Big TikTok star 'joins Blue Peter as new presenter'
A huge TikTok star has reportedly replaced fellow influencer Joel Mawhinney as a presenter on Blue Peter.
A big TikTok star has reportedly joined Blue Peter as a new presenter.
Kyle Thomas boasts 34 million followers after he wowed with his videos about exotic animals, and it is believed the BBC picked him to replace TikToker Joel Mawhinney, who quit earlier this year and has 16 million followers, in a bid to attract more viewers.
A source told The Mail on Sunday newspaper: "Thomas has a real passion for animals, and that has proved extremely popular on TikTok.
"If they can bring just a few of his followers over to Blue Peter, it really is a no-brainer to sign him up."
Thomas, 21, from Lisburn, County Down, previously fronted a segment that told viewers that "creepy crawlies can be cute" on the CBBC show.
And the influencer also starred on the BBC Three documentary We Built a Zoo, to highlight his love for animal welfare.
In 2022, his mum, Zena Foord, was convicted of smuggling an unlicensed capybara - the world’s largest rodent - from Cambridgeshire into Northern Ireland.
Kyle shot to fame after he posted a video of himself with the £5,000 exotic pet, which he named Queen Elizabeth, and put clothes, a tiara and jewellery on it.
But the capybara fell ill and died not long after it arrived in the family home.
In February, Joel, 28, announced his departure from Blue Peter after four years.
An insider told the Mail on Sunday newspaper at the time: "Joel has done his time on Blue Peter and felt the time was right to explore other opportunities.
"Bosses were gutted by his decision but understood his reasons for wanting to leave.
"They are now just hoping that they can hang onto Shini. Joel and Shini are such a great partnership, both on and off screen.
"Joel will film his final show in the coming months."
Joel's departure sparked fears that his 25-year-old co-host-and-girlfriend, Shini Muthukrishnan, would also leave, but she has remained.
