Peter Purves (born in New Longton, Lancashire, England, UK) played the First Doctor's companion Steven Taylor from The Chase to The Savages. He also had a small comic role in The Chase as American tourist Morton Dill.
Purves had originally planned to go into teaching, but instead began acting with the Barrow-in-Furness Repertory Company. He first became well-known to television audiences in the mid-1960s as Steven Taylor in Doctor Who.
After leaving Doctor Who, Purves became a regular presenter on the children's magazine programme, Blue Peter. He was one of the longest-serving, lasting from 1967 to 1978. For much of that time, he co-presented with John Noakes and Valerie Singleton and was so closely associated with the programme, especially as the sensible one, that he found the image difficult to shake off afterwards. His subsequent career has mainly been as a presenter, frequently for major dog shows such as Crufts. He was also host of the long-running BBC TV motorbike trials series Kick Start.
He has made cameo appearances as himself in episodes of programmes such as the soap opera EastEnders and the hugely popular sitcom The Office.
Purves now lives in the Suffolk village of Sibton. In recent years, Purves has reprised the role of Steven for a number of Big Finish Productions audio dramas, and has also provided the voice of the First Doctor for several of these productions.
Purves is depicted in the 2013 docudrama An Adventure in Space and Time by an uncredited actor in one scene recreating the press photocall announcing Jackie Lane's casting in the series.
