‘It made me feel different’: Ed Sheeran admits he thought his childhood stutter would NEVER stop as he reads on CBeebies Bedtime Stories
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Ed Sheeran has swapped his guitar for books to become the latest celebrity to read aloud to the nation on CBeebies Bedtime Stories.
In first look footage from the Shape Of You hitmaker’s upcoming episode, Ed, 30, reflects on suffering with a speech impediment as a child and admits he thought it would ‘never’ stop.
‘I couldn’t get the words out and I used to worry that I’d never be able to speak without stuttering… It made me feel different,’ he says.
Brave: Ed Sheeran becomes the latest celebrity to join CBeebies Bedtime Stories and reflects on his childhood stutter that he thought would ‘never’ stop in first look footage
Ed, whose CBeebies Bedtime Stories episode will air on November 5, reads from I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith.
The book is a moving story about a boy with a stutter, whose father helps him by explaining that the flow of his words is like a river.
Talking directly to children at home as he looks earnestly down the camera, Ed says: ‘When I was little I had a stutter which means when I spoke sometimes the words got a bit stuck on the way out.
‘It made me feel different because, you know, I’d be in school and the teacher would ask a question that I would know the answer to and I’d put my hand in the air and then when it came to my turn to answer I couldn’t get the words out.
Journey: The pop star hopes to inspire children at home who stutter as he tells them of how he overcame his speech impediment to perform to massive audiences
He continues: ‘I used to worry that I’d never be able to speak without stuttering. But now I sing and I talk to people all the time. Sometimes to lots of people.’
Ed follows in the footsteps of many other notable musicians who have appeared on CBeebies Bedtime Stories including Dave Grohl, Dolly Parton, Bjorn Ulvaeus, Rag’n’Bone Man, Sir Elton John, George Ezra, Alesha Dixon, Robbie Williams, Mark Ronson and Will Young.
The singer said of his involvement in the programme: ‘Growing up, I had a stutter like the boy in I Talk Like a River,
‘I’m delighted to be reading this story for CBeebies Bedtime Stories, especially as I’m a new dad myself. I hope the story helps inspire and support other children who stutter.’
The singer said of his involvement in the programme: ‘I’m delighted to be reading this story for CBeebies Bedtime Stories, especially as I’m a new dad myself
Ed welcomed his first child, a daughter called Lyra who is now 14 months, with his wife Cherry Seaborn, 29, in September last year.
The singer recently revealed that Lyra was born to the soundtrack of James Blunt’s Back To Bedlam album.
The father-of-one confirmed he and his spouse share a special bond with the You’re Beautiful hitmaker, 47, and his wife Sofia Wellesley, after knowing them for years.
‘I hope the story helps inspire and support other children who stutter’: The singer is sharing his personal story in a bid to give comfort to kids across the UK
And Ed – with the permission of his other half – shared the touching story of how they played James’ 2004 album in the delivery room as they awaited the arrival of their first child in September.
While co-hosting BBC Radio 2 in June with Jo Whiley, Ed shared: ‘I actually asked Cherry if it was OK to talk about because it’s such a personal moment. You said what was on the playlist for Lyra’s birth.
‘We both were big fans of James growing up and I’ve been friends with him for a few years. He came on tour with us and Cherry got really close with his wife and we are now very good family friends.
‘And we find it quite weird because we love his music so much. We put on Back to Bedlam in the delivery room and the album finished as Lyra was being delivered.’
Another song that is close to the Grammy-winner’s heart is James’ 2019 ballad, The Greatest, which is dedicated to his two sons, the eldest of whom Ed is godfather to.
CBeebies Bedtime Stories in on each weekday at 6.50pm on the CBeebies channel and is also available on BBC iPlayer. Ed Sheeran’s CBeebies Bedtime Story will air on Friday 5th November
New dad: Ed welcomed his first child, a daughter called Lyra who is now 14 months, with his wife Cherry Seaborn, 29, in September last year
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