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Winters and Burnell named new Cbeebies presenters | Print |  Email to a friend
Wednesday, 21 January 2009
Children’s BBC has announced that former Liverpool student Alex Winters and Manchester acting graduate Cerrie Burnell are to be their new presenters.

They’ll appear on the channel as of Monday, with Discover and Do at 9am and then the Bedtime Hour.

They replace Chris Jarvis and Pui Fan Lee who are creating a new show.

Winters and Burnell named new Cbeebies presenters
Winters & Burnell
32-year-old Winters is an actor by training and studied drama and theatre studies with psychology in Liverpool. He then got supporting roles in Torchwood and Doctor Who.

"We've been doing rehearsals and recording for about two weeks now and it's been amazing fun,” said Winters.

"My daughter is a huge fan of the channel so it's a bit strange for me to now be introducing her favourite shows [...] I'm not sure how she'll react when she sees it's me on the telly though!"

29-year-old Burnell also has an acting background, studying in Manchester before moving to Brazil and then appearing an an extra in The Bill, Holby City and Eastenders.

"I'm really passionate about firing up kids' imaginations, so this is a dream job come true for me, especially as I also have a young daughter," added Burnell.

"I've never done tv presenting before so its been brilliant fun getting to ice cakes, get covered in glitter and read bedtime stories. I can hardly believe we're about to broadcast right across the nation!"

 

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  Comments (26)
RSS comments
 1 By Mum of 2, on 28-01-2009 20:08
I am very disappointed with the BBC's choice of presenters. Their grammar is horrible and it is a poor example for my two young children. Their accents are not easy to listen to either. I am shocked that I have to pay for such "role models." The bedtime hour is no longer an enjoyable hour, but one during which I turn off the TV each time the presenters come on. ugh.
 2 By Dad, on 29-01-2009 09:10
Well said, mum of 2. But what can you expect of such a dumbed-down body as the BBC? At least their salaries are a bit more realistic than some of the megastars.
 3 By manic mum, on 29-01-2009 11:32
Your children use tv presenters as role models? Quite a sad thought. If you struggle with listening to different accents I suggest you dont travel more than 10 miles down your local motorway...
 4 By Julie. mum to ruby, on 30-01-2009 09:54
Really loved the presenters Chris and Pui and was disappointed that they had left because I thought they had a real connection and worked very well together. That said I cannot believe people can be so negative towards the new presenters.. give them a chance. I think they are really nice.
 5 By Steve, on 30-01-2009 12:16
I have to agree with some of the negative responses. They are a rather wooden and a little bit patronising. Having said that, they are new to to role, so given time, they should get better.
 6 By Kim, on 30-01-2009 13:40
mum of 2, I feel very disappointed in your reactions regarding accents. We live in a multicultural society and accents and dialect are all part of that. YOU are your child's role model. Television is television and not, and should never be seen as a baby sitter or child minder. Feel free to talk and read to your kids rolling marbles in your mouth if you choose but I enjoy the real world, one full of diversity!
 7 By MUM OF 3, on 30-01-2009 13:52
missing chris already, new presenters always take time to get used to should of slipped them in gradually, like have them working with Pui, and CHRIS then it wouldnt of been such a shock for the little ones which being a childrens program for the children knowing how big changes can upset them, im sorry bbc, cbeebies youve failed the children!
 8 By Jonesy, on 30-01-2009 14:19
Mum of 3 - Whatever you do please don't teach your children grammar / spelling!
 9 By Angie, mum of two, on 30-01-2009 17:33
I'm glad to see this site is turning into Mumsnet! Soon they'll all be tearing each other's hair out. Duck!
 10 By Mum of one, on 02-02-2009 19:11
LMAO Jonesy!!  
 
Meh, my toddler doesn't watch it for the presenters, although I must say I'm looking forward to a show with Pui and Chris (my child couldn't care less lol).
 11 By Momus, on 02-02-2009 21:49
'Mum of 2': as an experienced English teacher, might I ask you what exactly it is about the presenters' grammar that you find so objectionable?
 12 By mom of four, on 03-02-2009 19:06
I think the new presenters are doing a good job,surely if they are as bad as some of you believe you can just turn off.
 13 By di mum of 2, on 03-02-2009 20:55
i dont like the new cbeebies presenters at all,its embarrassing watching them.
 14 By Tom, on 04-02-2009 02:44
The new presenters are superb. I think we've worked out how silly some of the eariler comments were.  
 
I agree you are your children's role models, not someone with a mild accent who introduces T.V programs.  
 
