Alex Winters
and
Cerrie Burnell
are today named as
CBeebies
' two new presenters.
Stepping in as hosts of
Discover And Do
and
The Bedtime Hour
, Alex and Cerrie join
Sid Sloane
and
Andy Day
as the faces of the UK's most loved and most watched
channel for the under-sixes.
Their first day will be next Monday (26
January 2009) when they launch their first Discover And Do slot at 9.00am.
Alex and Cerrie replace
Chris Jarvis
and
Pui Fan Lee
who are currently
creating their new CBeebies show,
Show Me Show Me
, which will premiere
later in the year.
Thirty-two-year-old Alex Winters hails from South Wales. An actor by training,
he studied Drama and Theatre Studies with Psychology in Liverpool
before working on a range of theatre projects and as a supporting
artist in the hit, locally filmed, programmes Torchwood and Doctor Who.
He also works as a picture framer, so should be a dab hand at all the
"make and do's" the CBeebies' team can throw at him.
Alex said: "We've been doing rehearsals and recording for about two
weeks now and it's been amazing fun. My daughter is a huge fan of the
channel so it's a bit strange for me to now be introducing her
favourite shows and working alongside the likes of Sid and Andy. It's
an absolute treat. I'm not sure how she'll react when she sees it's
me on the telly though!"
Hackney-based, 29-year-old Cerrie Burnell also has a theatrical background.
She studied Acting in Manchester before continuing her training in
Brazil with the CTORio Political Theatre Company and then going on to
appear in the likes of Holby City, EastEnders, The Bill and Comedy
Lab. She has combined her acting career with writing her own play and
working as a teaching assistant in a special needs school.
Cerrie said: "I'm really passionate about firing up kids' imaginations, so this is
a dream job come true for me, especially as I also have a young
daughter. I've never done tv presenting before so its been brilliant
fun getting to ice cakes, get covered in glitter and read bedtime
stories. I can hardly believe we're about to broadcast right across
the nation!"
Tim Lowe
, Editor of CBeebies Presentation, said: "Alex and Cerrie were
an absolute delight to audition. Both of them threw themselves into
every activity we asked of them from doing the birthday cards to
dressing in large bizarre tomato and carrot costumes!
"They both have
fun, upbeat, breezy personalities and a genuine warmth which comes
through the screen. I'm sure they'll be a hit with viewers and their
parents. Certainly our early recording sessions have been going well
with both of them fearless in the face of every activity we present
them, no matter how messy."
Michael Carrington
, Controller of CBeebies, said: "I'm delighted to
welcome two such talented, personable and fresh-faced presenters to
the CBeebies family. We know how much parents and children alike take
our presenters to their heart so choosing the right people was hugely
important to me. I believe Alex and Cerrie, along with Sid and Andy,
will continue to play a huge part in little children's lives."
Alex and Cerrie have also recorded a special introduction message for
parents, who can see it from Monday 26 January by logging onto the
Grown Ups section of the CBeebies website at
bbc.co.uk/cbeebies/grownups.
FW