Happy Valley star James Norton to read CBeebies Bedtime Story on diabetes
He may have been the bad guy in the eyes of the nation during his award-winning stint in Happy Valley, but actor James Norton will show his softer side on TV this week.
Norton, who was incredible as the dastardly Tommy Lee Royce in the smash hit show written and directed by Sally Wainwright, will be reading a CBeebies Bedtime Story to help young children understand diabetes and how it can be managed.
The actor, who has type one diabetes, will read ‘How to Manage a Mammoth’ written by Dr Rose Stewart and illustrated by Richard Dwyer.
The book was created in collaboration with NHS Wales and was published by Cambridge University Press, and was written to help families understand how they feel about living with diabetes.
It encourages children to think of diabetes as an animal, which won’t go away but they can learn to accept and manage.
The story features eight-year-old Jake, who is learning to live with his diabetes, and turns his condition into a mammoth called Mel. Jake and his mother work out how to shrinkMel to a manageable size.
Norton, who was diagnosed with the condition at the age of 22, says: “My diabetes animal is a big shaggy dog called Bruce. When I first got Bruce, he was a puppy. He was difficult to control because he was always overexcited. Now, he's a bit older and calmer.
"He still gets scared when someone's at the door or he’s hungry. And then he barks very loudly. Or when he gets excited, he still runs around and knocks things over. But generally he strolls along by my side. Bruce is my pal. I'm pleased to say that today Bruce is under control and very calm, which makes me feel very happy and relaxed.”
James Norton’s CBeebies Bedtime Story will air on CBeebies at 6.50pm on Friday (Jun 14).