Meera Syal to read CBeebies bedtime story

Comedian, actress and writer Meera Syal is to read a CBeebies bedtime story to celebrate South Asian Heritage Month.

Wolverhampton-born Syal will read Amma's Sari by Sandhya Parappukaran, a story about connection with family and the celebration of cultural heritage, on CBeebies from 18:50 BST on Friday.

The story follows six-year-old Shreya, a second-generation migrant and her life at home and the outside world.

Syal joins other stars to have appeared on CBeebies reading the stories including Tom Hardy, Jack Black and Billie Eilish.

The 63-year-old was appointed a CBE in the 2015 New Year Honours for her services to drama and literature.

In 2023 she was awarded the Bafta Fellowship, the academy's highest accolade for a career on screen and marked her triumph by placing a bindi on her Bafta saying it "represented change".

South Asian Heritage Month runs from 18 July to 17 August and aims to celebrate the diverse heritage and cultures that link the UK with South Asia.

A digital library of more than 300 archived episodes of CBeebies bedtime stories is available on the BBC iPlayer CBeebies channel.