Evie Pickerill – CBeebies Presenter

Cbeebies beams into millions of households from MediaCity, entertaining children from ages 0-6, it has become a cherished channel for many parents and children who grew up watching and learning from their favourite characters, TV programmes and of course, the presenters.  One of the stars of Cbeebies is Evie Pickerill, who began her presenting career aged just 25 when she was cast for the role back in 2018.

“I trained as an actor at LIPA (Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts) and after I graduated I soon found the acting world wasn’t really for me.  Whilst I was considering what to do with my love of performing, my friend tagged me into a casting call out for Cbeebies.  So I thought, WOW this might be it!  I didn’t have a show reel, which is like an actors CV, so I had to act fast and make one.

I ordered a green screen off the Internet and with the help of a my sister I made a show reel, which was far from professional, but it did the trick and I was thrilled to get the role. It just goes to show you don’t always need a professional show reel.”

Born and raised in the Midlands, Evie’s dream of a job in the performing arts has taken her away from her friends and family.  When she was sixteen she travelled to a different college to the one all her friends went to, and then again when she was eighteen when she went to study drama in Liverpool.

“I had gone back to living with my parents after I graduated, so I was commuting to Salford from the Midlands for the first 6 months, as the role was to cover maternity leave.  This was hard going, so when I was offered a permanent contract, I decided to move here.  I actually moved to MediaCity, a 15 minute walk is now my commute.

I love it here in MediaCity for the buzz, and I always feel safe, it’s a nice friendly place. My mum and dad are huge fans of MediaCity, they are coming up this weekend and I’m taking them to The Botanist, they always order the hanging kebabs!”

Evie has been presenting pre-recorded CBeebies content and live events for the past four years, and now she’s stepping up to guest present live on CBBC.

“This is a lot more challenging as its live, but it’s great that I’m getting more presenting experience and opportunities to stretch myself.”

Regularly appearing in live events and on stage, Evie is finding life as a BBC presenter exciting and rewarding.

“It’s the dream job, with the chance to have fun every day. My favourite part is playing the games, hoopla and obstacle courses, I love being there for the children to say good morning and get them ready for the day.  It’s funny because I know that I’m also saying good morning to my mum who tunes in every day to watch.”

Evie hopes she will still be presenting long into the future and advocating for mental health for children on a mainstream channel.

Evie’s advice to anyone interested in a TV career or in performing arts, is to stay true to yourself;