Purple Badge Takeover! Blue Peter

Radz, today it's all about the requests on the Purple badge form.

Linds, I'll deal with anything the Blue Peter viewers throw at me.

Bradley wants to see a lizard on the show.

Lizard!

And Zoe wanted you to have a seal...?

-Seal? Done!

-Amazing.

And Delyth would like to see a real-life donkey.

-BRAYING

-Er... Can we leave that?

-No.

APPLAUSE

Hello! Welcome to live Blue Peter.

It's a very special day because it's all about this, the Purple badge.

Everything on today's show has been requested by you lot,

our BP fans - so, hello!

One such form that you get in your Purple badge form

-is currently betwixt me digits right here.

-Yeah.

All you've got to do is watch an episode,

and review it by downloading this, printing it out,

writing what you like, what you don't like,

what you'd like to see more of on the show and indeed the website.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

That's right. Isaac, who's nine, from Dorset

and Luis, who's eight, from Herefordshire -

Here-Ford-Shire -

wrote into us and said they would like to see more Shelley.

Well, we can't have the REAL Shelley today -

she's sleeping, she's in hibernation,

but we've got this little thing! We are going to playing

Spot Shelley.

-But today, with a difference.

-OK.

-You need to let us know

where Shelley's hiding. She's going to be in a few places.

-Ah...

-So how any places

is Shelley hiding in?

-Not how many times, how many places.

-Yes, how many different places.

Another Purple badge request -

so Lacey from Widnes said she'd like to see dares on the show, so Linds,

I said lemon squeezy -

I dare you

-to bite both of these lemons really hard.

-Not both of them, Radzi!

Why have you saved that for the live show?!

-One, two, three - for the BP badge!

-Bite it!

CHEERING AND WHOOPING

Well, Radzi, I've got a dare for you.

-Do you, Lindsey?

-You need to say the next line...

-This is ironic, actually.

-..without moving your mouth.

-OK...

HE SPEAKS INCOMPREHENSIBLY

What we're both trying to say is

here's some BP fans we surprised with Purple badges!

-SLURRED:

-That's what I said.

I'm on a very special mission,

a mission to give out some actual Purple badges.

Bring it on!

First on our list is Lowan,

and she said she loves gymnastics

and would like to show us some of HER gymnastics.

So that's exactly where we're going.

Now, I did a big gymnastics challenge back in 2015,

so I can't wait to meet her!

-VOICEOVER:

-Lowan has no idea I'm coming.

I always get nervous at this bit!

Hello, guys. I'm so sorry to interrupt your lesson...

Is Lowan here by any chance?

Lowan, high five!

We've come all the way from Blue Peter.

Do you have any idea why we might be here today?

No.

You sent into us a Purple badge form. I've got it here.

And you said if you could do anything on Blue Peter as a guest,

you'd love to do gymnastics,

and you'd like to show off some basic skills.

So can we please give a round of applause

for Lowan's Purple Blue Peter badge!

So I'm up for doing a bit of gymnastics.

Could you show us some?

Oh...

Yeah...?

Straddle jump.

The bench nearly broke, Lowan.

Well, I'm going to leave it to the professionals, like Lowan.

-VOICEOVER:

-Lowan gets her wish to feature gymnastics on the show.

But it's time for me to hit the road again.

So that's one down, two to go.

And next up, another Purple badge.

Now we're off to see Hattie,

who reviewed the show in November

where Lindsey tried visually impaired cricket...

Yes!

..and I launched the Worst Witch competition.

Whoa, Bella...

I got...everything I could.

-VOICEOVER:

-Hattie would love to see her favourite sport, fencing,

on BP.

Hattie and her group are in there,

but for this, I want to get super close to her

without her knowing who I am.

And for that, I've got a trick up my sleeve.

-VOICEOVER:

-Time for me to go...undercover.

Hattie is not going to have a clue.

Nice to meet you. How are you?

Good, thank you.

We're just doing a bit of filming here.

It's pretty hot, I might take this off.

-How are you?

-Good, thank you.

Do you have any idea why I might be here today?

Erm...

Because of my Purple badge form?

Absolutely right, and what did you say on that Purple badge form?

-That I did fencing.

-And so here we are!

And with that in mind -

Hattie, there is

your very own Purple badge.

Thank you!

How are you feeling?

Shocked!

-Can I go fencing again with you?

-Yeah.

-VOICEOVER:

-We're both fully covered with all the necessary safety kit,

and thank goodness! Because Hattie is one mean fencer.

