Michael Sundin once co-hosted the renowned BBC program Blue Peter, but he left after less than a year. He bravely battled a courageous health battle to pass away at the age of 28.
At the young age of 12, Michael Sundin was already a trampolining champion, a skill that would later help him land the role of Blue Peter presenter in 1984.
Before joining the iconic children’s programme, Michael had starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Cats before he went on to play Tik-Tok in Disney’s Return To Oz.
He was subsequently cast alongside her and Simon Groom after meeting the Blue Peter producers during an interview with Janet Ellis, the show’s then-presenter.
Michael quickly gained notoriety for his daredevil antics on Blue Peter, reporting from movie sets and even visiting Elton John’s home after taking Peter Duncan’s shoes.
However, Michael’s on-screen charisma was sorely lacking that he left the show less than a year later, reportedly when his contract expired. He tragically passed away in 1989, at the age of 28, from an Aids-related illness.
During his brief time on Blue Peter, Michael was cruelly outdone by the media as a “blond, outgoing, gregarious ball of fun” and referred to by loved ones as a “blond, outgoing, gregarious ball of fun.”
Although then-Editor Biddy Baxter put his departure down to unpopularity with viewers, his exit was engulfed in controversy as many claimed it was because of his sexuality, OK! reports.
Baxter refuted these claims in a television interview in 2007 by saying that it was his decision to leave the program because his fans were not interested in him and had nothing to do with his sexual preferences.
Michael pursued acting after his Blue Peter stint, where he co-starred in the 1987 film Lionheart. He performed in the musical numbers Seven Brides For Seven Brothers and Starlight Express on stage, and he even made an appearance in the 1988 music video for She Wants To Dance With Me by Rick Astley.
However, Michael’s illness also caused tragedy that year. He was 28 years old when he passed away at Newcastle General Hospital, where liver cancer was initially suspected to be his cause of death.
Yvette Fielding, Blue Peter’s presenter, and John Leslie and Caron Keating, both paid tribute to him after his passing.
Source: Mirror
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