The Magic Faraway Tree star Claire Foy to read CBeebies Bedtime Story

The Magic Faraway Tree actress Claire Foy is to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story.

The 41-year-old will read Stop! That’s Not My Story!, which offers a new twist on traditional fairy tales and is written by Smriti Halls and illustrated by Erika Meza.

Foy said: “I think it is really important to introduce storytelling, whether that’s in books or audiobooks, to children as early as humanly possible. I think it creates a world of curiosity and imagination that is really important to encourage.

“Books and stories offer you the opportunity as a child to imagine yourself somewhere other than where you are.

“Whatever your upbringing or wherever you are it is really important to have a different perspective and see the world in a different way and books and storytelling allow children to do that. Then hopefully they will grow up to be very curious and interested adults.”

It comes as part of the BBC’s Once Upon A Time campaign to encourage more people to take up reading, a year-long celebration of content inspired by the British Library’s Fairy Tales exhibition and the National Year of Reading.

The CBeebies Bedtime Stories yellow chair will go on display at the London library as part of the exhibition.

Foy’s CBeebies Bedtime Story will air on CBeebies at 6.50pm on Friday March 27 and will be available afterwards on BBC iPlayer.

The actress is the latest in a long line of musical stars to read the children’s channel’s bedtime story, including Sir Elton John, Harry Styles, Kylie Minogue, Billie Eilish, Jessie J, and The Last Dinner Party frontwoman Abigail Morris.

Foy is best known for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in the Netflix drama series The Crown, and has also appeared in films such as First Man (2018), Women Talking (2023) and All Of Us Strangers (2024).