What a fun sport that is.

-Thank you very much, Hattie.

-Thank you.

On to the next one.

It's two down, one left to go,

and we're off to Bolton to meet Ben.

Ben reviewed the show from December

where I helped replace the screens on the BT Tower in London,

and we also had in the studio the cast of the Nativity.

-VOICEOVER:

-Ben's a drummer, and would really like to show us

what he can do.

OK, it's the last one of the day.

-Hello.

-Hello, Ben!

-Hello.

-How are you?

-Good, thank you.

Do you have any idea why Blue Peter

might be standing outside your front door right now?

My Purple badge form?

Absolutely right.

What did you say you'd like to do if you were a guest on Blue Peter?

Play my drums.

But not before

we give you your very own

Blue Peter Purple badge.

Thank you.

-Can we go inside? It's really cold!

-Yeah.

-Thank you!

That was awesome! Why is it you put on your form

that you wanted to play the drums?

Well, I'd just like my friends to see what I can do.

And what you can do...

..is awesome, by the way.

-Could I possibly have a go?

-Yeah.

SLUGGISH DRUMMING

I wish I was really good at the drums like you,

because I can imagine being in a rock band and going...

HE MIMICS A DRUM ROLL

-It'd be a lot of fun.

-Yeah.

-Can we see you do that?

-Yeah.

-Yes!

So that's it -

we've read your forms, we've even been to visit some of you,

and it's all to make sure that BP has more of what you want.

Thank you to everyone for making me feel so welcome, by the way.

Now another request. Isla from Devon said she'd like to see cheerleading.

Linds, get yourself in here!

-I love this bit.

-Ready?

-OK.

-I'm ready, OK!

-Go!

-CHANTING:

-The Purple badge form is just for you!

To tell us what you'd like to see and do!

Lots of you say you'd play the flute!

So we thought that it would be a hoot!

Let some of you guys... show off your flutin'!

-Yeah. Here's Arianna, Noyan, Lucy...

-Oh, yeah.

-Jump...

-..and Imogen!

OK - we're not the best.

-Watch these guys instead.

-Oh, dear...

-Hi. My name is Lucy.

-My name is Imogen.

My name is Noyan.

My name is Arianna, and I love playing the flute.

THEY PLAY A VARIETY OF TUNES

CHEERING IN THE STUDIO

A-mazing! I feel out of breath.

So that got us thinking,

how can we take flute playing to the next level?

-The next level!

-How about adding in...a bit of beatboxing?

Please welcome to Blue Peter

the amazing Nathan "Flutebox" Lee!

-Yeah!

-APPLAUSE

FLUTE MUSIC

HE ADDS BEATBOXING

WHOOPING, CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

Nathan, that was unbelievable.

Some of the cameramen were looking at each other going, "What?!"

That was incredible!

You've mixed beatboxing and playing the flute.

-You look out of breath!

-No, that's it, yeah.

-How did you get into that?

-It's so unique, isn't it?

-Well, I started beatboxing at 12.

And then I started playing the flute when I was, like, 20.

So, it's new repertoire for the instrument,

-it's a new way to play the instrument.

-It is.

But it takes years of practice, which is why I thought, today,

I'd give it a go. I've not had much practice.

-Can I try?

-Yeah, of course.

-Can you show me what I should do to be as good as you?

-Right, so...

I'm holding the flute the wrong way round!

I was like, "This looks different to rehearsal!"

OK, so, the main thing is,

let's try it without your hands on any of the keys.

-OK.

-So, this'll be a C-sharp. And just try and make a noise.

-OK.

HE PLAYS A NOTE

It's so hard. SHE BLOWS AIR, NO NOTE PLAYS

You can get it. It's like blowing over a milk bottle.

Kind of.

Moving onto the beatboxing element, because I've not got that, have I?!

-That's cool. So, abbreviate it with a beat.

-OK.

HE MAKES A POPPING NOISE

-SHE MAKES A POPPING NOISE

-That's it!

-Yeah!

-Yeah?

-Yeah?

-All right!

-Shall we try and put it together?

-Let's go for it.

HE BEATBOXES, SHE IS LESS ACCOMPLISHED

You were doing the hard work there! CHEERING

You are amazing.

And with this talent, you have gone round the world, haven't you?

-So, what's coming up in 2018?

-Oh, wow.

Well, I'm in a band called Asian Dub Foundation.

