Overview

• Baxter’s death at 92 was first reported by Ten Acre Films on Facebook and later confirmed by the BBC, with no cause disclosed.
• Former presenters and colleagues paid tribute to her vision and drive in pioneering viewer participation and charitable appeals.
• As editor from 1965 to 1988, she introduced the Blue Peter badge, national fundraising drives and expanded location filming, cementing the programme’s national reach.
• Her BBC career began in 1955; she earned an MBE in 1981, received a gold Blue Peter badge on retirement and was honoured with a BAFTA Children’s Special Award in 2013.
• Her passing coincides with Blue Peter’s transition this year from live broadcasts to a pre-recorded format, marking a new chapter for the show.