London, Ont., youth set to star in upcoming CBC Kids’ show | CBC News

“Music is like a roller coaster because it can express feelings, bring joy, and I’d really like to see kids get up and moving, and dance and have a lot of fun just watching a TV show,” said Couchi, an aspiring actor. 

The show is co-created and hosted by singer Melanie Doane, and features an inclusive cast of ten kids who learn songs about friendship, and enjoy singing, dancing, and playing together. After learning each song, the kids perform a music video which gets everyone dancing 

The kids will be playing new originals, along with chart-topping hits heard on the radio. “The show is about teaching kids to love music,” said Nair. 

London youth to perform in CBC’s Ukelele U

Waaseyaa Couchi, 9, from London, Ont., is a cast member in the upcoming CBC Gem show Ukelele U. 0:36

London youth to perform in CBC’s Ukelele U

Paxton Nair, 12, from London, Ont., is a cast member in the upcoming CBC Gem show Ukelele U. 0:18

The pair were quickly selected to be on the show after a few rounds of auditions. “It was fast, the next thing you know, I was on the show and it happened so quickly, it was so hard to express emotions, I was the happiest girl in the world,” explained Couchi. 

Life on the set of a television show

The show was filmed during the summer in Hamilton, Ont., and the pair was most grateful about being able to socialize with other kids after the frustrations from the COVID-19 restrictions. 

For Couchi, performing the music videos and learning the choreography was her favourite part. Nair, on the other hand, loved the rehearsals which allowed him to interact with the rest of his team.  

“It was really fun, we got to meet so many great people and got to learn all about what life was like on the set of a TV show,” said Nair. 

“Since COVID really affected kids, we couldn’t see too many people but when this TV show happened, I got to meet a lot of people and make new friends, it was really exciting,” added Couchi. 

Despite the great experience on set, COVID-19 protocols created their own set of challenges for the cast, who needed to get frequently tested and weren’t able to come together as a group until the last few days of filming. 

Bringing their unique skills to the table

Couchi was the youngest actor in the cast. While she said it was confusing to figure things out on her first show, it eventually became easy to navigate thanks to the older kids who led the way. 

Both Nair and Couchi play the piano, and share the love of singing and dancing. Their families are so proud of their special talents. 

“He was even more of a performer than I thought, and there were so many times I was just watching him in awe,” said Nair’s mother, Andrea Nair. 

Couchi’s mother, Trina McGahey, expressed how proud she is of her daughter representing her Indigenous roots. Her father Clint is from the Nippissing First Nation and McGahey belongs to the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation. “She gets to showcase a little bit of her culture on the show, and let’s just say we had a lot of tears on set watching that,” McGahey said. 

The pair is excited to make their television debut on the show, and hope this continues opening more doors for their acting careers.