well, it started when i was singing. well, it started when i was about 12 years old, my first charity was the royal british legion because my grandad was in the navy, and i have a new grandad now who i met in the royal british legion, and it is building from there, i have done cancer charities and hospices, even from just raise money for church groups i am singing for the rotary clu b groups i am singing for the rotary club now, they are linked to each other and it expanded, club now, they are linked to each otherand it expanded, so club now, they are linked to each other and it expanded, so it is exciting. you have pretty much song everywhere. would you like to give us everywhere. would you like to give usa everywhere. would you like to give us a little biased. —— blast. she sings. that was amazing. if you want to

hear more about these inspirational people, we will have the awards tonight at 8:30 p.m.. thank you. no, have a look at more than eighty hot air balloons have travelled from england to france to try to set a new world record for the largest group crossing the channel. they took off in the beautiful spring sunshine from dover, landing in the fields of northern france after the three hour, 26—mile crossing. if confirmed by officials, it will beat the previous record of 49. you need wins for balloons. any of it out there? a little bit. hello there and good afternoon.

if you like warm weather and sunshine, you will have plenty to enjoy this weekend. temperatures are turning pretty warm. up up into the 20s in london. the rest of today brings sunny skies for almost all of us. the far north of scotland sticking with more cloudy and breezy weather. we have highs of 21 celsius. cooler close to the coast. this evening and overnight, it stays dry. under clear skies, temperatures will drop away considerably. even though towns and cities will hold up around 7 celsius, some rural spots will get cold enough for a touch of grass frost. tomorrow, for england and wales, it is another sunny day, with just some cloud for western coasts. cloud for scotland and northern ireland and some outbreaks of rain. cool towards the north—west, but the east could see temperatures getting up as high as 25 celsius. this is bbc news. the headlines at 1.30pm. swedish media is reporting

that explosives have been found in the lorry which was driven into a department store in stockholm yesterday, killing four people. a man, believed to be the driver, has been arrested. us secretary of state rex tillerson says he is "disappointed, but not surprised" at russia's response to us strikes on a syrian air base suspected of storing chemical weapons. workers at southern, merseyrail and arriva rail north are conducting a 24—hour strike, as part of an ongoing dispute over staffing. the strike is expected to affect thousands of racegoers making their way to the grand national. now, on bbc news, snooker player ding junhui is a superstar in china. in this documentary, we follow ding, with behind—the—scenes access, as he plays in guangzhou at the china championship. if you want to know what it is like

to be a sporting icon in a country with more than a billion people, ding junhui can tell you. there is the sense of national pride when you win a major tournament. there is the media attention — everyone wants to speak to you and a vast television audience watches every match to play. you get invited to glamorous events. your adoring friends are always thrilled to meet you. social media needs to be kept updated, with nearly five million people following you. there is also knowing that your success has helped spark a snooker revolution in china. the next generation of stars has been inspired to play because of you. and a new type of snooker luxury club is starting to open. it is the night before the start

of the china championship. the world's top players and officials are gathering in the lobby of their hotel. they are waiting for the bus to take them to the opening ceremony. the first—ever staging of this tournament has caused great interest, here, as only the winner of the world championship will receive more prize money this season. it does not take long before ding junhui is recognised. the bus journey gives the players a chance to catch up. snooker has been a popular sport in china's third—biggest city for many years. tonight's destination is the famous guangzhou tower, where the reception is being held. the snooker fans are also making their way to the event.

this red carpet event feels more like a movie premiere in hollywood. only in china do snooker players get treated like film stars. most of the fans here have only seen their stars on television before, so are keen to get an autograph. soon, it is time to launch the new tournament. after the introductory speeches have been made, the big moment arrives. with the ceremony over, ding quickly becomes the centre of attention. suddenly, it is a media scrum. in asia, no other snooker player receives this level of attention. the ding junhui story begins on the first of april, 1987. i was born in china, jiangsu yixing,

and then growing up in that city and also i started to play some pool, at eight years old. he went to junior school here. the school is very proud of its famous former pupil. snooker is a very popular sport with the children and played in many schools in china. at the age of 12, ding moved with his family to the city where many of china's top snooker players are based. my father owned a club, when i was starting playing snooker, so it's after that, maybe one two years, and the club is shutting down, with the money problems, so we moved to dongguan, which is the second growing—up place to improve my snooker a lot. so, this is a big decicion to move, to keep going on with my career,