-We're currently doing a soundtrack to an iconic French film.

-Cool.

So, yeah. And we're touring that around the country,

-and, hopefully, round the world.

-Well, I can see why.

You are incredible. Give it up for Nathan, everyone!

That's amazing. And now, let's look at some of your comments...

He's gone! He's off to play the flute!

..on your Purple Badge forms.

Nathan is off the charts.

Now, this is the Big Badge Wall with a difference, because,

for the Purple Badge special, we've got some of your lovely faces with

some of the comments that you've written on your Purple Badge forms.

But, before we kick off, Linz,

-a certain young lady from Andover, Ellie...

-Oh, what now?

-Another lemon?

-No lemons. ..said she'd like an Australian accent.

Not for the entire show, just the Big Badge Wall segment.

-So, I have to do it?

-Correct, Linz.

-OK, here we go...

AUSTRALIAN ACCENT: Sorry to any fans watching in Australia.

Olivia says...

Olivia, that's great!

I love the Welsh.

Vigo, by the way, feast your eyes on this lovely comment...

Vigo, thank you very much, and a prize for the best smile of the day.

OK, this next one's a bit hard.

La...Lara, from Gloucestershire, says...

I totally agree.

Speaking of which - I'll keep going -

we play a game called Early Man Meets Later Man with

Tom Hiddleston and Eddie Redmayne and Maisie Williams, which is great.

And there we are, eating some canned food.

Linz, you know what, high five for this accent,

-it's very, very good.

-I'm sweating!

Yusef, you cool legend, you - you already have two BP badges,

you said...

And you are spot-on.

Just like Harry and Jake... Am I still going?

Keep going, Linz!

..put this on their purple badge forms, have a little look.

-Oh, dear...

-My name is Harry.

-And I'm his brother, Jake.

And our mum does dragon boating.

And we would like to see it on the show.

And there's their mum, the legend, in the background,

actually in a dragon boat.

So I went into give it a go.

You really did, Lindsey.

This is dragon boat racing,

and today is one of the biggest days in the dragon boat year,

as Nottingham hosts the National Cup Finals.

That's right, the National Cup Finals.

But what exactly is dragon boat racing?

Well, let me tell you.

Dragon boat racing dates back over 2,000 years.

It began in ancient China, but they didn't have cameras back then,

so here's a race from, well, a few years later.

-ARCHIVE:

-And there they go,

the best of the day fighting it out in the grand final.

Today, the sport involves teams of up to 20 people,

paddling frantically to the beat of a drum.

The drumming, the shouting and the colourful boats

make this such an exhilarating sport.

Both to watch and take part in.

And taking part is exactly what I'll be doing.

As today, I'll be competing in a special race

here at the Dragon Boat National Championships.

Here we go, guys, good luck.

But before I get my dragon on,

it's probably a good idea to get some training.

So, let's rewind...

..to when I headed to Cambridgeshire,

to meet Thomas and Izzy.

Two young stars of the dragon boat world.

Tom, why is dragon boat racing so fun, why's it cool?

I love it, really, because I make so many friends,

it's so intense as well.

That buzz, you don't feel that anywhere else, I think.

This is so cool,

that it's a sport that actually incorporates a bit of music.

You do some drumming, don't you, Izzy? Tell me about that?

If people go out of time, then they can listen to me

banging the drum to get back in rhythm and to motivate them

to kick, lean and reach, so they don't give up and they keep trying.

-So you're basically the boss lady at the front of the boat?

-Yep.

I like that, high five.

So, I know I'm going to be having a go today,

but in a few weeks' time, apparently, there's a big race?

What's that all about, Tom?

So, in a couple of weeks, it's the finals, that have all the racers.

And, hopefully, I'll give you and Izzy a challenge and beat you both.

Wait, so you're going to be in a different boat to Izzy and I?

We're racing you? Oh, we've easily got this!

She's on my team now. Come on, you can stand this side now.

We may be rivals for my challenge, but for today,

Thomas and I are on the same team,

as he teaches me all I need to know.

Every member of the crew has just one paddle.

And, in a cramped boat, having the right technique is essential.

-Say it's the level of the water there?

-Yeah.

You want to try and get the bottom of your hand wet,

so the whole blade is buried.

-OK.

-That way, you can get more power in the boat.

To make sure we move as quickly as possible,

everyone needs to paddle at exactly the same time.

Down and ready.

And it's Izzy's job to make sure we do just that.

-Attention!

-ALL BREATHE IN

Go!

