Character: John Noakes. This fearless chimney-stack climbing, freefall-parachuting, bobsleigh-racing, Shep-stroking Yorkshireman feels like a larger-than-life character, but was actually a real person.

Programme: Blue Peter (1965 - 1978)

Standout moment: Putting his Hush Puppies in elephant pooh when a baby Dumbo got out of hand in the studio.

Memorable catchphrase: "Get down Shep" - said to his over-enthusiastic canine chum at regular intervals.

Lowest ebb: Leaving the Beeb under a bit of a cloud when it turned out that the BBC refused to let him keep Shep because the border collie was technically owned by the licence-payer. Actually this is an urban myth – he did get to keep Shep, but stopped receiving payments for his Bonios.

Big screen potential: Noakes capitalised on his daredevil reputation with the solo gig, Go With Noakes (1976 - 1980), in which he performed all his own stunts. If Bruce Willis ever gives up trying to revive his career with more action movies Noakes could don the white vest for Die Hard 6: Oh Eck.

Why is he a hero? Because he was a lynchpin of the definitive Blue Peter team of Val, John and Pete. Don't let anyone try to convince you that Lesley Judd was as important. And don't even mention John Leslie.

Little known fact: I thought it was just me getting older and thinking that the turnover of Blue Peter presenters is getting quicker, but it is true. Noakes holds the record for longest serving host, notching up twelve years under his thick leather Yorkshireman's belt without a whiff of a sex or drugs scandal.

Read up on TV hero Kenny Everett