I’ve loved everything I’ve done this year! Being on the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special was a dream come true for me, and winning a BAFTA for best presenter was a massive highlight. I’ve loved being a presenter on CBeebies, I’ve filmed with Casualty on the BBC, and I’m even writing a book. It’s been incredible!

See the moment George won his BAFTA

As a Mencap Myth Buster, one of the things I wanted see was more representation in the media for people who have Down’s syndrome or a learning disability . Winning a BAFTA shows that things are changing, and that we can all shine if we get equal opportunities. No one with Down’s syndrome has ever won a BAFTA before, but it showed everyone that we can achieve incredible things.

The awards ceremony was a really fun night as well, I got to meet some famous people like Dani Harmer - she played Tracey Beaker on CBBC – and she gave me my award. When I won, it felt so surreal. I was so happy and proud, and felt really honoured.  As well as Dani, I saw Amir Wilson from His Dark Materials, Jason Issacs from Harry Potter, and Molly and Carlos from this year’s Strictly too. 

Talking of Strictly – I loved every part of being on the Christmas special, even the training! When my agent got in touch and said I’d got the job, I was so excited I was just squealing down the phone, I wanted to get started straight away. 

The first day of training I was finding the pace, speed and timing a bit of a challenge, because it was a fast dance that we were doing. But from the first day to the show day I improved a lot. My dance partner, Amy Dowden, helped me so much. She was so lovely, a brilliant dancer, and so talented. Just a kind and gorgeous human being, and we’re now great friends. I loved dancing together, it was incredible. The atmosphere was electric when we filmed the special, it was amazing working with Amy and dancing with so many other people.
 

Amy Dowden and George Webster stand between two Christmas trees. Amy wears a sparkling gold skirt and crop top. George wears a gold suit with glitter detail on the pockets, lapels and trouser leg.
Strictly dance partners Amy and George 


Working with CBeebies this year really made me feel like a role model, it's given me the chance to be inspirational. For example, I was at Gloworm Festival in Newark with Gyasi, another presenter on CBeebies, over the summer. We were hosting the Bedtime Stories tent, doing some nursery rhymes and introducing the story readers. I got the chance to meet so many people and hear positive comments about what I’m doing. I was mobbed by fans who wanted to chat and take pictures! It was a really lovely atmosphere and experience for me. Talking to kids, parents, grandparents, and siblings was brilliant and made me feel like I was making a difference.

I love to inspire people – that’s why I’m writing a book. It’s called “This is Me” and coming out next year. I’ve co-written it with Claire Taylor, who is my main producer at CBeebeies. It’s all about my experiences from when I was younger, my family and friends, and celebrating differences. No matter how different we are, we can all achieve things. It’s about finding the glow and sparkle inside of us and using it to grow in confidence.  

This year I’ve had the chance to film with Casualty – one of my favourite shows! I’m a massive fan and got to have pictures taken with the cast, and acted in scenes with two of my favourite characters, Paige and Dylan (played by Shalisha James-Davis and Will Beck). It was really, really fun.

I’ve also been to France to work on a play called Back to Reality, we’re developing it and rehearsing it now and it should be ready in 2024. It’s a part biography, part fictional play about the director’s sister who had Down’s syndrome. And I’ve also worked on a war drama called World on Fire in Belfast as well. I've been super busy!

My mum and dad have been my heroes this year – I love them both and I always appreciate their support and everything they’ve done for me, and I really look up to them. They’ve been all over the place to support me – mum really loved seeing everything behind the scenes of Strictly. Though Dad was shattered because World on Fire was a night shoot that didn’t finish until 5am. I wasn’t tired though...
 

George at the BAFTAS holding his award, with his mother and father.



Joe Wicks is another hero of mine. I got work with him for Children in Need and I admire all fitness classes he did on YouTube for people in schools and people around the world. He was great to work with. And of course Amy Dowden, my dance partner in Strictly, was just lovely. She does amazing work with children with Down’s syndrome with her dance school, making sure dance is inclusive for anyone, no matter who you are. Its really important to have that and that’s why she’s my hero as well.  

I’ve had a brilliant year in 2022, and I’m looking forward to everything coming in 2023. It starts in a couple of weeks as me and my Dad are going to be a double act at a big concert to celebrate Leeds being City of Culture 2023. That will be in front of 10,000 people and I can’t wait!

Best wishes for the new year to you all.  

George


Find out more about George the Myth Buster here: mencap.org.uk/george