Tom Hardy returns to CBeebies Bedtime Stories for NHS special

By Hannah Roberts, PA Entertainment Reporter

British actor Tom Hardy is returning to CBeebies Bedtime Stories for a special episode marking 75 years of the NHS.

On Wednesday July 5th, the anniversary of the NHS, an episode will air of Hardy reading Zog And The Flying Doctors by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler.

CBeebies recorded six new stories with Hardy, who was filmed in his garden accompanied by his French bulldog Blue.

Zog And The Flying Doctors follows Princess Pearl, Sir Gadabout and their trusty “air ambulance” Zog the dragon as they fly around and tend to a sunburnt mermaid, a distressed unicorn and a sneezing lion.

Author and former children’s laureate Donaldson wrote the story as a sequel to her first Zog book, about an accident-prone dragon who is learning to breathe fire.

Donaldson has written many other children’s books including The Gruffalo, Room On The Broom and Tabby McTat.

Mad Max: Fury Road star Hardy first appeared on CBeebies Storytime on New Year’s Eve in 2016.

Save the date - 5th July!

Tom Hardy (and Blue) returns with a story to mark 75 years of the NHS. 💙#TomHardy #CBeebiesBedtimeStories #NHS75 pic.twitter.com/N5fsEmyMnb

— CBeebies Grown-Ups 🎉 (@CBeebiesHQ) June 29, 2023

According to the BBC, his appearances were streamed 2.32 million times on iPlayer, up until the end of May.

In 2021, Hardy read another book by Donaldson called The Christmas Pine, which aired on Christmas Day.

Other celebrities who have appeared on CBeebies Bedtime Stories include Melissa McCarthy, Chris Hemsworth, Steve Carell, Harry Styles, Ellie Goulding, Kate Winslet and Dolly Parton. The Princess of Wales has also taken part.

CBeebies Bedtime Stories airs on weekdays at 6.50pm on CBeebies and is available on BBC iPlayer.