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George Webster (presenter)

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George Webster
Webster in 2021
Born
Rawdon, West Yorkshire
Occupations
  • Broadcaster
  • actor
Known forCBeebies

George Webster is a British television presenter from Rawdon, West Yorkshire. He was discovered by a Sky UK television crew while volunteering at his local Parkrun, who released a film about his running in 2019. This film prompted Mencap to refer him to a filmmaker who was making S.A.M., a short film that was broadcast online in October 2020. After being scouted by the BBC, Webster recorded a video for BBC Bitesize, and began presenting for CBeebies, for which he won Best Presenter at the British Academy Children's Awards. He has also appeared in The Railway Children Return, Casualty, World on Fire, and the 2022 Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, and published two books, This Is Me and Why Not?.

Early life

Webster was born in Rawdon in West Yorkshire. He was born with Down syndrome,[1] a condition caused by an extra copy of Chromosome 21.[2] Growing up, he struggled to enunciate properly, prompting he and his family to learn Makaton;[1] Mr Tumble was his role model due to his use of the language.[3] He attended St. Peter's Primary School, Benton Park School,[4] and Shipley College.[5] Aged eight, he joined Stage Door,[6] a performing arts and music school in Guiseley, which he was a member of until he was nineteen, and then spent a few years at a drama class at Elev8 in Horsforth.[7] He also later joined Mind the Gap,[8] a performing arts college in Bradford.[7]

Career

In 2016, he started spending his Saturday mornings volunteering at a Parkrun in Woodhouse Moor in Leeds,[9] Hyde Park Harriers,[10] before taking over the course himself and becoming a Parkrun ambassador.[9] While volunteering, a Sky UK TV crew who were filming nearby asked if they could film him for a day for a series they were making.[1] They released a film about his running in 2019,[9] which aired as part of Jessica's Parkrun Heroes, which was presented by Jessica Ennis-Hill.[11] He also held a job at Café 21 Co in Leeds,[12] a café launched in 2019 and staffed by people with Down syndrome;[13] he has credited the café with giving him "a sense of independence", and stated in 2024 that he still put in shifts there when he could.[12]

Webster in a 2021 Mencap video

Mencap saw the film and asked if he would become an ambassador,[1] before referring him to a filmmaker who was making S.A.M., a short film intended to challenge perceptions about disability, and gave Webster a lead role in the film opposite Sam Retford,[1] playing one of two Sams. The show was broadcast online as part of the Iris Prize LGBT+ Film Festival, which ran from 6 to 11 October 2020. Will Stroude of Attitude wrote that Webster "plays Sam from the posh houses with a calm assurance and wonderful screen presence", giving "his Sam an emotional availability that Retford matches to make their romantic journey credible and heart-warming".[14]

After being scouted by the BBC following his work with Mencap,[9] he recorded a video for BBC Bitesize called Busting Myths,[1] in which Webster talked about common misconceptions of Down syndrome.[9] The clip went viral on social media, prompting CBeebies to contact him and offer him an interview,[1] and he began presenting for the channel as a guest presenter.[15] His first CBeebies show, broadcast 20 September 2021, saw Webster perform Saturday Night Fever-style dance moves, make a smoothie, and recite a poem. A clip of this went viral on Twitter, and within two days of broadcast it had been viewed over 1,200,000 times.[15] Hayley Newman of the i wrote that Webster had "effervescence, bubbly charm, a quick wit", "a trendy vibe that his viewers aspire to emulate", and "an extra chromosome",[16] while his appointment was praised by Sally Phillips, Mencap, and Cerrie Burnell.[17] He was later hired as a full-time presenter, and won Best Presenter at the British Academy Children's Awards in 2022.[1]

