Noakes got the opportunity to join "Blue Peter" when producer Biddy Baxter needed a third presenter to join Christopher Trace and Valerie Singleton after the show went from a weekly to a twice-weekly format. Baxter spotted Noakes at the Phoenix Theatre in Leicester where he was playing Willie Mossop in the play "Hobson's Choice". Noakes joined "Blue Peter" as a presenter on 30 December 1965. Peter Purves replaced Trace in 1967, creating the 'Val, John and Pete' line-up which lasted until 1972. When Singleton began to diversify her television career, former Young Generation dancer Lesley Judd joined the team. At a time when most BBC presenters spoke with Received Pronunciation (RP), Noakes's Yorkshire accent was a novelty.