Blue Peter
I was featured on Blue Peter, 15 October, 4:35pm - 5:00pm, BBC1.
Blue Peter is a magazine programme for children, now celebrating it’s 50th year. In this edition the team go kayaking and meet some magnificent humpback whales on their Alaskan adventure, and they get doodling with me back in the studio.
If you are outside of the UK and missed the show click here…
I travelled down to London the night before to create the initial drawing
The studio couldn’t be used so I had to do the drawing in the Blue Peter office. It was very warm in there.
For dinner that night I tried to max out my BBC dinner budget (£16) at the Tesco near my hotel. I didn’t fancy eating anything on offer at the Holiday Inn. However most of this food from Tesco was pretty horrible too.
There was a lot of time kicking around the studio the next morning as the three Blue Peter presenters practised their lines for the show.
I featured through-out the show, with each different presenter asking me some questions and joining in with the doodling. Here Andy is asking me about some of the drawings in the artwork.

The pets were very well behaved and just hung out at the back of the studio. The cats, to my surprise, are all kept in cages. Unfortunately Shelley, the tortoise, was nowhere to be seen. I’d wanted to meet her as I was told she’s into art and a bit of a budding ‘Saatchi’.
This is my favourite part of the show, were Helen accidentally ruins a bit of the colouring in. I was quite distraught at what she’d done.
If you watch carefully you can see us laughing, and then me trying to hit her on the hand to tell her off.
At the end of the show they actually let me come out from under the stairs and say goodbye with the other presenters, Andy, Helen and Joel. I didn’t really know what I was meant to be doing so just tried to pull some funny faces.
I got a coveted Blue Peter badge, this is probably the pinnacle of my career so far!
Big thanks to the super hard working and lovely Shelia and Matt for all their help and to the make-up lady who airbrushed my face.
15/10/08 in Exhibitions
No way! You were on Blue Peter! AND you’ve got a Blue Peter badge. I’m so jealous.
That was a truly bizarre experience watching you crouching under a staircase doodling over the Blue Peter set. You could be the next Neil Buchanan! Nice piece. What were those pens you were using? Apart from the POSCAs that is.
Nice one Jon - How did you get that gig?
Adele - I knew you’d be!
Jonathan - I just used Poscas
Oliver - The BBC just contacted me and asked me to appear on the show.
WOW. You have truly reached a pinnacle. Well done!
Hahaha that’s so cool! I wish I’d have known, I would’ve watched it :( Unfortunately it’s still not possible for non-uk residents to watch the iPlayer… Looks like you had a great time though :D I used to watch Blue Peter all the time when I was little ^^
hahaha like the face you pulled LOL your works a really awesome! x)
hehehe loving the ‘what the hell am i doing here look’ at the end of the show.
nice adventure.
That was the first time I’ve seen Blue Peter in a long time. It was a bit different to what I remember and them presenters were all very young. And they got to go to Alaska for the summer. I wish I could’ve seen them whales. Oh well. Luckily it was also one of the funniest things I’ve seen on my tv this week. Hope you’re as funny at the show on Tuesday. See you there.
Hey congrats, saw you on Blue Pete totally at random flicking through channels. Like you art work.
Dear Jon, the part that I liked best was at the end, where they were doing that outro really seriously and you kept doing those faces.
And your doodles were pretty brill also, congratulations ^-^ xx x
Jon, very proud and glad for you. I even watched Blue Peter from about 48 years ago. Could not see the iplayer version because I do not live in the UK so was very pleased with the stills
That’s so awesome - just watched it with my son who loves the doodles on my MacBook Pro case.
Haha, loved your doodle and seeing you on the show!
You should totally start up your own Art programme like Tony Hart, Rolf Harris etc.
Doodling is the new..er..something or other
Love your stuff and will definitely be poking around iplayer later.
Keep it up!
hahah i love it how the presentas new wat to do
but you wer just like yeah?
why dont i just poull som random faces and see how that goes!
i went to the gallery today
saw u
was really good
i just got home and drew for about 6 hours.
keep it goin.
Will
Awww, nuts...the Blue Peter thing is no longer available over on iplayer..
Anyone know if there’s anywhere else I can get to see it? Cheers
I was shocked to see you on BP and kept thrusting the words “That’s Jon Burgerman!” into my kids faces. I think they are now scared of you, just from the psychological damage I may have caused
Well done though matey!
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