Magician Joel Mawhinney is set to become the 41st Blue Peter presenter next month
(Picture: BBC/PA)Joel Mawhinney has been announced as the 41st Blue Peter presenter and will co-host the BBC children’s show alongside Richie Driss, Mwaka ‘Mwaksy’ Mudenda and Henry the dog.
Mawhinney guest presented the show in the summer when he taught some of his co-presenters magic tricks.
“Becoming the 41st Blue Peter presenter is a surreal - and dare I say it - magical experience,” he told the BBC.
“I’ve always loved making people smile with my magic and I want to do the same for the Blue Peter audience.
“They have high expectations and I’ll do my best to live up to them. I can’t wait to get started.”
But who is the star following in the footsteps of Adam Beales?
Who is Joel Mawhinney?
The 25-year-old, who was born in Bangor, Northern Ireland, is a magician and content creator. He is best known for his illusions on social media where he has a huge following, with more than 16.5 million followers on TikTok alone. His brother and best friend Ethan sometimes joins him for short-form illusions and skits on TikTok.
He also starred in his own BBC Northern Ireland TV series Life is Magic in 2020.
Mawhinney attended Bangor Grammar School before pursuing a career in entertainment aged 18. However, his interest in magic started when he was only five and he began performing at the age of 11.
When does Joel Mawhinney’s first episode of Blue Peter air?
His first live show airs on Friday, November 11, on CBBC and BBC iPlayer at 5 pm.
Mawhinney follows in the footsteps of fellow Northern Irish presenters Beales, who left the show earlier this year, the late Caron Keating, and Zoe Salmon.
“Joel is a fantastic entertainer; he is creative, hard-working, and ready for any challenge that we can throw at him,” Blue Peter editor, Ellen Evans, said. “I think that our Blue Peter audience will love the energy and fun he’ll bring to the show.”
