As Sooty heads into his 75th (yes, 75th!) birthday year, the nation’s favourite magic yellow bear is teaming up with Childline, the children’s counselling service run by the NSPCC, for the release of his very own charity Christmas single.
A modern re-working of the timeless Christmas classic ‘The Most Magical Time Of The Year’, Sooty’s first ever Christmas single is out now. It will be available for download (£4) at magicaltime.co.uk, and available to stream on all popular music platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, with all download and streaming proceeds being donated to Childline.
No Christmas single would be complete without a suitably festive music video, and Sooty has pulled out all of the stops to create a simply magical video this Christmas, full of heart-warming cheer for all the family, set against a snowy forest backdrop and an enchanting Christmas funfair. Watch the video HERE!
In conjunction with the single release, this Christmas also sees the first time the public has ever seen a ‘virtual’ Sooty, with the launch of a brand-new digital ‘winter village’ for children to enjoy online as part of the new ‘Sooty’s World’ online environment. More info further into this press release.
Celebrating his 75th birthday in 2023, the much-loved Sooty is the longest running children’s television show in the world. Along with Sweep & Soo, the iconic characters continue to delight generations of families across the world. With The Sooty Show continuing to air on ITV, theatre tours running up and down the country, 2022 also saw the opening of Sooty Land at Crealy Theme Park & Resort in Devon – a theme park devoted entirely to Sooty!
Put together by an experienced team headed by Nick Trevisick, an award-winning veteran of music production, Sooty wants to take ‘The Most Magical Time Of The Year’ all the way to the top of the charts as this year’s Christmas number 1, all the while raising plenty of funds for the vital, important work that Childline does for children and young people across the country.
Over the last year Childline has heard from thousands of children who are experiencing abuse and neglect, battling mental health problems, or are trying to comprehend the multitide of challenging things going on in the world at the moment. This Christmas the service’s dedicated volunteer counsellors will provide an essential role helping children and young people who may have nowhere else to turn.
On announcement of the Christmas single, Sooty & Sweep paid a visit to Childline’s founder Dame Esther Rantzen, to tell her all about it. Watch video HERE.
Dame Esther Rantzen, founder of Childline, said: “There are so many children for whom Christmas is not a joyful time of year, but a time when they are trapped in homes that are unsafe and they feel scared, isolated and alone.
“That’s why Childline will be open 24 hours a day, all over the festive period, to give children the help and support they need. And by buying Sooty’s first-ever Christmas single the public will help us continue to be here for all children this Christmas, and the next. We are incredibly grateful to Sooty and his crew for their wonderful support.”
Richard Cadell, presenter & owner of The Sooty Show, said: “Sooty has been bringing magic into children’s lives for over seven decades. As Sooty’s owner and presenter of over 20 years, I have never been more proud of the little bear and this Christmas campaign. Not only does it bring everyone some Christmas cheer, but it will also make a huge difference to so many. Childline is an incredible organisation. The money raised will enable them to give life-changing help to even more children. I am thrilled Sooty can help them do this.”
Sweep said: “Squeak, squeak squeak, squeak squeak squeakk!”
Sooty was, as ever, unable to comment.
