Former CBBC presenter Jake Humphrey has spoken out about the future of children's TV series Blue Peter. It was reported earlier this year that the long-running show will no longer be broadcast live on a linear channel and will appear first on BBC iPlayer. Although the show is not finishing, Jake has had his say on the monumental changes. The programme first began in October 1958, and at its peak of success, it aired three times a week on BBC One. Blue Peter will also still be shown on CBBC, where Jake was a popular presenter and fronted shows such as Sportsround and Bamzooki. Speaking exclusively to Express Online, the former broadcaster said: "It's sad for the decline of live television."

Jake added: "As presenters, there need to be places where you can go and learn your craft, right? I was there working with Fern Cotton, Holly Willoughby, Ant and Dec, and Andi Peters. All of these amazing presenters have come through the Children's BBC stable or Children's ITV."

He continued: "So part of me feels that for the next generation of live presenters, where they're going to cut their teeth, right?" Speaking about Blue Peter specifically, Jake commented: "I think what you can't afford to do these days in any walk of life, whether you're in written media, whether you're in sports presenting, whether you're in TV, you can't force people to go to a place where they're not spending very much time.

"So the most important Blue Peter can do actually is stop worrying about whether it's a TV show, and start thinking, 'Right, where are the audience?' Are they on YouTube? Are they on social?

"Blue Peter stood for compassion, outdoor adventure, creativity, working in a team, and doing big things that people thought weren't possible back then.

"All of that stuff is still relevant, but you need to be offering that stuff to young people where those young people are."

Jake recently participated in The FA's Baller ID Campaign, which aims to inspire young people aged 12-16 to make one healthier choice per week. He aims to tackle social media influence, identity pressures, and health challenges.

Research from the campaign shows that 91 per cent of parents believe a sense of belonging is important or very important to their child's emotional well-being, which Jake can personally relate to.

Speaking about the campaign, he said, "I think kids should have less screen time, but I think more important than less screen time is what kids are looking at when they're using screens.

"This kind of daily battle with these things that are so addictive to young people. It's a daily battle for us, like it is for all parents, and my kids, by the way, are quite outdoorsy kids. But I see them on screens a lot.

"When I spoke with the FA, and they said that a real big issue for kids is that over 60 per cent of them are comparing themselves to other people they see online, and whether that's their abilities, their image, their fitness, their body shape, which worries me an awful lot.

"It's getting young people to answer this very cool questionnaire. I did it with my kids. I just think it's a really smart way of getting kids to do things differently online, to view themselves differently."

Baller ID is now live, and content can be found across England Football's social platforms.