DS Icon: Mark Curry

From the age of 7, Mark Curry had showbiz in his blood. With a penchant for silly glasses and flame-red hair, he may not have looked like a traditional TV star, but Curry was always destined for greatness. Before his 8th birthday, he cameoed on ITV's Junior Showtime and in the middle of his teenage years he starred in the classic 1976 Bugsy Malone film alongside such legends as Scott Baio, Bonnie Langford and Dexter Fletcher. However, it was when Curry entered the world of children's TV presenting in the 1980s that he really found his stride.

After helming the unforgettable CBBC classics Treasure Houses and Saturday Picture Show, he was head-hunted for Blue Peter where he became part of a dream team of presenters that included Caron Keating and Yvette Fielding. He was also joined on the show by John Leslie, but the less said about that the better. Curry proved to be a revelation on the long-running but rather dour children's TV institution. His unique geek-chic style, cheeky ad-libs and frequent cock-ups were a pleasant break from the usual plastic action man hosts of old. He even managed to cause a tabloid storm when his bare bottom was revealed during one Blue Peter trip to the USSR. The TV work may have dried up in recent years - he managed to kill off Roy Walker's Catchphrase - but there's still plenty of room in our hearts for The Curry-meister.

Click along our gallery below to see some classic snaps of Mark 'The Curry-meister' Curry: