Adam Beales: Blue Peter announces its 40th presenter

Adam Beales has 2.75m YouTube subscribers

Blue Peter has announced that Northern Irish YouTuber Adam Beales is to become its 40th presenter.

Beales, from Londonderry, will co-host alongside Lindsey Russell, Richie Driss, Mwaka Mudenda, and Henry the dog.

The 20-year-old said he was "super excited" to get started on the long-running BBC children's TV show.

In May, Mudenda was unveiled as the show's latest presenter from her own home, due to lockdown restrictions.

• New Blue Peter presenter unveiled in lockdown

"I am humbled and ecstatic to be part of such a legendary production," said Beales, whose first show will air on Thursday 3 September.

"It's kind of weird - in a super exciting way - that the show I once watched when I was younger, is now the show I will be presenting along with the talented Lindsey, Richie, Mwaksy and of course, Henry."

He added: "I can't wait to get stuck in, even with the challenges they throw at me, though I am hoping none of them involve cheese - I hate cheese!"

'A little bit mischievous'

Beales has appeared already on the CBBC panel show, The Dog Ate My Homework, but he rose to prominence via his own YouTube channel - which now has nearly three million subscribers.

It features his family, and finds him posting videos of pranks, challenges, DIY and life hacks.

"Adam really impressed us during his auditions, he's a natural in front of the camera but he's also very funny, incredibly warm, brilliant with kids and also perhaps a little bit mischievous which the Blue Peter audience will absolutely love," said Blue Peter editor, Ellen Evans.

Broadcasters such as Konnie Huq, Radzi Chinyanganya and the late John Noakes have all previously hosted Blue Peter.

Elsewhere on Tuesday, another BBC children's show, Newsround, launched its own YouTube channel, after getting rid of its teatime TV bulletin.

The news programme has been on television for almost 50 years, however the corporation said it is aiming to move more of its children's content online, where it believes the audience is.

'Scheduled television was the law!'

Presenter De'Graft Mensah said he wasn't sad to see the changes, as "the world was a very different place" to when he was watching the programme as a kid himself.

"I grew up in a world where coming home to watch scheduled television was the law! It was something that everyone did," he said.

The new-look Newsround team: (Left to right) Jenny Lawrence, Martin Dougan, Hayley Hassall, Shanequa Paris, De"Graft Mensah, Leah Boleto and Ricky Boleto.

"I'm quite happy that we're now able to adapt. It's a very bad move to be stubborn and stay as you are when everything around you is changing," he added.

Mensah said he hopes the show will last for another 50 years, at least.

Aside from axing its afternoon bulletin, Newsround will now air one longer eight-minute daily bulletin every morning on CBBC and BBC iPlayer, instead of two five-minute slots.

Blue Peter is live on CBBC every Thursday at 17.30 and is also available on BBC iPlayer.