CBeebies star Ben Cajee praised for speaking about being mixed race

Presenter Ben Cajee has been praised for a moving CBeebies clip in which he discusses being mixed race.

Cajee, 32, who has been a CBeebies presenter since 2015, told viewers about his heritage and revealed the traits he has inherited from his parents. His mother, Fiona, is white and his father, Jacob, black.

The clip, posted online this morning as part of CBeebies Black History Month programming, has been shared widely online, with the presenter celebrated for the segment.

In the clip, he said: “We have been friends for a really, really long time, so I thought I would tell you a bit about me and my family.”

He continued: “Sometimes people have been unkind about what I look like and the colour of my skin, but I try and forget about those people and instead focus on the people who were there for me and who supported me.

“They just liked me for being me and they were my friends – I think at the moment it’s really important to be kind, because you never know, you might just make someone’s day,” he added.

“Thank you so much for being my friend, and I’ll see you soon.”

The clip has been retweeted over 3,000 times and has almost 20,000 likes on Twitter.

Responding to the clip, one mother, called Romany, wrote: “Powerful message thanks Ben. I have a mixed race Daughter and always talk to her about how beautiful her hair and skin colour are as even though she’s only 4 she’s already said she wishes she had straight hair and white skin.”

Cat Lamin wrote: “Thank you for sharing this Ben, I hope my boy never experiences any of the prejudices that you & his dad suffered from, but at least I know he has positive role models like yourself to look up to.”

David Munday added: “Powerful stuff, well said. Well done. Have been hugely enjoying @CBeebiesHQ’s #BlackHistoryMonth content. Really important that my kids have the chance to learn about it!”

The presenter also spoke about his heritage in June due to the widespread protests following the killing of George Floyd in the US.

“It doesn’t matter what you look like, what you sound like, or where you come from, and some people are treated unfairly just because of the colour of their skin; and they shouldn’t be,” Cajee said.

“I know that seeing a person for who they really are and how they make you feel, is beautiful. And I think it’s really important to talk to your friends and family about these things too because when we work together, we can create change and we can build a better and kinder world for the future; and I’m hopeful for that.”

Read more

New CBeebies game will teach mindfulness to young children

Tom Hardy is returning to CBeebies Bedtime Stories

David Schwimmer to read a bedtime story on CBeebies

Gavin and Stacey's Joanna Page to read CBeebies bedtime story