‘I was secretly sacked from CBBC – I’ve avoided talking about this for years’

A hugely popular former children’s TV presenter has revealed he was unexpectedly ‘fired’ from the channel – and he’s now talking about it for the first time.

Michael Underwood began working for CBBC in 1999 but left in 2002 to become a continuity presenter on CITV, a channel that recently shut down for good after over 40 years.

He famously hosted kids’ game show Jungle Run for three years, while other gigs saw him work as a celebrity reporter on GMTV, a commentator for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest, and as a stand-in presenter on Good Morning Britain.

So, to the nation, his career seems to have consisted only of highs; however, he’s now claimed that his time at CBBC came to an abrupt end when bosses said it was ‘time for him to move on’.

Michael, now aged 50 and working as a primary school teacher, has been reflecting on his years as a beloved children’s television presenter by answering fan questions on TikTok.

In one video, he was asked about making the move to ITV, beginning by stating: ‘I didn’t wanna go to ITV.

‘I loved working at CBBC.

It’s where I started out.

I had so many friends there; it was fun going to work every single day.

Why would I want to leave?’
Recalling how his departure went down behind the scenes, he explained: ‘We had two bosses – there was a boss in charge of the presenters and a boss in charge of the whole channel.

‘Now, the presenter boss changed, and he wanted meetings with all the presenters, which wasn’t unusual.

Also, I was close to contract renewal, so that’s normally when they call you in, talk about more money, more responsibility, that type of thing.

‘I went in for my meeting, sat down, this is how it went: “Michael, you are just coming up to your three years at CBBC.

I think you’ve had a great run up to this point, but now I think it’s time for you to move on”.’
Michael admitted that he was ‘gobsmacked’ by the demand, saying he went ‘blank’ and ‘spaced out’ because of the shock.

‘I was not expecting it at all.’
He added that he ‘can’t remember what he said’ at the time, only knowing that he ‘got up, walked out of the office, and thought, “I’ve just been fired”.’
On what happened next, he continued: ‘The first thing I did was I went upstairs to the big boss, who I’d known for a number of years, and I said, “I think I’ve just been fired.” And he went, “What do you mean?

I know nothing about this.

Leave it with me.” So I did.

‘Went back to the studio, Angellica (Bell) was there, and I told her what happened, and she was like, “Well, look, if the BBC don’t want you, why don’t you go to ITV?”
After her suggestion (he and Angellica were just friends at that point and didn’t start dating until seven years later), Michael tested the waters by calling ITV, who he says ‘offered twice the money, plus three new shows guaranteed’, which he calls an ‘amazing offer’.

‘But I wanted to stay at CBBC,’ he confessed, continuing to work over the Christmas period, and, come January, he was called back in by his boss.

In the meeting, he was praised for his ‘fantastic’ work over the festive season and was offered ‘a year contract’ to stay.

‘Now, I knew straight away the big boss had spoken to him and said, “We’re not firing Michael; we want to keep him.”
‘But then you know that presenter boss didn’t like me.

He didn’t want me there.

So, what?

I sign a year, and he gives me nothing really to do?

Doesn’t particularly like me?

It’s not really good for my mental health.’
So, Michael turned down the offer.

‘I decided to move and go to ITV,’ he concluded.

‘But here’s the good thing.

If I hadn’t gone to ITV, I wouldn’t have got Jungle Run!’, Michael added, proving that his premature CBBC exit worked out for the best in the end.

In the comments, Michael’s followers urged him to name-check the boss who gave him his marching orders, to which he replied: ‘I have no doubt you could find out, it was Autumn 2001 🙊’
At that time, Nigel Pickard was Head of Programming for CBBC, who also moved to ITV in February 2003.

At that point, Dorothy Prior took over, having previously been Head of Children’s Production since 1999.

Viewers have also praised Michael for ‘how honest he is’ and ‘spilling the tea’, with @bethm996 writing: ‘These videos are like full circle, got to watch the shows as a kid and now I get the gossip as a 30 year old 🤣’

Did you used to watch Michael on Jungle Run?Comment Now
In his other videos, Michael has spilled more secrets, like revealing that he was paid £8,000 a month for his presenting on Saturday morning show Ministry of Mayhem, alongside Stephen Mulhern and Holly Willoughby.

However, while his £120k-a-year salary seems enviable, he had to pay 40% tax, admitting that, being in his twenties at the time, he didn’t put anything aside like he should, adding that the reason why ‘so many children’s TV presenters do panto is because, the chances are, they probably had a tax bill to pay at the end of January’.

Michael has been working as a teacher since 2020, announcing his retirement from presenting when work dried up, although he has continued his weekend morning slot on Virgin Radio.

As of September 2024, Michael announced on LinkedIn that he was happy to be starting a new full-time position as form teacher at King’s College School, Wimbledon.

The BBC has been contacted for comment.
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