Val and John in the Flora advert scandal

There have been many scandals to hit Blue Peter over the years, from Richard Bacon's sacking in 1998 for cocaine use to the 2007 charity phone-in controversy (and we will look at some of these in more detail in forthcoming blog posts). But one that seems to have escaped much of this scrutiny was this article which appeared in the press many years ago - the cutting doesn't have a date on it and there's nothing online about the scandal.

The story of the dispute between John Noakes and Biddy Baxter over the costs of keeping Shep the dog is well known. Following his Blue Peter departure Noakes was allowed to keep his dog but the BBC refused to pay him his "dog money" whilst allowing Shep to make guest appearances on the new series, Go With Noakes. The dispute ended with Noakes relinquishing the ownership of Shep following an angry confrontation with Baxter. He did however purchase a new mutt, indistinguishable from Shep but named Skip which he used in adverts for Spillers "Choice Cuts" dog food.

Memories of the Flora margarine debacle however seem to have slipped under the radar. John and Valerie apparently upset the BBC when they appeared together in an advert for the spread using Flora tubs as pretend phones. According to the article the advert was a spoof of the programme's tradition of 'making useful items out of everyday objects' - though I'm not sure by what stretch of the imagination a pretend telephone system made of margarine tubs could be described as useful - but we know what they mean I think.

The newspaper article cites the BBC as saying that Flora hadn't asked for permission for the advert and that "viewers may believe they are watching a real edition of Blue Peter". They continued threateningly "our legal department are looking into it".

With a complete absence of further coverage or mention of this story anywhere on the world wide web, perhaps we can assume that in spite of numerous calls by the BBC legal department, they eventually gave up because no one at Flora would pick up their margarine tub.

For more well-known Blue Peter scandals and intrigues, check out this online article in the Daily Mail archive:  

Sex, lies and double-sided sticky tape! As it marks 60 years, the secret history of Blue Peter – by its star presenters

By Cole Moreton For Event Magazine

 

Published: 22:01, 22 September 2018 | Updated: 22:01, 22 September 2018

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/event/article-6188549/60-years-Blue-Peter-Gossip-scandal-classic-memories.html

Can one detect an element of self-send-up from these veteran creators
of useful things from everyday items?
Including Peter Duncan, still famous for his suits made from off-cuts
of Laura Ashley curtains