Speed up!

This is so intense!

IZZY SHOUTS COMMANDS

Oh, my gosh.

I was not prepared for this.

We are flying!

And it just doesn't stop.

Are you joking?

Why are my arms about to fall off?

There we go, been on the water about an hour, the training's done,

and I've got to say, if you think that's just a chilled-out

version of rowing, you are wrong. That is fast, it's intense.

You've got to basically learn another language doing it.

That was amazing.

Now, I'll be honest, by the time the National Cup Finals

come around, my arms are still a bit sore.

But I am so excited.

The atmosphere here is absolutely amazing.

And just behind me, you can see some of the teams

getting ready to compete. And, in just a few hours' time,

that's exactly what I'll be doing when I go head-to-head with Thomas

and his team in our dragon boat challenge.

But first, I think I need a bit of last-minute help.

Step forward, Matty - GB junior coach.

-Matty, how are you doing?

-Nice to meet you.

I'm really nervous today, it's my first-ever race.

Have you got any top tips or last-minute advice for me?

Yeah, just stay in time with the people in front of you.

Keep your length, keep that long stroke. Also stay deep,

keep that depth in your paddle. Make sure it's fully buried.

It's a bit funny, the start, isn't it? Talk to me about that?

Yeah, so you'll hear, "Down and ready, attention."

And once they say that, then you've got around five seconds where

-they could, at any point, say go.

-This is what makes me nervous.

It's not like a normal race where it's ready, set, go -

I've got to wait and just go at a random time?

Yeah, just make sure you stay in with the team,

they'll take you all the way.

-Basically, do what the team do?

-Yep, that's it.

Between the two boats,

there will be 39 of the country's best young paddlers.

And one slightly nervous Blue Peter presenter.

My poor, poor arms.

Guys, the moment has finally come.

It's us versus you, Tom.

-How are you feeling?

-Feeling great. We haven't lost a race

-all day so far, so I'm feeling confident for this.

-Uh-oh!

Are you sure you're not tired, though?

-He looks a bit tired, doesn't he, Izzy?

-Absolutely fine.

You're going to bring it! Any last-minute advice for me?

Or do you not want to give it to me?

Keep long, keep strong and don't give up.

OK. And beat you?

-You wish.

-Ooh! Fighting talk.

We'll see you on the finish line.

-Except you'll be coming in a few seconds after us, right?

-Yep.

We'll be racing over a 200m course.

The first boat over the line wins.

This is it, we've got this. Come on, team.

Go!

We're off!

It soon becomes clear, Izzy wants to win this.

Hit it!

We're in a good rhythm, and I think we're moving ahead.

Yes, come on, team!

My arms are burning...

Come on, team!

..but if I slow down, I'll throw the whole team off the pace.

This feels like the longest 200m of my life.

As the finish line approaches, it's just too close to call.

Who won?

Did they win?

Oh, my goodness.

Well done, good race.

I have no idea who won that, so it's over to Matty for the result.

So, well done, both crews. Really close race, really close.

-A second in it.

-One second?!

So, really close, really close.

But the winners of the race was...

-..Tom's team.

-Aw!

It wasn't to be for my team today, but I've had a great time,

I would never have thought dragon boat racing would be so hard.

Guys, thank you so much. And thank you to you for letting me

be in your boat, I've had such a good time.

Thanks for all the good training.

And, do you know what, considering a few weeks ago,

I had never tried this sport, it's so much fun.

Give it a try.

It is so much fun. But I felt like I had arms this big after that.

Linz, I've got a question for you - who's up for a laugh?

-CREW:

-Yay!

So am I, and so is Muhammad Zayan.

Hi, my name is Muhammad Zayan,

and I would like you, Radzi, to share a joke. Thanks, bye!

OK, Linz, two monkeys in a bath.

One goes, "Ooh-ooh, ah-ah!"

The other one says, "Put more cold water in then."

No? OK. I'm not very good.

There was absolute silence from the studio there.

I know somebody who is, and, Nina from London,

you're going to love this.

Hi, my name's Nina, and I ask for Ned Woodman to be on Blue Peter.

Well, we've done just that.

He's incredible, please welcome to Blue Peter,

2017 Britain's Got Talent finalist, Ned Woodman!

APPLAUSE

Thank you.

I just want to say, what a privilege it is to be here on Blue Peter.

I thought that Blue Peter was on a ship,

and I was worried that I might feel seasick.

