Andy holds on to his tongue 1,000 feet up; andy akinwolere the big interview telly.

Byline: by Roz Laws

IT'S terrifying enough to attempt a bungee jump from a helicopter hovering 1,100 feet up.

What made it even more of a challenge for Andy Akinwolere was that he wasn't allowed to swear during the daring descent.

That's because he presents Blue Peter, where blue language is definitely not allowed.

The bungee jump over California's Santa Monica Valley was one of the highlights of Andy's time on the children's series,which thisweek celebrates its 50th anniversary.

Andysays: "Atmyaudition theyasked me what I was scared of, and I said heights. So they chucked me out of a helicopter!

"They took so much trouble - we had a two-hour safety briefing - that I felt I couldn't bottle out.

"The hardest thing was keeping my language clean. They said if I swore on the way down, they'd make me do it again! Actually it was brilliant."

Two years on Blue Peter has taken Andy to 100 different cities and seen him camp on a moving glacier in Alaska and appear on stage on stilts as a tree Ent in Lord Of The Rings: The Musical."I've had experiences you can only dream about," he says. "Like being taught the Thriller dance by the guy that taught Michael Jackson. I was Jacko for the day!"

But Andy faced his first challenge at the age of eight when he moved with his parents from Nigeria to Birmingham.

It was a huge shock to come from a country bathed in sunshine to one in the depths of winter, and a city where he could barely understand what anyone was saying.

The former pupil of St Mary's in Harborne and St Thomas Aquinas High School, King's Norton remembers:"We arrived on December 21, 1990, in one of the heaviest winters England had had. I got off the plane and saw snow for the first time.

"When you see it on TV you don't think of snowas being cold. I touched it and my hand was frozen, I couldn't believe it.

"I had to get used to the English culture and food. I remember tasting pizza for the first time and spitting it out.

"My native tongue is Yoruba, which I still use to speak to my parents. I could also speak English but I had a very deep African accent, and my classmates all had Brummie accents, so we couldn't understand each other!

"My three brothers and a sister were all born in Birmingham and have strong Brummie accents, while I have a bit of a twang. Our parents have since moved to Orlando, but all my mates are still in Brum so I go back often."

Andy's first Blue Peter challenge was to complete a 500-foot abseil off the Humber Bridge - and was surprised to meet the programme's most avid fan.

"She's 74 and has been writing in for years. She turned up at the bridge and said 'Hi Andy, you're the new presenter, aren't you?'. I said 'How do you know, it hasn't been announced yet'. She said 'I've been doing some investigation'.

"I wonder what her methods were.

It's a bit scary really! But as stalkers go, she seemed quite nice. I've also been contacted by some people I went to school with. They didn't give me the time of day then and now they want to meet me. I just think 'You didn't likemethen, I don't know if I like you now'.

"I dread going home just as the schools are coming out, because I knowI'll get mobbed. But it's not just children who come up to me, it's also adults. Sometimes the adults are wrestling the kids for a badge!

"It makes me realise howiconic the programme is. There's not many shows that stay on air for 50 years.

"There have been rumours that it's facing the axe, maybe because Grange Hill has gone, but I can't see that happening to Blue Peter. BBC bosses have told us they have faith in us and gave us a great vote of confidence."

Andy, whose dream date is singer Beyonce, was delighted to be named as one of Britain's most eligible bachelors by a magazine.

"I'd like it to be known that I am single and available," he smiles.

"The problem is finding the time for romance. In the last month I've stayed in my flat maybe twice.

"The job is so demanding, so I'd need to find someone who could understand that."

factfile

NAME: Andy Akinwolere

AGE: 25 CV: Andy was a lowly BBC runner when a colleague suggested he audition for Blue Peter.

FANCY THAT: Next week Andy is going for tea with the Queen at Buckingham Palace as part of the 50th birthday celebrations. Let's hope there aren't cucumber sandwiches on the menu, as he hates the vegetable.