Tom Hardy CBeebies: BBC confirms his next bedtime story will be a tribute to dog Woody

The actor will read a bedtime story called Fleabag, with Woody by his side

Tom Hardy will present another episode of Bedtime Stories on CBeebies, this time as a tribute to his late dog Woody.

The episode was filmed before Woody passed away in June, and so the pup will lie alongside Tom, like he has done previously, as he reads the story Fleabag, which is the story of a young boy and his friendship with a scruffy dog.

The programme will air on Saturday 26th August - rather fittingly, on National Dog Day. A statement from CBeebies said that Tom sees the story as a 'fitting mark of respect to the memory of Woody'.

The Hollywood actor wrote an emotional blog piece about Woody earlier this year, when he passed away. He said: 'I don't normally speak out about family and friends but this is an unusual circumstance.

'Woody affected so many people in his own right so with great respect to his autonomy and as a familiar friendly face to many of you, it is with great great sadness a heavy heart that I inform you that after a very hard and short 6 month battle with an aggressive polymyositis Woody passed away, two days ago. He was only age six.'

'Woody was the bestest of journey companions we ever could dream of having. Our souls intertwined forever.'

Of course this isn't the first time the actor has voiced a bedtime story for the channel. On Mother's Day 2017 he read There's a Bear on my Chair, much to the delight of mums across the country.

When the news was announced fans were, naturally, thrilled, with one commenting on the CBeebies Facebook post: 'After a restless night with a teething toddler, and this is the first thing I see when I go on FB, you've made this tired mummy very happy' and another adding: 'Wow, you really appreciate us mums!! Starting the day with breakfast in bed and ending the day with Tom Hardy in bed!'

'CBeebies really need to do a special DVD for us Mums with all of his bedtime stories on and maybe an extra one as a treat 😚❤🌺🌈🎉' a third suggested.

Tom's debut appearance on the BBC channel was on New Year's Eve 2016, when he read You Must Bring a Hat, by Simon Philip and Kate Hindley, accompanied by Woody.

https://www.facebook.com/cbeebies/videos/1241818032520163/

And as if that wasn't enough, he followed up his debut with a story on 14th February 2017, which, frankly, was the best V-Day present we've ever received.

The actor read The Cloudspotter by Tom McLaughlin, which follows a lonely young boy who whiles away his days looking up at the sky until his world is changed forever by a new encounter.

https://www.facebook.com/cbeebies/photos/a.201695253199118.48328.194575130577797/1191334007568566/?type=3&theater

If you've missed any of Tom Hardy's CBeebies bedtime stories and (quite rightly) want to catch up, you can watch the 10 minute clips on iPlayer.

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