Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves!?

I return from an enjoyable day in London to find that many people have been reaching this blog after googling "Valerie Singleton".

I visit Google News to see what she has been up to, only to find this in the Daily Mail:

For decades they have helped define a more innocent era of children's TV.

But last night it emerged that two of the most popular presenters on Blue Peter - Valerie Singleton and Peter Purves - may have been more than simply colleagues.

During a special edition of The Weakest Link quiz show both appeared to suggest a romantic encounter in the 1970s.

The apparent disclosure was caused by host Anne Robinson asking Miss Singleton about her relationship with Purves and fellow presenter John Noakes.

During an interlude between quiz questions, she recalled that she and Purves had fallen out once during filming in Mexico and did not speak for three weeks.

Turning to Purves, Miss Robinson asked him: 'It wasn't because you were trying to have your way with her was it?'

The 69-year-old laughed it off by saying: 'It might have been but I don't think it was.'

Miss Singleton, 71, then intrigued the audience by countering: 'That was another time.'

When Miss Robinson asked her what country this had happened in, she replied, with a smirk: 'I think we were in England.'

As someone lucky enough to have grown up in Blue Peter's Golden Age, I am left speechless. But it least it explains why they were so keen to get rid of John Noakes by sending him off on all those dangerous stunts.