Barney Harwood was born on 7 November 1979 in Blackpool, Lancashire, England. His father, also named Barnaby Harwood, worked as a comedian and entertainer, which exposed Barney to stage life from a very early age. Barney’s mother now runs a Blackpool hotel. He was performing from an early age, appearing in hotels and cabaret bars on the resort’s seafront, and made his first television appearance as a four-year-old alongside his comedian father.

Harwood attended Carter’s Charity Primary School in Blackpool, then progressed to St Aidan’s Church of England High School, also in Blackpool. He later attended Blackpool Sixth Form College. While at St Aidan’s, he formed a boyband which performed around Blackpool, and at 17 joined the group Goal, managed by Nigel Martin-Smith — the same manager who looked after Take That.

Harwood’s rise in children’s television came with his 2002 debut at CBBC, where he became a staple presenter known for his energetic and mischievous style. He became the 35th presenter of Blue Peter in January 2011, eventually becoming one of the show’s longest-serving hosts at six and a half years. On his final episode in September 2017, he was awarded a Gold Blue Peter Badge by co-presenter Radzi Chinyanganya, described as being “at the very top of the list.”

In addition to his television work, Harwood can play guitar and piano and is the keyboardist in The MüVs. As a singer/songwriter, he composed the theme music to Bear Behaving Badly and Prank Patrol. After stepping away from Blue Peter and regular presenting, he transitioned into a new phase of his career behind the camera, moving into filmmaking and media production work.