Who is Leo Olsson? Meet the Blue Peter presenter

Leo Olsson is a filmmaker, adventurer and content creator who joined Blue Peter as its 45th presenter, bringing his passion for storytelling and ambitious personal challenges to one of Britain’s best-known children’s television programmes.

Before making the move to television, he had already built an online audience through videos documenting unusual experiences, learning new skills and pushing himself beyond his comfort zone.

Originally from Jersey in the Channel Islands, Leo developed an interest in filmmaking at a young age. What began as a creative hobby eventually became his career, with projects that have included writing to world leaders, tackling ambitious bucket-list challenges and documenting his experiences for social media.

How did Leo Olsson become famous?

One of Leo’s most notable early projects began when he decided to seek life advice from some of the world’s most influential people. At 18, he wrote to 200 world leaders, asking them to share their best advice for young people.

The project attracted attention online, with Leo receiving responses from political figures, including New Zealand’s former prime minister Jacinda Ardern. What started as an unusual personal experiment became a significant storytelling project, demonstrating his determination to pursue an idea and turn it into something that could inspire others.

The experience also helped Leo develop his approach to online content, combining curiosity, ambitious ideas and a willingness to put himself in unfamiliar situations. Rather than simply telling audiences what he wanted to achieve, he began documenting the process, allowing viewers to follow his experiences and see what he learned along the way.

What does Leo Olsson do?

Leo is best known for his filmmaking and his self-described “world’s longest bucket list”, a project centred on attempting new experiences and learning skills he has never tried before.

His challenges have included running a marathon, learning to play the piano, riding a unicycle and building a surfboard from scratch. Each project gives him an opportunity to explore something unfamiliar while creating a video that captures the experience, including the work involved in turning an ambition into reality.

His content combines adventure with personal development, encouraging viewers to consider what they might achieve if they were willing to try something outside their usual routine. It is this combination of practical challenges and storytelling that has helped him establish his identity as a creator.

Leo has also spoken publicly about his career journey on LinkedIn. After studying at the London School of Economics, he moved towards creative work, gained experience in content and social media roles, and eventually established his own video business. His professional experience gave him an understanding of how to develop ideas, produce engaging content and connect with an audience.

Where can you follow Leo Olsson on social media?

Social media has played a significant role in Leo’s career, allowing him to share his projects with audiences and develop a following around his challenges.

You can find his profiles here:

• Instagram: @leomagnusolsson
• TikTok: @.leoolsson

His videos focus on adventure, personal challenges and learning new skills, with each project giving viewers an opportunity to follow his progress. His social media work also provides a useful introduction to his style of storytelling for anyone discovering him through Blue Peter.

Why did Leo Olsson join Blue Peter?

Leo became the 45th presenter in Blue Peter’s history, joining Abby Cook and Shini Muthukrishnan, alongside Hacker T Dog and Henry the dog.

His background makes him a natural fit for a programme built around adventure, creativity and encouraging children to discover what they can do. Throughout his online career, Leo has taken on challenges that require patience, practice and a willingness to make mistakes while learning something new.

Those themes have long been central to Blue Peter, which has introduced generations of young viewers to practical skills, outdoor adventures, creative projects and its famous badge system. Leo brings experience of producing content for a digital audience while continuing the programme’s tradition of encouraging children to get involved rather than simply watch from the sidelines.

He has also identified former presenter Helen Skelton as an inspiration, particularly because of the adventurous challenges she undertook during her time on the programme. Her influence reflects the kind of presenter Leo admired while growing up and the example he hopes to set for young viewers himself.

What was Leo Olsson’s first Blue Peter challenge?

Leo’s introduction to Blue Peter included a formation skydive from 15,000 feet as he attempted to earn his Blue Peter badge.

The challenge was a fitting introduction for someone whose online career has involved taking on unfamiliar experiences and documenting the process. It also brought his established approach to filmmaking into the programme, with an adventure that combined a personal challenge with an opportunity to entertain and inspire young viewers.

For audiences discovering Leo through Blue Peter, his background offers a glimpse into the work that shaped him before his television career. From his early filmmaking ambitions and letters to world leaders to his ongoing bucket-list project, his story has centred on curiosity, creativity and the willingness to try something new.

As a presenter, he brings those interests to a programme with a long history of encouraging children to explore their own abilities, learn new skills and find adventures of their own.

Image credits: BBC