Perhaps we should hold our judgements untill we have seen them for more than 2 weeks?
 15 By Michelle - mum of 3yr old, on 08-02-2009 12:03
Well I think they are great - and coming from Manchester myself - loving the accents!!!! Now we need the BBC to put some new programs on. And if that means that experienced presenters such as Chris and Pui have to work on new shows instead of introducing programs - is it really a problem.....
 16 By Saddened Dad, on 09-02-2009 13:16
They are dull , weak, and insipid. Character role models, never. Poor grammar , poor diction and weak souls. Fools the BBC are, hamstrung by policy and paranoia. I won't indulge them further by watching. Shame as they are the only alternative to other nonsense that is tantamount to treason in the way it brainwashes our children to be moronic, violent, rude consumers of rubbish. 
Make your own tv via re-runs on youtube and DVD's and cut out the propaganda.
 17 By Dad of two, on 10-02-2009 09:33
They are pretty boring and wooden, but hopefully that will improve in time.
 18 By bbcTAXpayer, on 13-02-2009 11:01
I think all these coments saying give them time are missing the point. We should expect more from the bbc to get it right from the start. In the intro of this page it says they had 2 weeks of rehearsals, so perhaps this is the best of what we can expect from them. Why should we be subjected to poor wooden presenting. Chris and Pui had so much warmth and where natural compared to Cerrie and Alex. We are all paying for this service so we should expect more, n not cut price presenting. I also don't appreciate the token disabled presenter, just for the sake of the bbc geeting PC browny points. Is this really the best the bbc can find.
 19 By Dad of 2, on 18-02-2009 13:21
I thought it was quite refreshing to see a disabled (whats the PC word these days) person as a presenter, it was a little to get used to explain to my daughter but she is fine, so more power to diversity I say.
 20 By Mum of 2, on 19-02-2009 14:33
Not impressed with new presenters with their wooden, vacant expressions, have given them a few weeks but alas i still cant see them getting much better. Bring back Chris and Pui we miss you.
 21 By debs, emilys mum, on 24-02-2009 11:39
I have just seen the papers today saying that people have been complaining about the new presenter as she is missing her lower arm and that this is making peoples children feel scared. OMG, how sad is this, we should be teaching our children to be understanding and excepting of all people and lets face it, there are saddly many things in this life that are worth being scared about, but a lady with a missing arm, not really scary is it! 
My daughter and i only watch cbeebies now and then and i am sure that who ever the new presenters were that people would not be happy as chris and pui left BIG shoes to fill. But i do feel that the bbc do a good job with cbeebies, the programes are of a good quality as are the links between them, they are educatrional and fun and children love them! that is after all who these programes and presenters are aimed at, not us!
 22 By KAREN MOTHER OF 2 YEAR OLD, on 24-02-2009 13:23
I think the children are frightened because the presenter concerned is obviously different. If they were told why it might help......they would accept it a lot easier. I personnelly find the girl very false and her presesting very wooded...but maybe in a few months she;ll grow on me.....my son always asks whats wrong with that ladys arm when he sees her...i try to explain to him .....that she is different from him because thats the way God made her......what more can you say if you dont know!!!!!!!!
 23 By motherfaker, on 24-02-2009 13:47
I used to be a child and I watch TV so I am doubly qualified to comment on this matter. 
 
Being a children's TV presenter is the pinacle of any presenters career and I would expect nothing short of Kate Winslet in this role. 
 
What are the BBC thinking employing relatively unknown people to these top jobs? Why oh, why oh why...
 24 By tamzin allan, on 03-03-2009 13:52
I think the presenters are so much better than Pui and Chris. Has anybody her Pui sing she sounded like a cat being strangled she was rubbish. I love Andy he is great and people should leave Cerrie alone its good that we are seeing disablity on TV its about time go Cerrie xxx
 25 By Rory's Mum, on 08-03-2009 17:27
I'm afraid I absolutely have to agree with the majority here. Alex and Cerrie are pretty dire -especially since they're supposed to have acting qualifications and experience. However, I think all the silly stuff about people's kids being traumatised by Cerrie's lack of arm is a bit pathetic. Surely people should use this as a way to educate their children. It would seem that some of us only like to educate our kids to be as narrow minded as our parent's generation. We should all give them a few more weeks before we pass final judgement. Perhaps they just need time to work on what's really missing from our screens when they're on TV -not an arm, but the necessary charisma.
 26 By Douglas, on 26-03-2009 11:56
Anyone here who suggests it's fine to stick such talentless, uninteresting nonsense on television, clearly owns more than enough money to pay for everyone here's T.V. license. I'm NOT paying tax to a Government to provide a ridiculous selection of garbel to my kids. If I wanted them to learn from two people so wooden as the new presenters placed on Cbeebies, I'd have them read their spellings off a poster. This is ridiculous. I agree with Rory's Mum, it's harsh to use the disability as a way of suggesting the presenter scares children but at the end of the day, it's their lack of connection with my kids that bothers me. Never have I seen them so bored.

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