England cricketers become first LGBT couple to read CBeebies bedtime story

June 06, 2023
[caption id="attachment_98" align="alignnone" width="976"]Katherine and Nat Sciver-Brunt said they were delighted to take part during Pride month Katherine and Nat Sciver-Brunt said they were delighted to take part during Pride month. Photo: BBC[/caption] As part of Pride Month, English cricketers Nat and Katherine Sciver-Brunt will make history as the first LGBT couple to appear on CBeebies Bedtime Stories. The newlyweds will read Emily Coxhead's novel Find Your Happy, which is about a sloth who must learn to manage their emotions. Abtaha Maqsood, the first cricket player in Britain to wear a hijab, will read a short narrative to commemorate South Asian Heritage Month in July. The Trent Bridge Cricket Ground is where the stories are being filmed. Both Sciver-Brunts, who will read two short pieces, have won the women's cricketer of the year award and have represented England. In September 2022, Nat led England as captain, but she later withdrew "to focus on her mental health and well-being."
"It's really important to know that it is okay to feel different things or not fit in and to know that you will find your comfort zone," she said.
Katherine, who announced her retirement from Test cricket in June last year, added they were delighted to be part of it "especially as a couple and representing the cricket family". Maqsood will read Not Now, Noor! by Farhana Islam and Nabila Adani, which addresses Noor's interest in the reason why the ladies in her family wear headscarves. Maqsood plays for teams like Scotland. Although she is best renowned for her bowling prowess, she also holds a black belt in taekwondo, served as Scotland's flag bearer at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and played for Scotland in the 2017 Women's World Cup qualification.
"I absolutely loved reading a CBeebies Bedtime Story, it's like nothing I've ever done before," she said, adding that the stories she reads "are a great reminder that you can be whoever you want to be, no matter who you are, what religion you follow or what you choose to wear".
The three women join the list of athletes reading bedtime stories, which also includes Rob Burrow, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Anthony Joshua, Harry Kane, and Leah Williamson. Rose Ayling Ellis, Tom Hardy, Dolly Parton, Harry Styles, and Kate Winslet are among the celebrities who have appeared on the show. The Sciver-Brunts' story is broadcast on Friday 9 June and Abtaha's can be seen on Friday 14 July, at 18:50 BST and on BBC iPlayer.  Source: Emma Petrie (BBC News)