Emmerdale star Danny Miller announces new family festival after success of bookclub named after son Albert

Emmerdale star Danny Miller is preparing to host his first ever family festival - inspired by the success of his Albert's Bookshelf online audiobooks that he launched alongside radio star Nigel Clucas. The story-themed festival will take place in Bolton this weekend, on Sunday July 7.

Danny is dad to Albert, 2, and 11-month old daughter Edith with his wife Steph. But when Danny went back to work on Emmerdale, he was worried about missing out on storytime with his kids, and the idea of creating audiobooks was born.

He appealed on social media for someone who could help him to record the books, and was stunned when his pal, Capital drivetime co-host Nigel, said he'd be able to help. Nigel is dad to 7-year-old Lyla with wife Hayley and has a natural flair for stoytelling.

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The duo's audiobooks have become such a hit online that they have now decided to create the first ever Albert's Bookshelf family festival, which will take place at Open Air Bounce in Bolton at the weekend.

The festival will feature a packed bill of entertainment, with a dinosaur invasion, celebrity meet and greets, performances from MC Grammar and Steve Royle as well as full access across the Open Air Bounce inflatable course.

Danny said: “We really want to spread the word and the ethos of Albert's Bookshelf as far as we can. We've teamed up with Open Air Bounce to have the first Albert's Bookshelf festial and it's going to be amazing, we've got lots of surprises planned."

Talking about how Albert's Bookshelf first started, Danny, who plays Emmerdale's Aaron Dingle, says: "It was something I put out on Twitter, when I was going back to Emmerdale, asking if anyone could help me record some books for my son. When I was going back to work I was worried I was potentially going to miss out on storytime. Nigel, who I knew, reached out and I didn't realise it's something he did."

Nigel adds: "As we're both dads now, storytime is such a huge part of being a parent. I remember when I was first recording them, when I sent them over to Danny, I said 'mate you're going to love these'.

"But I thought it would be a shame if we didn't share them with other parents too, and then literally that's how it all started."

Danny adds that it appealed to him to celebrate traditional storytelling for kids. He said: "iPads and tablets are great and a helpful tool in most homes these days - but that’s not to say they can't use them to read or write a book.

"We have so many incredible authors and children’s authors in this country - I’d hate for any of my children to grow up and ask who Julia Donaldson was.

"We need to protect authors such as Julia as much as we can. This is our creative way of trying to unite technology with books and words that help educate our children and keep their imaginations alive, and into one day maybe becoming an author in their own rights."

Danny and Nigel have big plans of their own to become children's authors themselves on the back of the success of the audiobooks they record which are downloaded over 1,000 times a day and are now in 120 countries. But first there's the business of the festival to put together.

Nigel says: "It's gone really well and we're now in over 120 countries, we get 1,000 downlaods a day so we can't wait to celebrate that at a festival."

"We've both been to Open Air Bounce before with our kids so we know how good it is. They've got the facilities there as it's the largest inflatable venue in the UK, and we're putting a stage up and will have performances across Sunday.

"There will be a separate marquee for book readings, meet and greet with celebrities and some characters that will be very recognisable to the kids. The main thing really is all the entertainment going on on the day, we've got dancers, performers, even social media sensation MC Grammar who raps books so he's very fitting for us."

Both Danny and Nigel have got "loads of ideas" to take Albert's Bookshelf further too.

Nigel says: "I'm busy with presenting and Danny is on Emmerdale, but there's been loads of different feedback to the books and it's been really positive, from mums and dads having ten minutes to do the cleaning and leave the kids to be entertained, or for long car rides, they've just been able to put on the audioboooks and children are mesmerised by them.

"We've got loads and loads of ideas, we're just getting started with this. The dream is to take Albert's Bookshelf one day around the country."

The Albert's Bookshelf Festival is at Open Air Bounce in Bolton on Sunday, July 7. Families can book in for 2.5 hour morning or afternoon sessions at the event, with tickets from £3.50 for adults, £10.95 for ages 1-3 and £13.95 for kids aged 4 and over. All tickets can be booked online here.