Rob Burrow, who lives with motor neurone disease (MND), will be reading a CBeebies Bedtime Story on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
Burrow is one of the most successful players in rugby league history, making over 400 appearances for Leeds Rhinos and winning 8 Super League Championships.
He was diagnosed with MND in 2019, 2 years after he retired from the sport.
In order to read the story, he’ll be using ground-breaking technology, with an eye-controlled computer recreating the words into a version of his own voice – which will enable him to retain his Yorkshire accent.
“I used to love reading to my own children as part of their bedtime routine. I was so excited and honoured to be given the opportunity to read a CBeebies Bedtime Story,” he said.
“Reading and literacy are so important. It doesn’t matter what your disability is, reading is accessible to everyone. Anyone can enjoy reading and develop a love of books and bedtime stories, just like me and my family.”
The story is ‘Tilda Tries Again’ by Tom Percival about a young girl who finds that one day her world is turned topsy-turvy, nothing feels right and things that were once easy now seem incredibly challenging. The story explores how Tilda can discover a new way to approach her problems and believe in herself.
During the recording, Burrows was accompanied into the CBeebies studio by his wife Lindsey and two of their children, 7-year-old Maya and 3-year-old Jackson. The children “directed” him from the TV gallery, counting down and shouting ‘action’ when the cameras were rolling.
He will appear on CBeebies at 6.50pm on Saturday 3rd December.
