Anniversary for 'broom cupboard'
IT WAS the launchpad for stars such as Phillip Schofield and Zoe Ball – now the BBC is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the launch of the "broom cupboard" by opening up its archive.
The "broom cupboard" was a new presentation format between afternoon children's programmes on BBC1, launched in 1985.
It marked a revolution in the approach to BBC shows for young viewers.
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Hide AdA dark-haired Schofield and the puppet Gordon the Gopher, the first residents of the broom cupboard, soon became household names, as did others who followed such as Andy Crane and Edd The Duck.As well as photos of the roll-call of stars as they were, there are films of the presenters in action.
Among the clips to be launched in a section of the BBC Archive site today is a technical glitch which resulted in presenter Debbie Flint having to fill in for several minutes.