Reese Witherspoon is the latest celebrity (and first Oscar-winner) to read a bedtime story to British kindergarteners. On January 28, Witherspoon read the kid’s book Extraordinary by Penny Harrison on the British show Bedtime Stories, which airs on BBC children’s channel CBeebies. The esteemed list of past readers includes Ryan Reynolds, Chris Evans, Felicity Jones, David Schwimmer, Alesha Dixon, Elton John, and Dolly Parton, to name a few, highlighting how the kid’s show has become “TV’s hottest gig”—and why parents love it, too. While the show taps the always-relevant celebrity endorsement to pull in viewers, it’s also an example of the growing roster of calming, mental health-boosting kid’s programming. In our WE Mental Health research, YPulse data found that 47% of Millennial parents say their child’s mental health has been impacted by COVID-19 and 33% are interested in TV shows or videos to help their kids to deal with anxiety and stress. (Variety)
