 A bit of a buffoon who would do anything for a laugh or a few pence.”

Noakes also complained about what he regarded as his low salary during his time on "Blue Peter", and how he had been uninsured for many of the stunts he had undertaken.Biddy Baxter, for her part, denied Noakes's claims there was a lack of insurance for his stunts.In 1979, Noakes wrote a children's book, "The Flight of the Magic Clog", published by Lion with illustrations by Toni Goffe.