The Tiger Who Came to Tea Press Pack

Once there was a little girl called Sophie, and she was having tea with her mummy in the kitchen. Suddenly there was a ring at the door. Sophie’s mummy said, “I wonder who that can be…?”

The opening of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, written by Judith Kerr OBE who sadly passed away earlier this year, and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, will be known well by parents and children across the nation. The tea-guzzling tiger, who turns up unannounced and eats and drinks Sophie and mummy out of house, home and bathwater before disappearing into the night, has been delighting generations of children and parents and has not been out of print. 

Channel 4’s new hand-drawn animated special, produced by Lupus Films and HarperCollins, of The Tiger Who Came to Tea, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, will air as a festive treat this Christmas. 

The Tiger Who Came to Tea has sold over 5 million copies since it was first published in 1968. Inspired by Judith’s daughter Tacy, the story of Sophie and her extraordinary, stripy tea-time guest has enchanted generations of children and has become a timeless classic. 

Channel 4’s last adaptation of a children’s classic, We’re Going on a Bear Hunt, also produced by Lupus Films, was the Channel’s most watched programme of 2016 with over 8 million viewers over the festive period.

The 30-minute special animation will air on Channel 4 this Christmas.

Key credits:

Director: Robin Shaw

Screenplay writer: Joanna Harrison

Producers: Ruth Fielding, Camilla Deakin

Cast: Tamsin Greig (mummy), David Oyelowo (tiger), Benedict Cumberbatch (daddy), David Walliams (narrator) and Paul Whitehouse (the milkman), Clara Ross (Sophie)