleton began presenting on BBC Radio in 1963, hosting On the Sunny Side of the Street for the Light Programme.
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Valerie Singleton was a reporter on BBC2's Time Out in 1964.
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Valerie Singleton became a voice over commentator for television commercials and presented, with Arnold a cartoon character, the Arnold Doodle Show on ITV on Sundays.
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Valerie Singleton joined the BBC in 1961 as a television continuity announcer and on 3 September 1962 joined Blue Peter, where she remained as a regular weekly presenter until 3 July 1972.
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In 1971, Valerie Singleton accompanied Princess Anne to Kenya on the Princess's first overseas trip as the newly assigned President of The Save The Children Fund, for the film Blue Peter Royal Safari.
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The documentary Blue Peter Royal Safari led to the spin-off series, Blue Peter Special Assignments, in which Valerie Singleton was solo presenter.
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Valerie Singleton returned in January 1976 to mark the death of the first Blue Peter cat, Jason.
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Valerie Singleton's fees were reportedly a factor in their decision.
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For both the 20th and 25th anniversary editions of Blue Peter in 1978 and 1983 respectively, Valerie Singleton moderated the live link-ups from around the UK to launch the anniversary badge balloon hunts, thus extending her presenting tenure to 21 years.
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Valerie Singleton was the co-anchor of Nationwides royal wedding coverage in November 1973.
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Valerie Singleton left Nationwide in 1978 to present the BBC's late-night news programme Tonight, replacing Sue Lawley.
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Valerie Singleton made a brief return to Nationwide in the summer of 1983, presenting a series of films looking at people forced to leave their homeland and settle in Britain.
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Valerie Singleton interviewed the winning candidates, Frederic Bennett and David Penhaligon, after the results for the BBC's Election results programming.
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Valerie Singleton made a one-off return to PM on 29 February 2016 to co-present a special "Leap Day" programme, alongside Eddie Mair.
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Valerie Singleton was an early enthusiast for and patron of the painter Jack Vettriano.
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In 2005, the story of Valerie Singleton's move from London to Dorset and the sale of the flat she had lived in for more than forty years was reported in The Times.
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Valerie Singleton was the subject of This Is Your Life in 2001, when she was surprised by Michael Aspel.
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Valerie Singleton was once engaged to radio presenter and DJ Pete Murray.