BLUE Peter presenter Joel Defries has visited the Blue Planet Aquarium to film a feature for the CBBC programme.
He spent two days at the award-winning Cheshire Oaks aquarium to record a special film for the hugely popular children’s show which is due to be broadcast on June 3.
Experienced diver Joel, 24, joined the show in 2008 and is its 34th presenter since it first aired back in 1958.
Blue Planet Aquarium’s Paul Renolds said: “It was fantastic having Joel and the rest of the Blue Peter crew at the aquarium and proved an unexpected extra bonus for younger visitors who had the chance to meet him and watch the filming.
“It was all really exciting and I think the director and Joel were delighted with the results – although it all involved a lot of planning and the use of some cutting edge technology.
“We don’t want to give away too much before the episode is featured but we can say that it involved sharks and a bit of unusual early spring cleaning.”
Born in London, Joel’s media career began in New Zealand. He presented a live music show called Live at Yours and became a household name among young New Zealanders.
He also presented a Sunday morning radio show for the Edge called Joel's Take Out. Last year Joel presented the 13 episodes of the CBBC programme Keep Your Enemies Close, a children's game show.
From African lakes and Amazon rainforests to giant rockpools, mangroves and spectacular coral reefs, Blue Planet Aquarium take visitors on an aquatic journey of discovery.
More than 50 living displays in five themed areas reveal the spectacular variety of life in the deep, from tropical sharks and lobsters to seahorses and stingrays.
At the aquarium’s heart is the 3.8 million litre Caribbean Reef display, complete with 230ft underwater tunnel, which houses Europe’s largest collection of sharks – including three-metre-long sand tiger sharks.
The aquarium’s newest exhibition Venom! features deadly creatures from around the world opens on Saturday, March 27.