Strictly winner Rose Ayling-Ellis to sign first-ever CBeebies bedtime story

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