Michael Sundin joined the iconic show in the 1980s but his life and career were cut short by an AIDS-related illness.
A former Blue Peter presenter is being remembered 30 years after his tragic death at just 28.
Michael Sundin joined the iconic children’s TV show in 1984, having already built an impressive career at a remarkably young age. By 12, he was a trampolining champion — a skill that helped him land the coveted presenting role.
Before Blue Peter, Michael had appeared in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats and played Tik-Tok in Disney’s Return to Oz. He caught the attention of producers during an interview with presenter Janet Ellis and was hired to present the show alongside her and Simon Groom, reports the Mirror.
Taking over from Peter Duncan, Michael quickly became known for his high-energy, adventurous style, travelling to film sets and even visiting Elton John’s home. But despite his on-screen charisma, his time on the programme lasted less than a year after his contract was not renewed.
Michael died in 1989 from an AIDS-related illness. He was just 28.
Friends described him as a “blond, outgoing, gregarious ball of fun”, but his brief stint on Blue Peter was clouded by controversy. During his time on the show, he was outed as gay by the press — a move many believe played a role in his departure.
While then editor Biddy Baxter publicly blamed his exit on a lack of viewer appeal, others have long suggested his sexuality was the real reason. In a 2007 interview, Baxter dismissed those claims, saying: “It was his leaving the programme because children didn’t like him — nothing to do with his sexual proclivities.”
After leaving Blue Peter, Michael continued acting, starring in the 1987 film Lionheart, touring in stage productions including Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Starlight Express, and appearing in Rick Astley’s 1988 video for She Wants to Dance With Me.
That same year, he became seriously ill. Early reports said he had died from liver cancer, though it was later confirmed his death was AIDS-related. He passed away at Newcastle General Hospital.
This week, film archive group The Elstree Project paid tribute to Michael’s remarkable work as Tik-Tok in Return to Oz, highlighting the extreme physical demands of the role.
They said Michael was responsible for giving the rigid copper robot its movement and personality, performing folded inside a small Kevlar suit, walking backwards throughout filming while relying on an upside-down, reversed monitor to navigate the set.
Walter Murch, the project’s oral history director, said Michael’s contribution was largely erased after his death due to stigma surrounding AIDS at the time.
He said: “There was only a small on-air acknowledgement of his passing on Blue Peter, with no retrospective of his work. In an era marked by silence and stigma, much of his contribution was quietly forgotten.”
Following his death, Blue Peter presenter Yvette Fielding paid tribute on air, saying: “Michael had been ill for a little while but the news of his death came as a great shock to all of us.”
Three decades on, Michael Sundin is being remembered not only as a talented performer and presenter, but as someone whose legacy deserves long-overdue recognition.
