insiderblmA “cheeky” request to Britain’s Got Talent’s David Walliams has led to a school staging a star-studded nativity.
After Covid-19 stopped BGT 2019 finalists Flakefleet Primary School being in the 2020 special, head teacher Dave McPartlin contacted judge Walliams to ask him to narrate the school show.
After the star agreed, he said the Fleetwood school decided to ask others, including Gaby Roslin and Piers Morgan, and “pretty much everyone said yes”.
“Our motto is dare to dream,” he added.
Flakefleet’s choir was automatically put through to the 2019 BGT semi-finals by Walliams when he pressed his golden buzzer in support of its version of Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now.
The judge later flew to Fleetwood in a helicopter to pay the school a visit, which he described as an “incredible experience” for pupils.
The school’s head teacher, who joked that he was “no relation” to BGT host Ant McPartlin, said after the disappointment of not being able to join the ITV show’s Christmas special, a decision was made to create an coronavirus-themed alternative nativity.
He said he wanted to bring some cheer to pupils after a “challenging year” and while it was “really sad” they were not able to do a “traditional nativity”, the Christmas spectacular was “to let the kids have a bit of fun and show there was still positivity out there”.
He said the requests for a celebrity cast, which also includes This Morning’s Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby, BGT judge Amanda Holden, comedian John Thomson and BBC Breakfast’s Mike Bushell, were in line with the school’s policy, as pupils are encouraged “to be resourceful, to keep asking [and be] cheeky but polite”.
All of those involved recorded their appearances at home and sent them to the school to be screened as part of the performance.
The nativity, which also includes three socially-distanced wise men dressed as Elvis and Mary riding on a Blackpool donkey, is expected to be available to watch on the school’s Facebook page from Monday.
The school, which previously battled Ariana Grande and others for 2018’s Christmas number one – a fight which was eventually won by YouTuber LadBaby – has also released a virus-themed Christmas single.
Titled 12 Days of Covid, all proceeds from its sales will go to NHS charities.
