A CHOLSEY family is helping Sir Terry Wogan’s bid to be Christmas number one by appearing in the video of his new song.

The veteran broadcaster hopes to celebrate last Friday’s retirement from his Radio 2 breakfast show with an assault on the Christmas charts with his cover of the Bing Crosby classic Silver Bells.

Alongside Sir Terry in the Children In Need song’s video, which also features Aled Jones, are the Light family, of Papist Way, Cholsey.

Claire Light, 33, her children Sam, eight, Joel, six, Amelie, four, and Charlie, three, plus partner Russell Leak, 38, were invited to appear in the music video by director Jeremy Engler, a family friend.

During a four-hour filming session at the BBC’s Broadcasting House, Cholsey Primary School pupils Sam, Joel and Amelie were transformed into cheeky Victorian urchins.

Their only previous acting roles were in school Nativity plays.

Joel said: “I was very excited because we were going to be on TV. They told us to stand in front of the green screen. Aled Jones sat next to us, and he was really funny because he was dressed as an elf.”

Sam added: “I was a bit nervous because I felt a bit embarrassed in the costume. Now I think it’s really cool.”

Clips of the video have already appeared on TV shows, including GMTV and The Alan Titchmarsh Show, and it is available on Youtube.

Last year, Sir Terry’s charity single Little Drummer Boy peaked at number three, even outstripping his 1978 hit The Floral Dance.

But this year Sir Terry faces a tough battle to hold his own in the Christmas charts against The X Factor winner Joe McElderry and surprise challengers Rage Against The Machine.

Even if they miss top spot, copies of the single are bound to be in the family’s Christmas stockings.

Amelie said: “I like the song because Mummy always cries when she sees it.”

Ms Light said: “It’s just weird seeing them in that environment. It was hard work and such a hectic day. We left here about 5am and I wasn’t sure what they were going to wear and which bits were going to be in the final cut. Then there was so much waiting around in the studio for just a few seconds in the video.”

The day was all too much for three-year-old Charlie, whose name appears on the credits despite his never quite making it in front of the cameras.

Ms Light said: “Charlie refused to put on the outfit. I tried every trick in the book without success.”