my snooker career. my father was a big help, because at that age, my brain is like blank paper. there is nothing on that. so, he had to help me to think about the problems, positions. every day, he looks after me, to make sure i played every shot with concentration, because you know that kids always like to play for fun, some of these. when ding and his parents moved to the city, they didn't have much money and the help they received has always been really appreciated. the people are very kind. we don't have enough money to live well and they do a lot to help us. you know, they want to go to clubs, you do not need to pay. and it — they — rent

some place to live in, we don't have. lots like that things. it is time to make the short journey to the venue, where the china championship is being staged. ding is really excited to be playing in the tournament, given its proximity to dongguan. it's first time i played in the big, big, big tournament here in guangzhou. and i was living here, this area, for about seven years, and when i was like 12 or 13 years old, the snooker players all come here to play, because there are more tournaments here, before. so, i grew up here and i think it's a good time to go back. ding's first—round opponent is another famous asian player, hong kong's marco fu. yeah, it's a big event. you know, me and marco's always get the most people watching in on the television. it's our match in china. tonight, i'm playing against marco. i think he has got friends here from hong kong, it's not far away from here.

i think it's, like, two hours driving. and i have a more friends here, so it's interesting. this security staff are waiting and ding's quickly escorted in. the practice room is where all the players head before a match. everyone is keen to get a glimpse of the chinese star. even his opponent is keeping close watch. after a brief practice session, he heads to a waiting area, ready to be called for his match. all snooker players need to dress smartly and ding's keen to look his best. dingjunhui! snooker is a very popular television sport in china,

where it is shown by the national state broadcaster. 210 million people watched the 2016 world championship on cctvs. he's so popular and so famous, so fans want him to win every game he played. so that's definitely something very heavy on his shoulder. so, he has to face it. but i think, generally, ding can deal with this. ding tries not to put extra pressure on himself by thinking about the millions of people watching on tv. i playing live in that area. it is quite a few thousand people. that's why i think it's an extra cameraman. but i don't think about how many people are watching. the hardest part is after the match. winning is ok, but to lose is... is harder to learn how to make it well. in europe, snooker‘s most popular star is ronnie 0'sullivan.

he also understands the pressure of being expected to win. you have to get your head around it. you know, you have to accept it, that that's the situation you're in. you need to embrace that kind of expectation level. it either sits comfortably with you or it affects your performance. and i don't know, either way, i think you need to be a strong character. you have to have big shoulders and be quite thick—skinned and not allow things to get to you. ding's fans don't get to see him win. it's marco fu that progresses to the next round. defeat can be hard to take. i am still learning. this is hard. a hard part to learn. because when you win, you forget everything, because only happiness with you. but when you lose, everything is bad. bad tables, bad fans, bad balls. and nothing, nothing good. sometimes, i can't control very well myself after

being beaten by somebody. but sometimes, it is ok. every player has to speak to the media after a match, win or lose. in the past, ding has found it hard to deal with defeat, but the mental side of the game is something he's been working on with with a former world champion, who is now a leading coach. everything a player will go through out there, mentally, i will have been through it myself. one of the reasons i wanted to coach with the mental side is because, as a player, i never had a coach to talk to. so, when they are down, i try to keep a little more in touch with them. he knows everybody lose the match is not happy. don't want to talk. he can talk to me next day, or in a few days, when i call him, so it's, he know when... when i talk to him, he tell me the right things will be happened or something already happening. he tell me how to accept with that, and also accept that things, you learn from that.

with ding, i think he is very, very willing to learn, both his technique and the mental side. he's never happy with his game. he's like all the top players — they always pushing for some more. ding's talent was obvious from a young age. he was invited to practice in england by keith warren when he was just 15 years old. warren, and his business partner, garry baldrey, manage players from asia and around the world. the first time i coming, i was scared to leave home, away that far, just by myself. when i first stayed here, i don't talk much. i don't talk much with keith and garry, i don't talk much to anybody else. it was only the way i'm going to say i'm happy is standing nearby the table.

keith and garry have enjoyed a long association with ding, who is based at the academy they now run in sheffield. he came over when he was 15, to practise with peter ebdon for about six weeks. 2002? and he beat peter for six weeks, every day. and then, peter went on and won the world championships. the first time i practised with dingjunhui, i phoned keith that evening and i said "keith, this lad is really, really special". i was thinking, "where has this lad come from?" it was his maturity, as much as anything, which really impressed me. and i was thinking, i have never seen a 15—year—old like this before. in 2003, aged 16, ding turned professional. he moved to wellingborough in england, where his new management team ran an academy. but those early years weren't easy. it was tough.

