Celebrity Jukebox #36: Valerie Singleton

As one of the longest serving Blue Peter presenters, Valerie Singleton will be, for many of you, the face of that show. However, she moved on to more grown up TV programming in the year I was born, so I never got to see her sitting on that famous sofa with John Noakes and Peter Purves. By the time I started watching, Lesley Judd had taken her place, in preparation for her later cameo in this famous Half Man Half Biscuit tune...

They’ve been cooking on Blue Peter

Now they’re sampling the dishes

“I don’t normally like tomatoes, John

But this is delicious”

Now the Krona rumour spread but they didn’t tell the bread

Did you honestly think that they would?

And if eight out of ten cats all prefer Whiskas

Do the other two prefer Lesley Judd?

Half Man Half Biscuit - 99% of Gargoyles Look Like Bob Todd 

But I digress. We're not here to talk about Lesley. This is Valerie's show! After all, Lesley wasn't there for Lulu the elephant, was she? Luckily, she does get her own entry in the Biscuit archives...

Precious McKenzie, boy I remember you well

Gob full of tapioca, I would sit and I’d watch you excel

Those legendary rivulets would trickle on down to your chin

But I always wondered what you did when you packed it all in

What are you doing today?

What have you done with the money?

How much did Singleton pay?

Do you think you were misunderstood?

I do.

Half Man Half Biscuit - I Left My Heart In Papworth General

Sadly, I can find no evidence to suggest that Steve Winwood's biggest hit was dedicated to Ms. Singleton... but we all know it must have been.

Steve Winwood - Valerie

So cool, she was like

Jazz on a Summer's day

Music, high and sweet

Then she just blew away

Now she can't be that warm

With the wind in your arms

Valerie, call on me

Call on me, Valerie

I'm the same boy I used to be

It does seem unlikely that the Zutons song is about Ms. Singleton though, as their Valerie had ginger hair. (I did check.)

It is to recent Namesakes The Cortinas that we must return today then, as our Val has a very special place in their hearts...