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Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis to sign first-ever CBeebies bedtime story
She will be the first celebrity to sign a story in British Sign Language (BSL) as part of ‘Deaf Awareness Week’.
For the first time ever, a children's story is going to be read by a celebrity using sign language on the BBC children's channel CBeebies.
The actress Rose Ayling-Ellis, who won a BAFTA for a Strictly Come Dancing Performance showing viewers what it is like to dance when you cannot hear the music, will become the first celebrity to sign a bedtime story on the channel.
The reading will take place as part of Deaf Awareness Week 2022 (2-8 May), reports The Manc.
The BBC has revealed this week that Rose will tell the story of a young bear and his dad on their journey into the discovery and management of deafness.
Rose will sign the story, Can Bears Ski?, in British Sign Language (BSL).
Written by Raymond Antrobus and illustrated by Polly Dunbar, the heartwarming children’s story is said to draw on the author’s own experience.
The story aims to show how isolating it can be for a deaf child in a hearing world.
Speaking ahead of the groundbreaking show this Sunday, Rose said: “I am super excited to read my first CBeebies Bedtime Story in British Sign Language and it’s even more wonderful to share a story written by a deaf writer.
“I hope deaf children enjoy the story and it inspires hearing children to want to learn BSL more.”
This is the first ever BSL-signed CBeebies story, with Rose – who has been deaf since birth – only speaking to introduce the story and afterwards to say goodnight.
The story will also be subtitled throughout.
As mentioned, Rose’s CBeebies Bedtime Story will air on Sunday 8 May at 6.50pm, and later on BBC iPlayer, to mark the end of Deaf Awareness Week 2022, and this is the first of two stories she has recorded for CBeebies.
Featured Image – CBeebies
News
Kevin Sinfield will return to Leeds for his final 7 in 7 challenge in honour of Rob Burrow
Clementine Hall
Leeds legend Kevin Sinfield is set to take on his seventh and final 7 in 7 challenge this month.
The former Leeds Rhinos captain will begin 7 in 7: The Grand Finale next Sunday 27 September.
Wondering what on earth that is? Allow us to fill you in.
Sinfield will be running an ultra-marathon every day for seven days, and this time it's across the north of England including a special stop off right here in Leeds.
Not only that, but the challenge will bring Sinfield back to some of the places that have played a huge part in his rugby league career.
The route will visit all 12 English Betfred Super League grounds, starting at Hull KR before travelling through Yorkshire and eventually crossing the Pennines towards Manchester where Sinfield is from.
Here in Leeds, we can expect Sinfield to arrive at Headingley Stadium on Wednesday 30 September at 11:14am, before leaving towards Pudsey Civic Hall at 11:40am.
The challenge will then finish at Old Trafford on Saturday 3 October, where Sinfield will arrive ahead of the Super League Grand Final.
Since the first annual challenge back in 2020, Kevin Sinfield and his team have raised over £11 million for the MND community with six charities set to benefit once again from this years fundraising.
It's an amazing challenge for an amazing cause, and you can donate and find out more about the challenge here.
Good luck Kevin and the team, we know you'll smash it.
Read more from The Hoot Leeds:
Featured image - Wikimedia Commons
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Channel 4 needs people from Yorkshire who think they can survive the apocalypse for a new TV series
Lydia Mastrolonardo
Have you always wondered how long you’d last in an apocalypse?
Well now's your chance, as Apocalypse is potentially coming back to Channel 4 for a second series, with producers having put out a nationwide casting call for contestants willing to take part.
The casting call simply reads: "Do you think you have what it takes to survive the end of the world?"
Described as a dystopian series designed to test the creativity, resourcefulness, and resilience of our nation, Apocalypse sees players are pushed out of their comfort zones and put to the ultimate test.
In the series, ordinary people are tasked with surviving for 28 days in an abandoned city - used previously only for the military to practice urban warfare - with no food, running water, electricity or heat.
Produced by The Garden - which is part of ITV Studios - for Channel 4, the show’s creators are now calling on people from Yorkshire with the 'courage and ingenuity' to compete, to get in touch and apply for the potential second series.
Does your mate always bang on after watching a post-apocalyptic film that they would’ve done things differently? Or is the news at the moment freaking you out and you want to give the end of the world a bit of a practice run? Either way, sign up, test that plan you’ve built in your head, and see if you’ve really got what it takes.
Applications are now open, and all you need to do is fill in a short application form and one of the production team will get back to you if they would like to proceed. Come on, let's prove what we're made of.
Applications close on Sunday 4 October 2026 at midnight, and you must be 18 or above, with a valid UK or ROI passport, to enter.
Find out more and apply here.
Featured Image - Matthew Salacuse / Channel 4
Georgina Pellant -
6th May 2022 