But it's in a studio with Lindsey and Radzi,

so I just feel normal sick.

Of course, everybody knows the show used to just be called Peter,

until BBC budget cuts meant that the heating had to be turned off.

Can you believe it, that after 60 years of entertaining children,

Blue Peter never gets old?

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for Radzi's happy dance.

Yes, Ned!

I'm only messing with you. I like to dance like that too, sometimes.

But it's not the "happy" dance,

it's the "I need a pee" dance.

And how brave are the presenters?

Not just for inviting a cheeky one like me on the show.

Like when Lindsey swam with that giant shark?

Ugh, imagine that scary face coming towards you,

how terrifying it must have been?

For the shark.

Ned!

Radzi was so inspired when super-strong Laurence Shahlaei

pulled a bus across the Media City Plaza

that he decided to try it himself.

The bus didn't move. The only thing Radzi managed to pull was a muscle.

Radzi showed us how good he was at freefalling

when he parachuted with the RAF.

Amazing!

He told me he hasn't had that much wind in his face

since he was the back of a horse at the Blue Peter panto.

I didn't ask who the front was.

Lindsey!

One of the funniest Blue Peter moments

was when that elephant pooed on the studio floor.

What wasn't so funny was when Adrian on camera four

decided to do it just before we came on air.

Oh, Adrian!

If you need to go again,

I've heard that the Blue Peter garden's run out of fertiliser.

And before I go, here's one thing that I just don't get -

Shelley's been with the Blue Peter family for nearly 15 years.

And yet she still hides in the studio every week?

You would have thought she'd come out of her shell by now.

APPLAUSE

Very good!

Unbelievable! Nine years old, you smashed it out of the park.

-Do you enjoy performing?

-Yes, yes, definitely!

And how did you start at such a young age?

Well, my brother used to do comedy.

And one time he just decided,

"No, I'm staying home, I'm playing video games."

And that night we signed up for a talent competition

and I actually managed to do well.

And then you went to Britain's Got Talent! How was that?

Oh, that was amazing. That was, like, the kick-start to my comedy.

-Can I tell you my favourite joke?

-Yeah.

Well, it's not really a joke, it's something me and Lindsey do.

Before every big challenge, I like to warm up, I like to stretch.

I can touch my toes, and Lindsey said, "You're flexible."

I said, "I can't do Tuesdays."

WIND WHISTLES, A CHURCH BELL SOUNDS

Well, erm...

It's a good start.

Just keep on going.

I'm going to walk that way, but not before I say,

give it up for Ned!

CHEERING

So, Ned has come on to Blue Peter and smashed it out the park,

like I just said. And here are three people and what they would do

if they became a guest on BP.

Hi, if I was on the show, I'd perform bottle flips.

My record is 32.

Hello, I'm 12 years old,

and I play the djembe drum.

Hi, my special skill is archery.

Go get your Purple Badges, they're all online,

along with a whole lot of this.

No, sardines aren't that big.

They're not like that. That's a flipping whale, Radz.

-That could be pilchards.

-I love tinned food!

-You've earned your very own...

-No!

-..Blue Peter badge.

-Shut up, that's amazing!

-I've got a little present.

-This is the most exciting day of my life!

What, humans?

That's all the information I've got, so I can't actually tell you.

That's insane!

-That IS insane.

-There is loads on the BP website, there always is!

Now, we were playing Spot Shelley with a difference,

it was hard this week,

because you had to tell us how many places little Shells was hiding in.

I can't say the answer,

but I can tell you she's hidden for the last time.

So if you spotted her, get to Fan Club Live

and you can see what to do right there

and let us know how many places she was hiding in.

-She's cheeky!

-So it's not how many times, it's how many places.

-The game's over now, anyway, Radz.

-Well, it is over.

I think I'd have got it wrong anyway.

Now, please make sure you join us on the Fan Club, because there's

going to be two really humble and attractive people on there.

-I've heard they're great.

-They're really...

But they don't mention each other at all, it's lovely.

Don't miss next week, because it is - everyone ready? -

-our 5,000th episode!

-Whoa!

Of Blue Peter!

This is exciting! And to celebrate that,

we're actually launching a brand-new Blue Peter badge.

Designed by the one and only Henry Holland.

It is genuinely off the charts. Also, New Hope Club will be

-performing, cannot wait for that.

-It's going to be good.

And we've got young musician Issy Simpson in the house.

-We'll see you next week, goodbye! Well done, Ned!

-Goodbye!