Former Blue Peter host Richard Bacon believes that getting fired from the children’s show for drug use actually benefited his career. Bacon, now 50 years old, joined Blue Peter at 21 in 1997 but was dismissed a year later due to a drug scandal during the show’s 40th anniversary. Despite this setback, Bacon went on to work on Channel 4’s Big Breakfast, a move he humorously attributes to his Blue Peter dismissal. Reflecting on the turn of events, Bacon shared that he could have ended up hosting a vacation program instead if he hadn’t been sacked from Blue Peter.

In a recent podcast interview, Bacon revealed that his father’s emotional reaction to his dismissal from Blue Peter deeply affected him, as it was the only time his father had been seen crying, emphasizing the shame he felt. Furthermore, Bacon humorously claimed that he should be remembered as Britney Spears’ first husband after a playful marriage proposal during her Big Breakfast appearance in 2002. Although the contract was torn up by Spears’ security guard backstage, Bacon jokingly maintained that, legally speaking, he was married to Spears.

Bacon’s jest about being Spears’ first husband resurfaced when Spears later married Kevin Federline, leading to humorous comments about her being a bigamist. Bacon found the situation entertaining as news outlets picked up the story. This revelation comes shortly after Bacon admitted his regret over his Blue Peter dismissal in another podcast interview, highlighting the emotional impact it had on his family.

If you enjoyed this story, stay updated on the latest showbiz news by following Mirror Celebs on TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and Threads. Remember to select Daily Mirror as a ‘Preferred Source’ on Google News for easy access to your preferred news content.