At the young age of 12, Michael Sundin was already a trampolining champion, a skill that would later help him land the role of Blue Peter presenter in 1984. Before joining the iconic children’s programme, Michael had starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’ s hit musical Cats before he went on to play Tik-Tok in Disney’s Return To Oz . He caught the eye of Blue Peter producers during an interview with the show’s then-presenter Janet Ellis, leading to his casting alongside her and Simon Groom. Stepping into the shoes of the show’s famed presenter Peter Duncan, Michael quickly became known for his daredevil antics on Blue Peter, reporting from film sets and even visiting Elton John’s home. But despite his on-screen charisma, Michael’s time on Blue Peter was short-lived; he left the show after less than a year, reportedly when his contract wasn’t renewed. He then tragically died of an Aids-related illness just 28 years old, in 1989. Michael, remembered by loved ones as a “blond, outgoing, gregarious ball of fun”, was cruelly outed by the media as gay during his short tenure on Blue Peter. Although then-Editor Biddy Baxter put his departure down to unpopularity with viewers, his exit was engulfed in controversy as many claimed it was because of his sexuality, OK! reports. In a 2007 television interview, Baxter refuted these claims, saying: “It was his leaving the programme because children didn’t like him – nothing to do with his sexual proclivities”. Following his Blue Peter stint, Michael pursued acting, starring in the 1987 movie Lionheart. He toured with the stage productions of Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and Starlight Express, and even appeared in Rick Astley’s 1988 music video for She Wants To Dance With Me. However, tragedy struck that same year when Michael fell ill. He died at Newcastle General Hospital at the young age of 28, with it first being reported that his cause of death was liver cancer. After his death, Blue Peter presenter Yvette Fielding issued a tribute, alongside colleagues John Leslie and Caron Keating. She said: “We had one piece of very sad news during the summer. As many people may have heard, Michael Sundin – who presented Blue Peter five years ago – tragically died at the very young age of 28. Michael had been ill for a little while but the news of his death came as a great shock to all of us.”