Meera Syal becomes the latest star to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story as she honours South Asian Heritage Month Have YOU got a story? Email [email protected] By Rebecca Lawrence For Mailonline Published: 09:31, 9 August 2024 | Updated: 09:43, 9 August 2024 e-mail View comments Meera Syal has become the latest celebrity announced to to read the CBeebies Bedtime Story. The Kumars star, 63, will read Amma's Sari, a story about connection with family and the celebration of cultural heritage and diversity, in honour of South Asian Heritage Month.
South Asian Heritage Month runs from July 18 to August 17, and aims to celebrate the diverse heritage and cultures that link the UK with South Asia . The story, written by Sandhya Parappukaran and illustrated by Michelle Pereira, follows six-year-old Shreya, a second-generation migrant, whose life tilts between her time at home and in the outside world. While her love for family lifts her up, her spirits plummet at the stares and whispers that her amma's (meaning mother's) sari attracts.
Searching for balance, Shreya asks questions about her culture. Meera Syal has become the latest celebrity announced to to read the CBeebies Bedtime Story. The Kumars star, 63, will read Amma's Sari in honour of South Asian Heritage Month As her mother shares beautiful stories, Shreya's internal and external struggle continues, until one day her amma's sari saves her from being lost in a crowd and she comes to find pride in her differences.
Meera follows a long list of celebrities who have signed up to read a story, following on from the likes of Billie Eilish, Harry Styles and Lewis Hamilton. Meera will appear on CBeebies on Friday 9 August at 6.50pm.
The Wolverhampton-born star made her breakthrough writing and starring in the BBC sketch show Goodness Gracious Me, and starring in the comedy series The Kumars as grandmother Ummi. She was made in MBE in the 1997 New Year Honours list and was appointed a CBE in the 2015 New Year Honours list for her services to drama and literature. In 2023 she was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship, the academy's highest accolade for a career on screen.
The show will also be made available on iPlayer alongside more than 300 archived stories. Meera's CBeebies Bedtime Story story will air on Friday, 9 August at 6.50pm on CBeebies.
How the CBeebies Bedtime Story has become a must-do on the A-list promo trail: A look at the stars using the platform to promote their latest material CBeebies Bedtime Story has seen a host of big stars take on the role in the hopes of getting the nation reading. But it appears there could be another reason A-listers are signing up, as many of them who appear on the children's channel are using the platform as a new way to promote their latest material. While celebs are out promoting their latest album, film or book, by doing podcasts and TV shows, CBeebies has become part of the promotion run.
Last month it was announced Billie Eilish is the latest A-list star to be reading the CBeebies Bedtime Story. The singer, 22, who recently released her third studio album, Hit Me Hard and Soft and has been promoting it since the start of the year, will read This Moose Belongs to Me by author and illustrator Oliver Jeffers at 6.50 pm on Friday.
CBeebies Bedtime Story has seen a host of big stars take on the role in the hopes of getting the nation reading (Billie Eilish pictured) It appears there could be another reason A-listers are signing up, as many of them who appear on the children's channel are using the platform as a new way to promote their latest material (Harry Styles pictured) Elsewhere, Harry Styles, 30, settled down to read his first children's book on the show in May 2022. The One Direction star's reading of In Every House, On Every Street fit perfectly with the title of his third studio album, Harry's House - which was released around the time of his appearance on the children's show. In its first two hours on Apple Music, the album earned the most first-day streams for a pop album released in 2022, the platform announced.
The former One Direction member beamed in a pair of brown pyjamas as he sat in a big yellow chair and said: 'Hello I'm Harry, welcome to my house. I love it here, I like to listen to music and read and hang out with my friends. 'Tonight's bedtime story is about a house full of love and laughter.
It's called In Every House, In Every Street and it's by Jess Hitchman with pictures by Lili La Baleine' Zayn Malik, 31, became the second member of One Direction to join the show. The singer recorded the bedtime story, Music is Everything, while promoting his country-inspired fourth solo album Room Under the Stair. He said he chose the book because he 'loves Bob Marley and because music and reading are both important to me as a parent.
' Malik shares daughter Khai with ex-partner, model Gigi Hadid, adding that he reads and sings to her at bedtime. Zayn Malik, 31, recorded the bedtime story, Music is Everything, while promoting his country-inspired fourth solo album Room Under the Stair At the time when David Schwimmer appeared on Bedtime Stories back in 2020, he was in the midst of promoting his upcoming Sky comedy Intelligence Kasabian frontman Sergio, 43, read on the children's programme in a Glastonbury Festival special last month. The singer had performed on the Woodsies stage at the legendary festival the previous weekend with bandmates Chris Edwards, Ian Matthews, and Tim Carter.
