CBeebies Bedtime Stories to feature those unable to see loved ones at Christmas

CBeebies Bedtime Stories is to feature children and members of the armed forces who cannot be at home with loved ones over Christmas in its forthcoming festival specials.

On December 23, the children’s bedtime show will see serving members of the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force, as well as veterans, read from bases around the world.

Joining from locations including Bahrain, Estonia, Cyprus and the HMS Prince of Wales warship, they will tell the story of The Invisible String, written by Patrice Karst and illustrated by Joanne Lew Vriethoff.

The book explores the “intangible but unbreakable connections between us”.

Lieutenant Colonel James Shaw, who led the military procession for the King’s coronation, is among the nine readers who will represent those who are unable to be with their families at Christmas.

Sergeant Shannon Bennett, mother of a three-year-old daughter, will be reading from her Nato base in Estonia.

She said: “Christmas can be a bittersweet affair for UK armed forces personnel, as many of us spend the festive period deployed thousands of miles away from our loved ones.

“On Christmas Day this year, there will be almost 7,000 sailors, soldiers and aviators who will miss the chance of Christmas dinner with family, or a cosy reading session with their children, because they are stationed abroad, anywhere from the Falkland Islands to the Indo-Pacific.

“That’s why this special CBeebies Bedtime Stories episode will resonate so deeply with people who are serving – because, while they are upholding peace and security around the world, they are still missing the simplicity of tucking their children into bed.”

The Christmas Eve special will see CBeebies presenter Justin Fletcher appear as Father Christmas as he reads classic tale The Night Before Christmas by Clement Clarke Moore.

For Christmas Day’s show, Fletcher will team up with puppet Dodge the Dog to read to patients at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital.

He will tell the story of The Hospital Dog, by writer Julia Donaldson and illustrator Sara Ogilvie, which follows a Dalmatian called Dot who visits children in hospital.

Fletcher will end by saying: “A very special Christmas wish to those who can’t be at home this Christmas: this wish is for you.”

Ruth Sheard-Pearson, at Manchester Hospital School, said: “Our children absolutely loved their special storytime session.

“Being in hospital means they miss out on a lot of things other children take for granted, especially at this time of year, so it was wonderful to see the looks on their faces as they listened wide-eyed to every single word of the story.”

Other celebrity readers who will appear on CBeebies Bedtime Stories from December 18 in the run-up to Christmas Day will be announced soon.

– CBeebies Bedtime Story airs daily at 6.50pm on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer.