TV & Movies
A novel opportunity to look back at the best celeb cameos, from Harry Styles to Kate Middleton.
CBeebies Bedtime Stories has welcomed some of the biggest names from the world of showbiz and beyond, with the likes of Harry Styles, Kate Middleton, Tom Hardy, and Bridgerton star Regé-Jean Page lending their celebrity reading skills to the popular children’s show. Now, actor Chris Hemsworth is making his CBeebies Bedtime Stories debut and will tell the story of a little bear who is terrified of rain and thunder.
Airing on Friday, July 8 at 6.50 p.m. on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer, Hemsworth will read out Salina Yoon’s book Stormy Night.
“I love nothing more than reading bedtime stories to my children and it was a joy to get to read Stormy Night, a story about a little bear who is scared of storms,” the Thor star said of his CBeebies gig. He continued, “Even though I know a thing or two about thunder and lightning, I always feel better when the storm passes.”
Hemsworth’s A-list appearance on the hit series was previously teased by CBeebies on social media, with a photo of a silhouetted figure and a caption that read, “You asked. We delivered. Can you guess who?”
As mentioned, Hemsworth joins a long list of CBeebies Bedtime Stories guest stars. Below, you can revisit some of the very best celebrity bedtime stories in the children’s show’s history so far.
Regé-Jean Page, King of the Classroom, 2021
Regé-Jean Page made his Bedtime Stories debut back in March 2021 and settled down to read Rain Before Rainbows by Smriti Halls and David Litchfield. The story follows a girl and her friend - who happens to be a fox, as they journey through a place of darkness and despair but know that they’ll soon reach colour and life.
Harry Styles, In Every House on Every Street, 2022
Harry Styles appeared on the hit children’s show in May 2022 and opted to read Jess Hitchman’s 2019 storybook In Every House, on Every Street. With illustrations by Lili la Baleine, the book celebrates the lives of different families, and the ways that they make their houses feel like homes. “Tonight’s bedtime story is about a house full of love and laughter,” Styles said of his pick.
Kate Middleton, The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark, 2022
In honour of Children’s Mental Health Week 2022, Kate Middleton appeared on the evening show to read The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark. Penned by Jill Tomlinson, the book follows the story of a baby barn owl named Plop, who begins growing in confidence and overcoming his fears with the help of those around him.
Tom Hardy, Hug Me, The Problem with Problems, Don’t Worry Little Crab, & There’s a Tiger in the Garden, 2020/2021
Actor Tom Hardy has made several CBeebies Bedtime Stories cameos in the past few years, most recently in December 2021, when he gave a reading of Rob Biddulph’s An Odd Dog Christmas and Julia Donaldson and Victoria Sandøy’s The Christmas Pine, while accompanied by his beloved pup Blue.
Ed Sheeran, I Talk Like A River, 2021
In October 2021, Ed Sheeran made his debut on the hit CBeebies show. During his appearance, the singer-songwriter read Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith’s I Talk Like a River, which tells the story of a young boy with a stutter which he learns to overcome after his father tells him to imagine the flow of his words like a river.
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