‘Why can’t we be the hero?’: George Webster on acting, ambition, romance and big breaks
There was never really any doubt about what George Webster was going to end up doing – in his mind, anyway; others might have been less sure. “I remember I used to love performing as a kid,” he says. “I dreamed of doing lots of things, like acting, being on TV, films, stage. It was watching things on TV that inspired me.”
“You’ve always liked dressing up and entertaining people,” chips in his mum, Jane. “If there was nobody to entertain, you’d entertain yourself in the mirror.”
Turns out, dreams sometimes do come true after all. As you’ll know if you’ve got young children: George is a regular – as well as Bafta-winning – presenter on CBeebies; he has had acting parts, on stage and screen; at the end of last year he was a contestant on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas special, alongside pro dancer Amy Dowden. “Amy’s lovely,” says George, as he does of lots of people. “We’re good friends now.” He has written a book, too – and he’s only 22.
We are sitting round the kitchen table in the family house in the village of Rawdon on the edge of Leeds. George’s dad, Rob, is hovering, in and out. Rachel, a publicist from the publisher, is here too: we’ve got the first copy of the book, hot off the press, and George is talking me
