Earlier this month, it was announced that ITV had axed children's channel CITV in a streaming shake-up.
CITV is famous for shows such as My Parents Are Aliens and the classic Jungle Run, but the channel will go off the air later this year. ITV will replace it with their new streaming service ITVX. The ITVX Kids section will be available from July 2023.
A sign-of-the-times, perhaps, children's ITV first launched as a block in the station's programming schedule in 1983 before ITV launched CITV as a channel in its own right in 2006. Through the years, many will remember watching Art Attack, Grange Hill and The Worst Witch on the channel, as well as some other favourites on rival channels such as CBBC.
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Some of Liverpool's famous faces have starred in our favourite children's TV shows, with some being the springboard to launch some stellar careers. As an era comes to an end with the passing of CITV, the ECHO has taken a look back at what became of some of Liverpool's children's TV stars.
This list isn't intended to be comprehensive, we've included a number of well-known faces from Liverpool through the years who have appeared on or presented children's television programmes. But if you feel there is someone or something else we should have included, let us know in the comments section below.
Neil Buchanan
One of the most well known children's TV stars is Neil Buchanan, who helped a generation fall in love with art. Neil, from Aintree, was at the helm of CITV show Art Attack from 1990, until the show went off air in 2007, filming over 500 episodes.
When the show ended, Neil decided to go back to performing in a heavy metal band he'd set up in his youth, called Marseille. The band had some success in the 1970s, touring America and playing alongside Judas Priest, Nazareth and Whitesnake and the band later resurrected in 2009 and played The Cavern in Liverpool, later recording and releasing a new album.
Neil's website says he's "surpassed his lifelong ambition to create a cartoon character for Disney when they acquired the rights to his Art Attack format." In recent years, Twitter was abuzz with a theory that Neil was in fact artist Banksy, after a fan noticed Banksy's art was popping up in locations where Neil had performed his music.
Keith Chegwin
Also known and loved as Cheggers, TV presenter and comic, Keith Cegwin, from Bootle, becoming a household name presenting programmes such as Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Cheggers Plays Pop and, in the 1980s, Saturday Superstore. An integral part of children's television, a generation of children grew up with Cheggers on their screens.
The telly favourite was raised in Liverpool with his twin brother Jeff and sister, DJ Janice Long. In his career, Keith worked on Channel 4’s The Big Breakfast and GMTV.
He also appeared on reality TV shows such as Channel Five’s Naked Jungle, Dancing On Ice, Celebrity Big Brother and Celebrity Masterchef. In December 2017, it was announced that Keith had died aged 60, following a long-term battle with a progressive lung condition.
Do these shows awaken any memories for you? Let us know in the comments section below.
Jean Alexander
Born Jean Hodgkinson in Toxteth in 1926, Jean Alexander yearned to be an actress but worked for five years as a library assistant in Liverpool before beginning her acting career in 1949 at the Adelphi Guild Theatre in Macclesfield. Her television debut was in police series Z-Cars and she first appeared in Coronation Street in 1962 as landlady Mrs Webb, before going on to play cleaning lady Hilda Odgen until 1987 - a role that earned her a Royal Television Society Award.
In 1988 she made a guest appearance in the long-running BBC comedy series Last of the Summer Wine as Auntie Wainwright and then became a regular in the show until it ended in 2010. But many will remember her roles on children's television shows in the 1990s.
Jean played Winifred Whisper on CITV's Adam's Family Tree and Lily in the BBC adaption of E. Nesbit's The Phoenix and the Carpet. In October 2016, Jean died in hospital just three days after her 90th birthday.
Kevin Duala
Years ago, Kevin Duala was the main star of Nick Jr. programme Blue’s Clues. Blue’s Clues followed an animated blue-spotted dog named Blue as she left a treasure hunt for Kevin and the viewers.
Kevin was on the show from 1998 to 2003 and there was also an American version of the programme. But today, viewers will recognise Kevin as a regular presenter on BBC's The One Show and Channel 4's Tool Club, where he leads a four-strong team of DIY experts alongside Jessica Grizzle, Julia Miller-Osborn and Mac McMurdo as they tackle botched DIY projects.
Last year, One Show guest presenter Kevin was in Liverpool for the Eurovision host announcement, joined by Eurovision legend Sonia, and former Olympian Sam Quek. Presenting the Sunday morning breakfast show on BBC Radio Sussex and BBC Radio Surrey, Kevin also hosted Moneybags on Channel 4 last year in Craig Charles' absence.
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Jack McMullen
Jack McMullen made his television debut as on the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside, playing the role of Josh Dixon, previously McLoughlin, for almost a decade. In 2003, he won two British Soap Awards for his role in the show; the first for Best Newcomer, and the second for Best On-Screen Partnership with co-star Sarah White.
