In the lead up to Radio 2 in the Park 2024 in Preston in September, the station’s beloved presenters are bringing a special treat to families across the UK with a CBeebies Bedtime Story takeover, across CBeebies, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds.
Radio 2 - the UK’s most listened to radio station with 13.3m listeners each week (RAJAR Q2 2024) - welcomes CBeebies Bedtime Stories to its studios where Jo Whiley, Scott Mills, Trevor Nelson, Vernon Kay and Sara Cox are taking the mic in a special week-long celebration of the joy of music. Starting on Monday 2 September and available on CBeebies, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sounds, each story will bring the world of radio to families, inspiring them with a love of music and sounds.
Jo Whiley spins the deck first on Monday 2 September with a reading of Rock Stars Don’t Nap by Jason Perkins and Cale Atkinson which will help rock little ones to sleep. On Tuesday 3 September Scott Mills will then read What Makes a Lemur Listen by Samuel Langley-Swain and Helen Panayi - a story about the power of listening. Trevor Nelson reads Whisper Shout Let it Out by Madhvi Ramani and Anuska Allepuz on Wednesday 4 September which encourages children to celebrate and delight in their own special voice. On Thursday 5 September Vernon Kay reads Hip and Hop by Akala and Sav Akyuz packed full of rhythm and rhyme and Sara Cox makes a bedtime boom on Friday 6 September with Kitsy Bitsy’s Noisy Neighbours by Polly Faber and Melissa Crowton.
The takeover week ends on Saturday 7 September with a mega-mix of all five of the presenters coming together to read One Sweet Song by Jyoti Rajan Gopal and Sonia Sánchez which celebrates the power of how music connects us.
The special week of CBeebies Bedtime Stories builds up to a weekend of music, entertainment and festival fun with their flagship annual weekender, Radio 2 in the Park which this year takes place in Preston from 6 – 8 September, which gives listeners across the UK a chance to hear their favourite radio presenters in a whole new setting as they introduce an incredible line-up of artists to the stage, including Sting headlining Saturday night and Pet Shop Boys headlining on Sunday. Full details here.
Jo Whiley, says: “I loved reading my Bedtime Story to the next generation of CBeebies rockstars! I have so many precious memories of reading with my children when they were growing up and this was a lovely nostalgic thing to do. I’m a huge fan of the storytellers and illustrators who gift us these books and stories and it was a privilege to be part of the CBeebies Bedtime Story gang!
Scott Mills, says: “Appearing on Bedtime Stories has been on my bucket list for a long time, it’s one of those iconic shows, especially as so many amazing names have taken part, so to be able to record my own episode and tick it off my list is a life goal achieved!”
Trevor Nelson, says: “I thoroughly enjoyed reading this Bedtime Story. It was an unusual experience for me, but I totally morphed into it. I wanted to do it because I am aware that so many of my listeners watch CBeebies with their kids and grandkids and what better way to connect with the newest generation, you never know there may be one or two future DJs amongst them”.
Vernon Kay, says: “One of my favourite things to do when my kids were young was to read to them at night, so to now get the chance to read a story to the nation’s children is an utter privilege and joy.”
Sara Cox, says: “It was absolutely dreamy reading a CBeebies Bedtime Story and I hope with the help of my A-Level Theatre Studies I managed to bring the book alive! When after a long, busy day you're reading an average of three books to three kids for quite a few years it’s easy to forget the magic a bedtime story can bring… now my kids are teenagers & too big for stories, taking part in this really reminded me of the fun and importance of a cuddled-up bedtime story.”
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.
The schedule is:
- Monday 2 September – Jo Whiley
- Tuesday 3 September – Scott Mills
- Wednesday 4 September – Trevor Nelson
- Thursday 5 September – Vernon Kay
- Friday 6 September – Sara Cox
- Saturday 7 September – All together!
EG
About CBeebies Bedtime Story
The first ever celebrity reader was Geoffrey Palmer, who read about the adventures of Beebie the Rabbit in 2002. After more than two decades CBeebies Bedtime Story continues to settle down audiences before bedtime with the magic of shared reading, with the aim of engaging families with the long-term benefits of reading.
Billie Eilish, Lewis Hamilton, Meera Syal, Harry Styles, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Hardy, Sir Elton John, Chris Hemsworth, Dolly Parton, David Schwimmer, Anthony Joshua, Jason Momoa, Spice girls Mel C and Geri Halliwell-Horner, Gregory Porter, ABBA legend Bjorn Ulvaeus, Ed Sheeran, Ryan Reynolds, Kate Winslet, Steve Carell, Eddie Redmayne, Chris Evans, Michael Palin, Harry Kane and Leah Williamson, Dave Grohl and Tom Hiddleston, have all read stories that will now be 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!
About BBC Radio 2
BBC Radio 2 is the UK’s most listened to radio station, with a weekly audience of 13.3 million (RAJAR Q2, 2024) and The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show is most listened to Breakfast show in the UK with 6.4 million listeners (RAJAR Q2, 2024) and Vernon Kay (Monday to Friday, 9.30am-12pm) is the UK’s most listened to radio show. The network’s presenters include Michael Ball, Zoe Ball, Rob Beckett, Tony Blackburn, OJ Borg, Revd. Kate Bottley, Rylan, Fearne Cotton, Sara Cox, Jamie Cullum, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Gary Davies, Paul Gambaccini, Mark Goodier, Angela Griffin, Bob Harris, Vernon Kay, Cerys Matthews, Paddy McGuinness, Scott Mills, Jason Mohammad, Trevor Nelson, Dermot O’Leary, Elaine Paige, Mark Radcliffe, Romesh Ranganathan, DJ Spoony, Liza Tarbuck, Jeremy Vine, Michelle Visage, Johnnie Walker, Jo Whiley, Phil Williams and Owain Wyn Evans.
At the 2024 Audio and Radio Industry Awards, also known as the ARIAs, Scott Mills won Gold for the Best Music Entertainment Show, 21st Century Folk won Gold for the Best Music Special, Windrush 75 won Gold for Best Coverage of an Event, and The Zoe Ball Breakfast Show won Bronze for the Best Music Breakfast Show. Plus, Cerys Matthews won the Best Blues Broadcaster Award for the third time at the annual UK Blues Awards so she has now been elected into the UK Blues Hall Of Fame.
BBC Introducing provides a platform to propel new acts onto the national stage through Radio 1, 1Xtra, Radio 2, 6 Music, the Asian Network and Radio 3. It gives up-and-coming artists the chance to get played on BBC radio, to record their own Maida Vale sessions, opportunities on BBC television and online, alongside the chance to perform at major festivals and showcases including Glastonbury, Latitude, Reading and Leeds, The Great Escape, and SXSW in Texas. Big name artists including Ed Sheeran, Florence + the Machine, Lewis Capaldi, Raye, Sam Fender, Aitch, Nia Archives and Tom Grennan all received BBC Introducing support at the start of their careers
