BBC Children In Need's Pudsey Bear captured with animation in story by McFly's Tom Fletcher

For the first time ever, BBC Children in Need icon Pudsey Bear will be brought to life in a magical and moving animation – Pudsey and the Thread of Hope.

The story, written by Tom Fletcher, follows Jai, a young boy navigating grief after the loss of his father, as he embarks on a journey of healing, hope and adventure with Pudsey. Along the way, Jai, voiced by 12-year-old Bradford actor Daya Singh Athwal, meets other children connected by a golden thread of kindness and empowerment, discovering the transformative power of friendship, courage and love.

This story highlights the power of having positive and trusted relationships in young people’s lives and the transformative impact these can have.

Holmfirth-born actress Jessica Gunning plays Jai’s mum, Lisa, in the animation. Why did you want to take on this role?

It’s such a heartwarming story and a lovely, interesting portrayal of grief and loss and two people who are just trying to carry on without their person. Jai has lost his dad, and Lisa has lost her husband, so I found it moving imagining someone struggling with the loss of a partner whilst also having to be strong and brave and parent a son who is also grieving as well.

Nikesh Patel, you play Ajay, Jai’s father. Why should people watch Pudsey and the Thread of Hope?

It’s such an important and universal message. We all need hope, and I think an animated story is such a powerful way to convey that message.

Tom, how did you prepare to write this story? What sort of research did you do?

I read about the different projects that BBC Children in Need supports and was surprised by the diversity of projects and the people they help; there are just so many. So the research part was quite overwhelming – I worried about how we tell any kind of story without feeling like some of the people and the amazing work were being left out. I came to the realisation pretty early on that I was going to have to do little vignettes of a few different stories and find a way to thread them all together. It led me onto the idea that hope is what unites us. I think what Pudsey really stands for is the idea of hope, and so that was the inspiration.

What do you think makes this animation so special?

This is the first time we see Pudsey come to life in an animation, and I feel like he’s been destined to be brought to life in this way – so that feels very special. When people see the way Pudsey looks, I’m sure they’re going to fall in love with him all over again.

It’s important to tell the stories of the children who represent the work that BBC Children in Need does, and it was emotional for me to write the story – I hope that comes across when people watch and that it gives them a real sense of the importance of BBC Children in Need. The animation is essentially a celebration of the amazing work that the charity is doing; they’ve been changing lives for so many years now and will continue to do so in the years to come.

Why do you think it’s important to tell a story like Jai’s? Why is it so important to write this story for children?

I've got three young boys, and we talk all the time about some really difficult subjects. Also through work I’ve done on my children’s books, I’ve realised that it’s important we talk openly about heavy and more challenging subjects. I’ve realised how well children can deal with those topics and are able to engage in great conversations about them. It’s ok to cry; it’s ok to feel these heavy emotions. We’re going to experience them, and the more open we can be, the better we will set them up to be able to deal with them in the future.

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Pudsey and the Thread of Hope will air on Christmas Eve on BBC One and BBC iPlayer and on December 27 on CBeebies and CBBC.