But many will remember Jack for starring in children's programme Grange Hill. Starring in the show from 2005 till 2008, he played schoolboy Timothy Johnson, known as Tigger.
Jack has since gone on to enjoy phenomenal success, having featured in Casualty and Doctors, before he joined the Waterloo Road cast as a 19-year-old. Back in 2017, he featured in Little Boy Blue opposite Stephen Graham and prior to that he also had a part in BBC Three comedy Together in 2015. More recently, he appeared in Channel 4's dark comedy Screw and also had a role in prison drama Time in 2021, starring opposite Sean Bean.
George Christopher
After rising to fame at the age of 15, George Christopher quickly became one of the most popular young actors on TV. George Wilson - also known by his stage name George Christopher - took on the role of Ziggy Greaves in Grange Hill, as well as Little Jimmy Corkhill in Brookside.
George, 51, who comes from West Derby and today lives in Huyton, has also appeared in other productions including a play about the Hillsborough disaster while, in 2020, appearing in Sphere of Fear 2 and then BBC's Pointless Celebrities ore recently. George has been with his partner, Mel, for over 20 years and together they have one son, Kirk.
He has also been very open about his mental health struggles after being diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder at the age of 40. Talking to The ECHO in 2019, he spoke about his trauma and near-tragedy while talking about his book, 'From Grange Hill To Bipolar and Back'.
Michael Angelis
Liverpool-born actor Michael Angelis was famous for his roles in The Liver Birds and Boys from the Blackstuff. But younger generations will remember him for a completely different role.
Born in Dingle, Michael first appeared on screen in the 1970s in programmes such as Z Cars, Thirty-Minute Theatre and an episode of Coronation Street. As well as his numerous television roles, he was also well-known as the long-term narrator of Thomas The Tank Engine series Thomas And Friends.
Michael Angelis lent his voice to the children's TV programme for 13 series, taking over from Ringo Starr in 1991, when the programme was called Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends, and continuing until 2012. His last credited TV role came in 2012, when he appeared in the Liverpool-set BBC drama Good Cop. In May 2020, it was announced Michael had died age 68.
Sonia
Sonia Evans – known by her first name Sonia - was brought up in Walton and is well-known for her chart topping hits and for representing the UK in 1993's Eurovision Song Contest. Whilst the teenager singer was playing the Liverpool club circuit, she was spotted by record producer Pete Waterman and an impromptu audition secured her a recording contract with Simon Cowell at BMG.
In 1989, the then 18-year-old Liverpool singer hit the charts with her debut single - You'll Never Stop Me Loving You - which climbed up the UK charts to reach the number one spot. The following year, Sonia, alongside Ross King, co-hosted children's game show The Wetter the Better.
After Eurovision in 1993, Sonia went on to star in the musical What a Feeling! and played the role of Lily Savage’s daughter, Bunty Savage, both on the BBC’s The Lily Savage Show and live shows. She has also appeared on on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway, The Weakest Link, Hell's Kitchen and This Morning and had stints in Pantomime and reality TV.
Chris McCausland
Blind Liverpool comic Chris McCausland, originally from West Derby, moved to south London for good after graduating from Kingston University. Born with a genetic condition called retinitis pigmentosa (RP), Chris, a self-proclaimed “geek”, was a web designer until his eyesight began to fail him and he had a go at stand-up.
Chris is well-known on the comic scene and has performed at the Comedy Store in London’s West End, the Edinburgh Festival and - most importantly - Liverpool’s well known live music venue and comedy venue, The Slaughter House. But he is also known to television audiences for a CBeebies role.
Playing Rudi the market trader on children's series Me Too!, the show aired for a decade until 2016. Chris has also appeared on Celebrity Deal or No Deal, Have I Got News For You, 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and more.
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Esther McVey
At one time, Esther McVey was Merseyside's only Tory MP - but years ago, she even did a presenting stint on children's channel CBBC. Following a postgraduate course in Radio Journalism at City University London, Esther landed her debut TV role on children's channel CBBC.
Working for eight weeks as a co-presenter on But First This in 1991, a fresh-faced Esther looks unrecognisable with chopstick blonde curls. Through the years, she had a number of presenting gigs, but a standout moment in her television career was when she presented Good Morning Television on ITV.
Filling in for Fiona Phillips, who was on maternity leave at the time, Esther sat alongside Eamonn Holmes to read the morning news. The former Minister for Disabled People Esther McVey lost her Wirral West seat in the 2015 general election in a closely-fought contest with ex-English teacher Margaret Greenwood. She went on to become MP for Tatton, and was appointed to the role of Secretary of State for the Department of Work and Pensions in January 2018.
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