Paloma Faith, 42, who also appeared at this year's Glastonbury, read The Party Animals by Alex Willmore at 6.50pm. Meanwhile, Friends star David Schwimmer appeared on Bedtime Stories back in 2020 and read The Smeds and The Smoos.
At the time, David was in the midst of promoting his upcoming Sky comedy Intelligence, in which he plays a maverick, power-hungry NSA agent based in Cheltenham's version of MI6. Kate Winslet led a huge line up appearing of stars who appeared on the show in the run up to Christmas in 2022. The Titanic actress has received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, two Primetime Emmy Awards, five BAFTA Awards and five Golden Globe Awards.
However she still jumped at the chance to appear on Bedtime Stories. She read Grumpycorn, by Sarah McIntyre, telling the story of a unicorn who wants to write the most fabulous story in the world, but is stuck for ideas. One star who didn't appear to be appearing on the show for promotional purposes was Tom Hardy.
The Hollywood star has made multiple appearances on the children's broadcaster over the years and caused quite a stir when he made his debut back in 2016. Tom returned to screens to read I Am A Tiger by Karl Newson with illustrations by Ross Collins. CBeebies controller Kay Benbow told The Guardian: 'He and his agents approached us because he wanted to do it for his kids.
'I'm so grateful to him, because he raised the profile of Bedtime Stories and brought people to it who wouldn't necessarily think to look at CBeebies.' Kate Winslet led a huge line up appearing of stars who appeared on the show in the run up to Christmas in 2022 as she read Grumpycorn, by Sarah McIntyre Reese Witherspoon became the first Oscar-winning actress to feature on CBeebies Bedtime Stories in January 2022 'I'm here to read you a bedtime story about a little mouse who might not be a little mouse after all. It's called I Am A Tiger by Karl Newson with illustrations by Ross Collins.
' Mothers and fathers across the country were left delighted as Dolly Parton made an appearance on the popular BBC programme in 2017. Dressed in a vibrant yellow biker jacket, the country music star snuggled up in a comfy armchair to read Louise Yates's award-winning Dog Loves Books. Orlando Bloom sent fans into overdrive with his appearance on the show back in 2018 with some joking that they would be tuning in 'despite not having children' themselves.
The actor was seen sitting on an armchair with his legs apart and puppy Mighty sprawled out on his lap, and appeared to leave viewers a little hot under the collar while narrating the short story. Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl swapped the rock and roll guitars and screaming crowds for a quiet night in when he read the Bedtime Story back in 2021 . Reese Witherspoon became the first Oscar-winning actress to feature on CBeebies Bedtime Stories in January 2022 .
The actress provided a bedtime reading of Extraordinary by Penny Harrison as she read the heartfelt tale of how beautiful things can be discovered in seemingly ordinary moments. As she began the story, Reese read: 'Sometimes, when we're busy, it can be hard to find time to notice the world around us. The things we see every day can seem a bit.
.. ordinary.
But if you stop, and look closer, you'll see that our world is extraordinary!' Tom Hiddleston gave a heartwarming reading of a children's book as he sat among teddy characters from the book when he appeared on the show in 2021 Eddie Redmayne won praise after his Christmas Day appearance in 2017 as he was joined by Greg the dinosaur to sooth the nation off to sleep Tom Hiddleston gave a heartwarming reading of a children's book as he sat among teddy characters from the book when he appeared on the show in 2021. The Loki star read Supertato, a story by Sue Hendra and Paul Linnet, as he cosied up in a purple cable knit jumper. He concluded his reading: 'Wow that little pea caused a lot of mayhem.
But luckily, Supertato was there to save the day! Now it's time for you to go to sleep. Perhaps you'll dream of mischievous villains of brave superheroes. Goodnight little peas.
' Eddie Redmayne won praise after his Christmas Day appearance in 2017 as he was joined by Greg the dinosaur to sooth the nation off to sleep. The Oscar winning star, best known for acclaimed appearances in The Theory of Everything, The Danish Girl and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, delighted fans with a reading of If I Had A Dinosaur. Share or comment on this article: Meera Syal becomes the latest star to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story as she honours South Asian Heritage Month e-mail Add comment.