Webster then appeared with Bethany Asher in Bebe A.I.,[6] a sci-fi short which aired as part of the Oska Bright Film Festival in March 2022,[18] in which he and Asher played a couple with Down syndrome who were fighting to save an android baby they wanted to adopt.[6] Webster then played a telegram boy in The Railway Children Return.[1] In 2022, he participated in that year's Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, where he performed a Charleston to "Good News" from Nativity! The Musical.[4] He and his dance partner Amy Dowden practiced for three weeks beforehand, as often as they could fit into Webster's schedule.[9] His other competitors were Nicola Roberts, Larry Lamb, Rickie Haywood-Williams, Rosie Ramsey, and Alexandra Mardell, who won the episode.[4] He later appeared on Casualty,[10] where he played the drug dealer Josh Milner,[19] and World on Fire, where he played Ted.[20] On 2 March 2023,[3] he published an autobiography, This Is Me,[1] which initially stemmed from the poem he read during his first day presenting on CBeebies.[3] A further book, Why Not?, was published in 2024.[12]

Filmography

George Webster's television credits with year of release, title(s) and role
Year Title Role Notes
2019 Jessica's Parkrun Heroes Himself Episode: "George Webster"
2020 S.A.M. "Sam from the posh houses"
2022 Bebe A.I. Jonny Stormer
2022 The Railway Children Return Telegram boy
2022 Strictly Come Dancing Contestant
2023 Casualty Josh Milner Episode: "Fight or Flight"
2023 World on Fire Ted Episode: "Wrong"

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Wollaston, Sam (2023-02-28). "'Why can't we be the hero?': George Webster on acting, ambition, romance and big breaks". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  2. ^ Rogers, Lois (2021-10-01). "Could this be the last generation of Down's syndrome children?". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  3. ^ a b c "CBeebies presenter releases debut children's novel 'This is Me'". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 2023-03-02. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  4. ^ a b c "Strictly Come Dancing: Viewers heap praise on Leeds TV presenter George Webster after he wows with Charleston in Christmas special". Yorkshire Evening Post. Retrieved 30 May 2024.
  5. ^ "Rawdon man with Down's Syndrome 'excited' to become CBeebies presenter". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 2021-09-22. Retrieved 2024-05-21.
  6. ^ a b c "New sci-fi film starring Bethany and George". Down's Syndrome Association. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  7. ^ a b "George Webster in new short film, S.A.M". Down's Syndrome Association. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Dancers with autism and learning disabilities devise bold new show". Bradford Telegraph and Argus. 2020-02-21. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  9. ^ a b c d e f Delgado, Kasia (2022-12-20). "George Webster on his Strictly debut: 'Down's syndrome doesn't stop me doing anything'". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  10. ^ a b Scott, Danny (2023-10-01). "Presenter George Webster: 'I feel like a revolutionary'". The Times. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  11. ^ "Watch Jessica's parkrun heroes with Sky On Demand". Sky Sports. Retrieved 2024-06-12.
  12. ^ a b c Webster, George (2024-03-15). "I'm famous but I still work in a cafe - it's great fun". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  13. ^ Petter, Olivia (2019-01-21). "Café staffed by people with Down's syndrome launches in Leeds after successful trial | The Independent". The Independent. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  14. ^ Stroude, Will (2020-09-28). "'S.A.M' review: 'Sexuality and disability explored in intriguing, charming love story'". Attitude. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  15. ^ a b Pidd, Helen (2021-09-22). "'I'm loving life,' says first CBeebies presenter with Down's syndrome". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  16. ^ Newman, Hayley (2021-09-23). "My child has Down's syndrome, her joy seeing George Webster on CBeebies matters". inews.co.uk. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  17. ^ Davies, Hannah J. (2021-09-21). "'A brilliant role model': CBeebies hires first presenter with Down's syndrome". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
  18. ^ Warner, Jason (2022-04-10). "Oska Bright Film Festival Review". Brighton Source. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  19. ^ "George Webster". TresA. 2023-05-31. Retrieved 2024-06-15.
  20. ^ "Is World on Fire based on a true story?". Radio Times. Retrieved 2024-05-30.
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