CBeebies have revealed the line-up of seven stars to sprinkle seasonal sparkle this Christmas, with appearances from Idris Elba, Justin Fletcher, Mo Gilligan, Perrie, Kylie, James Norton and Cody Rhodes.
Idris Elba launches a special week of CBeebies Bedtime Stories in the run up to Christmas. On Saturday 21 December, he reads Hedgehog’s Balloon by Nick Butterworth, all about Percy the park keeper who sets out to help his friend hedgehog play with his very first balloon.
Patricia Hidalgo, Director BBC Children’s and Education, says: “CBeebies Bedtime Stories brings magical moments to families all year round but there’s something extra special about stories at Christmas time. At its heart is the incredible power of storytelling, which spans generations from children to their grown-ups to grandparents, and this Christmas, we hope everyone takes something away from listening to a story snuggled up together.”
On Sunday 22 December, CBeebies’ very own Justin Fletcher returns to read The Winter Wish by Helen Mortimer and Rachael Dean. He tells the story of William who lives in a bookshop full of stories and delights.
On Monday 23 December, comedian Mo Gilligan reads My Dad is a Grizzly Bear by Swapna Haddow and Dapo Adeola which follows a boy with a wild imagination and his lively family.
On Christmas Eve, singer Perrie returns to CBeebies Bedtime Stories with the festive tale Mr Santa by Jarvis, a story which channels the excitement and joy of every child who has dreamed of meeting Father Christmas himself.
On Christmas Day, pop superstar Kylie counts down Aussie-style with The Australian 12 Days of Christmas by Michael Salmon. Kylie explains that Christmas in Australia is a little bit different to the UK with twelve possums playing, eleven lizards leaping …six sharks a-surfing, and a kookaburra in a gum tree.
Boxing Day brings you actor James Norton who reads There is no Big Bad Wolf in this Story by Lou Carter and Deborah Allwright. It’s the hilarious tale of just what happens when the Big Bad Wolf has had enough.
Welcoming in the New Year on Wednesday 1 January, undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes reads Gigantic by Rob Biddulph about a very small and determined blue whale.
CBeebies Bedtime Story is on each weekday at 6.50pm on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer, bringing families together and has been a daily, family favourite since the channel launched in 2002. It continues to get the nation reading with its star-studded guests, meaningful partnerships and brilliant stories that inspire a passion for the shared experience of reading.
A digital library of over 300 archived episodes is available on BBC iPlayer CBeebies channel.
Olivia Colman, Kylie Minogue, Billie Eilish, Shirley Ballas, Lewis Hamilton, Harry Styles, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy, Sir Elton John, Chris Hemsworth, Dolly Parton, David Schwimmer, heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua, Jason Momoa, Spice girls Mel C and Geri Halliwell-Horner, Gregory Porter, ABBA legend Bjorn Ulvaeus, Ed Sheeran, Zayn Malik, Ryan Reynolds, Kate Winslet, Steve Carell, Eddie Redmayne, Chris Evans, Michael Palin, England football captains Harry Kane and Leah Williamson, Dave Grohl, Tom Hiddleston have all read stories that are now available for audiences to relive on BBC iPlayer.
Elsewhere, CBeebies Bedtime Story has seen many other landmark firsts. This includes Strictly Come Dancing champion Rose-Ayling Ellis reading the first ever story in British Sign Language, Rugby champion Rob Burrow reading the first story told using an eye controlled computer, Lora Fachie with the first ever braille story, Catherine, Princess of Wales becoming the first ever royal to read a story, cricketers Katherine Sciver-Brunt and Nat Sciver-Brunt becoming the first LGBTQ+ couple to read a story and astronaut Tim Peake as the first to read from space!
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