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A KIDS telly host who worked with all the top children's presenters is now a writer of horror stories.

He was also one of 500 human guinea pigs to trial the coronavirus vaccine back in 2020.

The former kids TV presenter is now an award winning author of creepy horros
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The former kids TV presenter is now an award winning author of creepy horrosCredit: Rex

Simeon Courtie's BBC radio and TV presenter has spanned over 25 years.

But he is now an award-winning author and contributes regularly to jokes on Have I Got News For You.

The familiar face from the nineties started off at BBC Two's pop show The O-Zone, with an interview featuring American singer Judy Cheeks marking his TV debut.

Over the years he has interviewed huge pop stars like Tom Jones, Blur, and World's Apart.

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But it was roles at Children's BBC that made him a household name, with stints including hosting on BBC Prime and later moving to BBC One, where he became known for hosting live afternoon continuity links with the comedic puppet, Otis the Aardvark.

Beyond his BBC work, between 1996 and 2000, Simeon hosted various ITV shows including Wow!, You'll Never Believe It, and Get Wet.

He also presented educational series for BBC such as Working in… and the Revise Wise series.

As well as his broadcasting plaudits, Simeon runs a successful communication training company coaching keynote speakers and is a sought-after speaker himself.

And he's shown he is a humanitarian - volunteer as a human guinea pig in medical trials.

Speaking on Good Morning Britain four years ago, the star explained he was going to take part in the first Covid vaccine trials.

He said: "They think it will be somewhere along the lines of having flu.

"They don’t know, everybody’s different. You might just get very mild side effects but I think at worst, maybe a fever for a couple of days maybe some aches and pains – it shouldn’t be too disruptive to my life."

Radio and television presenter Simeon Courtie holding up earthworms, circa 1997
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Radio and television presenter Simeon Courtie holding up earthworms, circa 1997Credit: Getty
He was pals with Otis the Aardvark
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He was pals with Otis the Aardvark
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