27 September 2023 , 07:00
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If you were a child - or a parent - in the 1990s chances are Tim Vincent was a very familiar face on your television when he was one of the much-loved BBC Blue Peter presenters. Since his days making Christmas decorations out of coat hangers, Tim has turned his hand to acting and even found fame Stateside.
During his time across the Atlantic, Tim hosted A-list shows like Access Hollywood and hanging with A-lister friends such as Robert De-Niro. The star, now nearly 51, recently returned to live in England to spend more time with his family and looks almost unrecognisable. We take a look back over the actor-presenter's successful career both sides of the pond.
Early TV career
The broadcaster, born in Wrexham, Wales became the 21st Blue Peter presenter in 1993 and was offered the job whilst in on a gap year in his early 20s. He went on to work on the show for for five years, presenting alongside famous faces such as Anthea Turner, John Leslie, Diane-Louise Jordan, Stuart Miles, Katy Hill and Romana D'Annunzio.
Tom Vincent with fellow Blue Peter presenters, Stuart Miles, Diane-Louise Jordan (right) and Katy Hill. (ExpressStar)Speaking about his time on the show, he told Wales Online: "I have no regrets about not going to university – those three years on Blue Peter were my education in TV presenting and filming and I had an amazing time". However, his debut TV appearance was when he was just 15, in an acting role playing a teenage alcoholic, Billy Ryan, on long-running ITV kid's drama Children's Ward across three series. The multi-talented star continued in shows such as Dangerfield from 1995 to 1999 and Emmerdale, where he took the role of veterinarian Adam Forrester from 2000-2001. He even appeared in the feature film Sorted with Tim Curry and Jason Donovan.
Vincent had a recurring role as an alcoholic teenager on ITV's Children's Ward. (ITV/REX/Shutterstock)Moving Stateside
Despite his success in the UK, Tim decided to make the move to America after he gained a coveted spot presenting Access Hollywood - a hugely popular show in the US covering events and celebrities and all things glitz and glamour in the entertainment industry. He revealed that the plan was originally for him to stay in England whilst visiting the studio weekly to film segments for the programme with fellow new presenter, Kate Garraway.
Tim went onto to become a presenter for popular US TV show Hollywood Access and lived in New York. (David Fisher/REX/Shutterstock for NTA)
Vincent interviewed many A-List celebrities whilst working at Access Hollywood. (Startraks/REX/Shutterstock)However, after flying over to Los Angeles a few times and impressing bosses with his interviewing techniques and British charm, Tim was offered the opportunity to move to the USA and host the show when the current presenter quit. He told Wales Online: "I literally didn’t have to think about it for a second. I lived in central Manhattan right behind Times Square and that was walking distance to get to Rockefeller Plaza in the morning. The show we did went out on air every single night Monday to Saturday night, 7pm to 10.30pm, and you’d just get every big star in there. So you’d be constantly on the go filming left, right, and centre."
Whilst working on this show, Vincent rubbed shoulders with some of Hollywood's biggest names, interviewing the likes of Angelina Jolie, Bruce Willis - who he famously riled up with questions about his ex-wife's wedding - and Robert De Niro, who gave him his very own nickname.
Tim revealed that he earned the moniker 'Tolerable Tim' from De Niro, star of Meet the Fockers and The Irishman, who eventually came to enjoy his press interviews with the Brit. "I did a lot of stuff with Robert De Niro who I was a massive fan of," he added. "I was always pretty good with him and because he was doing lots of stuff while I was out there, I interviewed him a lot and eventually he would request me to go first so he was warmed up by me. He had a nickname for me – Tolerable Tim. He doesn’t like the press as a general rule."
The presenter became popular with movie-star Robert De Niro but now hosts a podcast about being a dad. (Instagram)Tim also presented the Miss World contest in 2005, 2006, 2014, 2015 and Miss USA in 2007. In 2012, he became part of the all-star line up of Dancing on Ice, lasting only five weeks on the show with his partner Victoria Borzenkova before being voted off by the public.
Return to the UK
Tim Vincent has enjoyed a successful career both sides of the Atlantic, but has now settled down in the UK again after making the decision to spend more time with his young family. The single dad is enjoying raising - and running around after - his four-year-old twins Felix and Jasper who are now the centre of his world.
The star now lives in the UK with his twin boys, Felix and Jasper. (Instagram)
The single-dad and podcast host said his kids are his number one priority. (Instagram)He said: "Because I've been working since the age of 16 I can afford to put different priorities forward. And my priorities are my children and enjoying having as much time with them." But the actor-presenter hasn't given up his day job, and is still working in the industry doing voiceover work and hosting a podcast on Radio 4 called The Likely Dads, where he chats about fatherhood in the 21 century.