Purves and Noakes in book talks

The trio began presenting Blue Peter together in the late 1960s

Former Blue Peter presenters Peter Purves and John Noakes are both in negotiations to write autobiographies.

The news comes after their co-host at the time, Valerie Singleton, gave a revealing life story interview last month to a Sunday newspaper.

However Purves, 69, said he had decided to write his book before Singleton's account was published.

In the interview, Singleton revealed she had a "brief fling" with Purves whilst filming for the BBC show.

But Purves told the Daily Express there would not be anything scurrilous in his memoir.

"How much can you say about a one-night stand 40 years ago?" he said.

"These things happen - I have fond memories but that's as far as I'll go. I'm not going into details as to what we did."

Noakes, who now lives in Mallorca, told the paper: "I don't know why Valerie wrote what she did but that's her problem, not mine - I've got enough problems writing my autobiography.

"I've had a strange life that nobody knows about."

The 74-year-old is Blue Peter's longest-serving presenter of 12 years and 6 months.