Kids are being encouraged to get muddy and play outdoors thanks to a collaboration between a laundry detergent, a BBC television presenter who lived for many years in south London and a pair of heroes from children’s literature who lived in Bexley.

Legendary Sidcup illustrator Quentin Blake, 82, is working with the estate of author Roald Dahl on Persil’s My Messy Adventure.

It is being fronted by broadcaster and mum-of-two Gabby Logan, who used to live in Kew.

Gabby, 42, said: “It’s a lovely alignment between Persil and Roald Dahl and Quentin Blake.

“It is a way of utilising the tablets and the iPads and all the things that kids want to play on now and getting them outdoors as well and being creative, getting muddy and dirty and being in a more imaginary and creative setting.

“Each story that evolves will be unique because it will have that child’s input in terms of pictures and words and options that they can choose from.

“It is a lovely way of getting kids to go outside and do something different that involves the amazing Roald Dahl.

“The style of the story is recognisable immediately as Roald Dahl and the end product is a book that’s unique to them.”

“It is one of the greatest ever authors – nevermind children’s authors – and trying to get kids to be more active in their outdoor play and get dirty not be scared to be outside and discover what’s out there. It’s a lovely way of doing that.”



And it turns out Gabby is the perfect person to discuss the author, who lived in Hurst Road, Bexley, in the 1920s and 1930s.

As well as reading his books as a child, she has seen every stage adaptation, every film and even took a Roald Dahl adaptation to the Edinburgh Festival as a student.

“I’m a bit of a buff really,” she said.

“In fact, I keep getting asked to go on Mastermind so it could be my Mastermind topic.”

Since moving away from Kew, where she lived for many years with husband ex-Rugby international player Kenny Logan, Gabby has been near to the Roald Dahl museum, where she has taken her children, nine-year-old twins Lois and Reuben.

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Lois even goes to the school that Roald Dahl’s grandchildren went to.

Gabby said she loved reading Dahl’s works to her Lois and Reuben.

She said: “I love reading out loud and I love putting accents on for them and bring it to life a bit. Now they don’t like me doing that, they find it embarrassing.

“I genuinely loved reading Roald Dahl. I always think if a book comes off the page as easily as that then it must be such special writing.

“David Walliams [who grew up in Merton] has got a skill like that as well. His books read very well out loud. It may be that he’s a performer that he’s able to do that.”

When it comes to illustrating Roald Dahl’s works, there’s always one name that springs to mind: Quentin Blake.

Perhaps most well-known among Blake’s illustrations for more than 300 children’s books, as well as his own works, are the 18 he did with Dahl and he’s back for this project with Persil.

Gabby said: “For Quentin Blake to get involved in this is fantastic.”

Gabby Logan is working with Persil who has partnered with the Roald Dahl estate to encourage children to go on an outdoor adventure with ‘My Messy Adventure,’ a completely new and totally interactive Roald Dahl story powered by the outside world. Free to play at persil.co.uk/Roald-Dahl