Ex-Baywatch star David Hasselhoff has landed a new role - helping to get children to sleep by reading a CBeebies Bedtime Story. The 60-year-old will be telling the tale of Billy, who rescues one of his parents' snails to keep as a pet, in a story of friendship and magic on New Year's Eve, the Daily Mail reported.

“As a child I used to love reading ''Twas the Night Before Christmas and I can still recite all the words today,” he said.

He added of his own Christmas memories: “I remember my mother used to always make us a very special dish - string beans covered in marshmallows and cornflakes... fantastic!”

Hasselhoff, who will be reading My Friend Nigel by Jo Hodgkinson, said: “I think it is so important for children to become familiar with books from an early age.”