Career
His first job was as a 'runner' for the BBC. He was asked to audition by one of the Blue Peter directors he met whilst eating out with work colleagues; he had previously intended to go into documentary-making and radio. Akinwolere began co-presenting the BBC television programme Blue Peter on 28 June 2006. He is now a senior presenter and was nominated for the prestigious Presenter of the Year Children’s BAFTA and subsequently nominated with Blue Peter the following year for Best Factual Programme.
His first challenge, as a presenter, was to complete a 150 yard abseil and a 1100 ft Hele Bungee. He has presented the show with Konnie Huq, Zöe Salmon, Gethin Jones, Helen Skelton, Joel Defries and Barney Harwood. As a presenter he has had great experience from guest presenting on CBBC’s Safari 8 to the established art show SM:ART. Akinwolere most recently presented the BBC red button coverage of the London Mini-Marathon. Akinwolere also co-presented a show held in front of a 3,000 strong crowd, and hosted Queen Elizabeth II to celebrate 50 years of Blue Peter, the most established children’s programme in the country. He also presented a ceremony in the presence of Pope Benedict XVI during his tour of the United Kingdom in September 2010. He is currently working on programme ideas with BBC Switch and BBC 2
He took part in the Ready Steady Cook TV programme, competing against fellow presenter Konnie Huq in December 2007. In the same year he appeared on the "Weakest Link" where he was the fifth to be eliminated.
He accidentally dropped the star that had topped the 70 ft (21 m) Trafalgar Square Christmas tree for ten years as he was attaching it to a crane, leaving it slightly damaged; nonetheless, he was allowed to try again once it had been taped up.
On 4 April 2011, he mentioned on-air, that he was planning to leave the show, and it was also reported at the same time in his Blue Peter Blog. It had been reported two days earlier in the Daily Mail
On 25 April 2011, Akinwolere was a contestant on Total Wipeout's second Celebrity Special of series 4 but had to quit in The Wipeout Zone because he hurt himself on Killer Surf. He came second in The Qualifier and Crash Mountain and came first in both Dizzy Dummies rounds.
In June 2011, he set a new world record for the deepest location for an open water swim, when he swam more than five miles across the Palau Trench in the Pacific Ocean - the first person to have done so. This was significant as 10 weeks before he was scared of water and said to be 'terrified of swimming open stretches of water.' On 28 June that same year and after five years on the show Akinwolere made his final show on Blue Peter on the day the show was moving to Salford.
In July 2012, it was revealed that he would co-present the third season of Fort Boyard: Ultimate Challenge alongside Laura Hamilton.
Read more about this topic: Andy Akinwolere
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