Record Breakers

Overview

Record Breakers was a British children's TV show, themed around world records and produced by the BBC and originally presented by Roy Castle with twin brothers Norris McWhirter and Ross McWhirter. The programme was a spin off series from Blue Peter which had featured record breaking attempts overscene by the McWhirter twins. It was broadcast on BBC1 from 15 December 1972 to 21 December 2001. Producers of the series over the years were, Alan Russell, Michael Forte, Eric Rowan, Greg Childs, Annette Williams and Jeremy Daldry. The closing theme was "Dedication", performed by Roy Castle, who broke nine world records on the show himself. As well as interviews with people who held British or World records, early editions of the programme would include a feature in which the studio audience would test the McWhirter brothers on their knowledge of records, and the climax of each show would usually be a world record attempt in the studio. Ross was shot dead by a Provisional IRA assassin in 1975, but his brother continued to appear on the show in the "Norris On The Spot" feature. Other hosts included Fiona Kennedy, Cheryl Baker, Fearne Cotton, Kriss Akabusi and Ronald Reagan Jr. After Castle's death in 1994, the show was hosted by Baker and Akabusi, then Linford Christie took over in 1999 with co-presenters Jack Lattimer, Jez Edwards and Kate Sanderson.