SO many people believe in the curse of the Blue Peter presenter that five made a TV programme on the subject and the recent death of Caron Keating brought fresh speculation.

One man who fronted the long-running BBC children's series from 1986 until 1990 is Mark Curry who is appearing this week at Darlington's Civic Theatre in the comedy London Suite.

Curse, true or false, comes the question.

He replies: "Well I'm still here and I'm still alive. People say that, but it depends how you look at it. I've never ever seen it like that, for me it was just under four years and just another job, but a great job. I'm amazed that people get so excited about Blue Peter still because it was so long ago for me.

"If there's a curse there's a curse on anything you do that puts you in front of people because it's sometimes hard for producers and directors, but not for the audience, to see you in anything else, because they haven't got much imagination in television.

"And that would be the same if you did Coronation Street for a few years. So, if there's any curse at all it's probably that.

"I've never stopped working, but there's nothing more bad luck than my great friend Caron (Keating) dying recently. The show's been running for 45 years so people are bound to die and most of the presenters I know like Yvette Fielding and Peter Duncan are both working."

However, other BP stars at that time like John Leslie, Janet Ellis, Anthea Turner and the tragic Michael Sundin have helped endorse the idea of the curse.

"That's nothing to do with Blue Peter that's just life," insists Curry.

"I would love to do Coronation Street. If I've got any ambitions left it's for someone in television to come and see me in this play and see that I can act.

"There's a bit of situation comedy in Corrie and every time I watch it I have a giggle while when I watch soaps like EastEnders I get so depressed. The Street can change your life and I'd love people to see me create a character and say 'I didn't know he could do that'."

Curry got exactly that response when he appeared as a cameo in BBC1 daytime series Doctors. Now he's hoping that appearing alongside John Challis and Sue Holderness - the famous Boycie and Marlene of TV's Only Fools And Horses - and Philadelphia advert and film star Sara Crowe in London Suite will establish his comedy credentials.

* London Suite runs until Saturday. Box Office: (01325) 486555

Published: 03/06/2004