02/03/2026
Pupils at Roundwood Primary were treated to a World Book Week assembly like no other this year, after Mrs Hooft reached out to national celebrities — and they responded in spectacular fashion.
Determined to make reading truly memorable, Mrs Hooft personally contacted well-known faces from television, sport and broadcasting, inviting them to share a special video message with the children. The result? A surprise line-up of stars appearing on the big screen in the school hall, each celebrating the joy and importance of reading.
Among those sending personalised messages were Hacker T Dog from CBBC, BBC news presenter Maryam Moshiri, Olympian Greg Cackett, George Webster from CBeebies, and broadcaster Nicki Chapman, to name just a few.
In their videos, recorded in between presenting live news bulletins, filming, broadcasting and even training and competing at the Winter Olympics, the celebrities shared their favourite childhood books, spoke passionately about why reading matters, and encouraged pupils to keep turning the pages. Some even joined in the fun by wondering aloud what costume they might wear if they were celebrating World Book Day alongside the children.
The assembly hall was filled with excitement as each surprise video played, with pupils delighted to see familiar faces speaking directly to them about books, imagination and ambition.
Today we share the videos of Abby Cook, Blue peter presenter and Dodge The Dog from CBeebies.
