Telly star Adam Beales has said the time is right for him to move on to new projects as he bids farewell to Blue Peter.
In his first interview since deciding to leave the iconic BBC show, the Derry-based presenter told Sunday Life he also wanted to get some balance back in his life.
That’s because the in-demand YouTuber — he has nearly 3.5million subscribers on his Adam B channel — has never been busier — and he hinted that he has another telly project lined up too.
His first book will be published in the autumn, two years after Sunday Life exclusively revealed he had landed a major publishing deal.
But before all that, he will appear at Camp Dalfest at Glenarm Castle next weekend, straight after recording his last Blue Peter in Manchester on Friday.
He told us: “TV has been great and I’m doing my last show for Blue Peter next Friday. It’s been so surreal that whole experience, a super-fast two years.
“I’m also just working on different things in the background as well with other TV appearances and also just trying to scale up the YouTube side of things as well because my focus has obviously been diverted over the past two years because of Blue Peter and because of just the very tough schedule.
“So yeah, I’m trying to write books and do YouTube while also trying to present TV while also trying to have a social life, and my own life has been quite difficult in the past two years.”
It’s all the more impressive when you consider Adam is only 22, but the humble host said he was grateful for the experience he enjoyed as Blue Peter’s 40th presenter.
He explained: “To be honest, going in every Friday is a highlight for me. You know, going in and seeing everybody in the studio and just working as a team and producing some live TV, kids’ live TV, is just so special.
“And the vibe that you have every Friday, it’s just incomparable to anything else.
“It feels like we’re all in it together and it feels like everyone wants to do a good job and everyone wants to put out the best TV they can every Friday.
“But apart from studio days, we’ve done some weird and amazing things over the past two years. You know, I’ve abseiled down mountains. We’ve done some high production pranks as well, which I really, really enjoyed.
“We did hovercrafts, we did racing down mountains, we did ziplines in caves. I even smashed three world records while I was on the show. It’s just been a whole whirlwind of events and I loved every single minute.”
Adam’s stint straddled the pandemic, which meant he had to take ferries across the water to make it to the studio because of flight restrictions.
He said the decision to move on was very much his own as he progresses into the next stage of his career.
He continued: “It was a decision that I made. Obviously I wanted to have more stuff in the pipeline and wanted to go and focus on those things, but Blue Peter will always hold a special place in my heart.
“I really can’t describe how valuable it’s been. It’s just been probably the best two years of my life.
“As I say, I’m really, really excited for all the projects coming up later this year.
“It’s literally just down to trying to keep that balance in my life as well. Like not trying to take far too much on to the point where I’m struggling for time.”
His first public appearance after leaving Blue Peter will be next week at Camp Dalfest, where he is looking forward to meeting young fans and families. He said: “It’s a great event to get involved with, especially after Covid times because we’ve all been stuck indoors and it’s just been a bit of a bleak two years.
“So, it’s nice to be able to go to events like these this summer and meet people who watch the videos and get pictures and just have a chat with all the kids and all the families who watch my videos. It will be a very nice day.”
As well as Adam, a string of stars will entertain punters at Glenarm Castle, including Spice Girl Melanie C.
Among the other big-name acts performing are Scouting For Girls, Amy MacDonald, Tom Odell and Nik Kershaw.
TV and radio star Roman Kemp will be DJing, as will actor Kristian Nairn, best known as Hodor in Game of Thrones.
Bringing the laughs during the fun-filled festival that offers something for everyone will be Paddy Raff and Shane Todd.
After Camp Dalfest, Adam’s debut book Adam Wins The Internet will go on sale on October 13, with the cover having been revealed just last week.
He said: “Yeah, I can’t wait. It’s been in the works for over two years now and I’m just super, super-excited to finally let people read it and see what they think of the story.
“I’m really proud of where it’s got to. I can’t wait to actually get the physical copy in my hands because the publishers haven’t sent me the physical copy yet. That day will be a very surreal day.
“It’s a fictional story about a guy called Adam. The storyline is very much reflective of what’s happened in my life and my career, but I’ve fictionalised it in such a way that there’s magic involved.
“There’s some bad enemies in the book. It obviously isn’t focused on anyone in my real life. I just wanted to include a bad guy and include that sort of dynamic between like a protagonist and antagonist.
“It was super-fun to write about. Some of the things that happened in my life, I had no trouble writing what happened there because I can base it on memories of past experiences.
“But whenever it came to the magic elements of it and the fictional side, it was quite fun to do because your imagination has no limit.
“The story actually has a nice end to it. It’s like at the very end of the book that Adam realises what is important and that focusing on numbers and social media isn’t always the most important thing in life.
“I think it’s a really nice thing for kids nowadays to read, especially when there’s just so much focus on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and social media in general.
“It’s nice to be able to just give that realisation back to the young readers and actually show what is important in life.”
It’s the first instalment of a two-book deal he signed with Bloomsbury — and he has already started working on his follow-up.
Adam, whose CBBC break came with The Dog Ate My Homework, had to remained tight-lipped about his new TV show projects, but he did hint that he wants to involve his younger brother Callum, who features regularly on his YouTube channel, as well as having one of his own.
Big-hearted Adam was yesterday taking part in a colour run alongside more than 500 people in his home town to raise funds for Aware NI.
He said: “It’s a charity which helps tackle depression and mental health issues amongst young people, which I’m really passionate about.”
Camp Dalfest is at Glenarm Castle in Co Antrim next weekend, Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17. Visit glenarmcastle.com for more details and to buy tickets
