4 hours Ago By Evening Standard
head judge has been confirmed to read a Bedtime Story ahead of the BBC One show’s grand final this weekend. Filmed at Elstree Studios, the home of Strictly’s ballroom, Ballas, 64, will read Big Dance by Aoife Greenham about a girl called Pippa, who is encouraged to dance after watching her friends express themselves through movement. Ballas said: “I hope I can help children watching at home to find the special dance inside themselves.
“I’m delighted to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story. When I was preparing for it, I practised by reading Big Dance over video call to my one-year-old grandson, Banksi, and it was fabulous to see his delighted reaction.” The Strictly final is taking place this Saturday and will see the final four contestants perform three dances in a bid to impress both the judges and voters at home, who will ultimately decide who is awarded the glitterball trophy.
This year the finalists are comedian Chris McCausland, Love Island star Tasha Ghouri, Miranda actress Sarah Hadland and JLS singer JB Gill. McCausland, who is the BBC dance competition’s first blind contestant, is currently being touted as the bookies favourite to lift the Glitterball trophy with professional partner Dianne Buswell. Next week, CBeebies is set to reveal a line-up of stars who will read stories over the Christmas and the new year period.
Among the big names who have previously read stories on the programme are actors Olivia Colman, Tom Hardy, the Princess of Wales, Kate Winslet and Jack Black, as well as singers Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Dolly Parton, Sir Elton John and Abba’s Bjorn Ulvaeus. Ballas’s CBeebies Bedtime Story airs on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer on Friday December 13 at 6.50pm.
The Strictly Come Dancing grand final airs on BBC One and BBC iPlayer on Saturday December 14 from 6pm..
