Phoebe Bridgers, Arlo Parks read CBeebies bedtime stories from Glastonbury
Guy Garvey also recorded a story at Worthy Farm
By Joe Goggins
Phoebe Bridgers, Arlo Parks and Elbow frontman Guy Garvey are the latest musical heavyweights to read a CBeebies bedtime story, with all three taping one at Glastonbury.
The honour of bringing the curtain down on the day for the BBC’s flagship children’s channel is one of rare distinction, with previous A-list participants including Ed Sheeran, Tom Hardy, Dave Grohl, Dolly Parton, Harry Styles and Elton John, amongst myriad others.
Now, Bridgers and Parks have made their bedtime bows, whilst Garvey returns to read for the first time since he took on Ed Vere’s ‘Mr. Big’ nearly a decade ago, in 2013. “The first time I did a CBeebies bedtime story it was for the rest of the band’s kids, I didn’t have any of my own. Now I’ve got one and they’ve got more,” said the Elbow frontman, whose wife, the actress Rachael Stirling, gave birth to their son, Jack, in 2017.
“The book I’ve chosen is a favourite bought for me by my best friend Pete Jobson, who also has a couple of munchkins,” he continued; Jobson plays bass with fellow emotionally literate Mancunians I Am Kloot. “So this is a lovely way to do something for all of them and to be doing it at the best party in the world is a super bonus.” The story in question is ‘A Little Bit Brave’, written and illustrated by Nicola Kinnear.
Meanwhile, Bridgers read ‘The Spectacular Suit’, written by Kat Patrick and illustrated by Hayley Wells, and dressed for the occasion, as you can see above. Parks’ story, which like Bridgers’ and Garvey’s is viewable now on BBC iPlayer, was ‘Once Upon a Rhythm, written by James Carter and illustrated by Valerio Vidali. “It was an absolute pleasure to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story from Glastonbury and bring joy and dreams to young people – what a special moment!” she said of her appearance.
In other Bridgers at Glastonbury news, she made a guest turn with The Jesus and Mary Chain to perform ‘Just Like Honey’ on the John Peel stage, the same day (June 24) that she made an incendiary appearance of her own there, leading the packed tent in a chant of “fuck the supreme court.”