Ed Sheeran will be on CBeebies reading Bedtime Stories about a topic close to his heart

Ed Sheeran will be on CBeebies reading Bedtime Stories about a topic close to his heart.

Ed Sheeran will swap his guitar for a reading book when he appears on CBeebies to read Bedtime Stories all about stuttering.

The Shape of You hitmaker will be adding another talent to his singer-songwriter belt telling s story about a boy who has a stutter, whilst opening up on how he overcame his stutter as a child.

The collaboration makes Ed the latest celebrity to sign up for the BBC programme and will see him follow in the footsteps of hunks Bridgerton’s Regé-Jean Page and Tom Hardy.

Ed, who is dad to daughter Lyra, one, with wife Cherry Seaborn, will read I Talk Like a River by Jordan Scott and Sydney Smith.

The book tells the story of a boy whose father helps him by explaining that the flow of his words is like a river.

Speaking about his latest venture, Ed said he was "delighted" to read the tale and added, "I hope the story helps inspire and support other children who stutter."

He said, "Growing up, I had a stutter like the boy in I Talk Like a River, so I'm delighted to be reading this story for CBeebies Bedtime Stories, especially as I'm a new dad myself."

Earlier this year Ed chatted candidly to Prince Harry about parenthood.

When is Ed Sheeran on CBeebies Bedtime Stories?

Ed Sheeran will be on CBeebies Bedtime Stories on Friday 5th November, following the release of his new album = (Equals) which is released on 29th October.

The record, which follows his previous albums + (Plus), x (Multiply) and ÷ (Divide), will include Shivers and Bad Habits, both of which reached number one in the UK singles chart earlier this year.

You can see a clip of his appearance below in which Ed tells his young viewers, "Hello I'm Ed. When I was little, I had a stutter. and that means when I spoke, sometimes the words got a bit stuck on the way out.

"And it made me feel different, you know, because 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. And I used to worry that I'd never be able to speak without stuttering.

Ed added, "But now I sing and I talk to people all the time. Sometimes to LOTS of people! Perhaps you have a stutter too? Or know someone who does?"

Ed previously revealed that learning to rap like Eminem actually helped him get rid of his childhood stutter.

According to NME, he told a New York fundraiser for the American Institute Of Stuttering in 2015, "My Uncle Jim told my dad that Eminem was the next Bob Dylan - it's pretty similar, it's all just storytelling - so my dad bought me The Marshall Mathers LP when I was nine years old, not knowing what was on it.

"I learned every word of it, back to front, by the time I was 10. He raps very fast and melodically and percussively, and it helped me get rid of the stutter."

And fans are delighted with his upcoming appearance.

One fan wrote, 'Ah I didn’t know this. So great to share and help children to feel more comfortable and confident in who they are.'

Another fan added, 'Omg this is brilliant. growing up I had a stutter and I remember feeling so excluded from the world especially at school. Fast forward many years there are days I still fight it but it no longer controls me #InternationalStutteringAwarenessDay'

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwoJkxtmCjw

Among the other celebrities to take part in previous Bedtime Stories are Dolly Parton, Chris Evans, Orlando Bloom, Ryan Reynolds, David Hasselhoff, Joe Wicks, Ewan McGregor, and Jodie Whittaker.

How to Watch Bedtime Stories

CBeebies Bedtime Stories are broadcast weekdays at 6.50pm on the CBeebies channel and are also available on BBC iPlayer.