i mean, he couldn't do anything. notjust speak the language or cook. he, literally, could not do anything himself. i think he got everything done for him in china. i don't talk with my family as much. you know, just every day i play, practice after practice. i go home, stay by myself, just sitting like that, and for, maybe one or two hours, just looking at the floors, the tv, and nothing to say. just sitting down there and then it's like a dead man, you know? and it's so boring. so boring. ding is now one of the richest snooker players in the world. but back then, his focus was very simple. he had to keep his place on the main tour and earn a living. i feel the real pressure's coming the first few years. to be pro. i know i have to earn money to be living well, first. and also my family.

i need to help my family, my father, my mum. i want them living well. so it's not about first round, second round, i want to win the tournament. but it's difficult. so, i know i need to work more harder and also i need to improve quick, because in that time, it's only one year, one year to stay in the tour, with 96 players, so i feel pressure. ding's breakthrough year was 2005. he beat stephen henry, to win the china open in beijing. there was also success in england, when he won the uk championship. you might recognise the player he beat. victory at the 2011 masters tournament in london was another early career highlight. only the world's top 16 players are invited to play. and the final featured two players from asia for the first time. i played good.

i played great to beat marco. i played him quite a lot of times. i know marco. he plays good and he's a tough player to beat. i think, for two asians getting to the final, means a lot to the fans back home. a lot of the fans were really interested and i imagine they stayed up tuned in to watch the whole match, and it was really good for snooker. around 70 million people play cue sports in china each week, including eight—ball and nine—ball pool. and the best young players come to live and practice at the national academy. since 2005, ding's success in winning tournaments has inspired millions of chinese children to play the game. before, there were a lot of snooker fans, but because nobody can win a tournament, year by year, the snooker fans

are leaving that sport and they are doing something else. and after 2005, i win it, the tv shows more snooker, the people are starting, bringing their skills back to the tables. they are starting to again think, "oh, this is a good sport to play." 30 pupils in all, ranging in age from six to 22 years old. they practise from monday to saturday each week, from 9:00am to 5:30pm. some day, they can be a professional player and even be as good as ding. they know there are lots of efforts they have to pay, a lot of time and a lot of energy they have to pay, they have to prepare for that, that day. every day begins with a warm—up. the youngsters work with top—class coaches. cutting—edge computer technology is also used to help them improve. the food here is really good, too. mobile phones are kept locked away until lunchtime,

to make sure there are no distractions. three players from this academy have qualified for the main snooker tour since it opened in 2013, including these two young stars. they both idolise ding. ding is pleased to see this new generation of chinese players coming through and happy to give them the benefit of his experience. i can show them, we can do it, you know, that chinese players, asian players, can win a tournament. the signs of success are already here when it comes to producing top—class players.

in the next ten years, china could be the dominant snooker superpower. china hasjust invested heavily in player development, but also in the business of snooker. the country stages some of the most prestigious and lucrative tournaments in the world. i think itjust shows the significant growth in snooker generally. and globally, particularly here in china, it is... you know, that growth has been consistent and our events are getting bigger and bigger. obviously delighted to see that happening. it is great for our players. they are playing for huge prize pools now. the one tournament china would love to stage is the world championship. it has been held in sheffield since 1977 and the city has a deal to keep it there until 2027. but, in the future, could the tournament ever move abroad? you can never say never. myself, iam passionate about staying in sheffield, because that is what i remember,

where the game starts. realistically, can we say it is going to be there in 50 years' time? i have no idea. but what we would say is, it is a rather clever commercial twist to say no. because the message is, you can't buy history, but you can create your own, so go and do it. and i think the chinese are doing it. the snooker club i used to practise at has been in business for over 80 years. it is a popular place, which anyone can afford to visit. but, if you want to see what the world's most exclusive billiards club looks like, you have to come here. the top level of membership is around 125,000 us dollars a year. there are seven expensively—furnished vip rooms for the members to use. it is certainly a luxurious way to relax. china's passion for snooker also extends abroad.

ding receives great support from the chinese students studying in the uk, like these from cardiff university. even when he loses a match, like he did here, he will make time to meet his fans. i am so proud to be here, and i am so proud that, as i am a student, i have a chance to come to here, and i can be a part of this, to cheer him on. and, yes, i am so excited. another way ding engages with his fans is through social media. he has nearly five million followers on the chinese site weibo. sometimes, i want to show when i do funny things. some, you know, for the tournament, some after the tournament, what i think, i can share the thinking with snooker fans. the dream of every snooker player is to win the world championship.

sheffield's crucible theatre will always be a special place for me, as i won the trophy here six times. sheffield is a city ding knows well. he has lived here for the past ten years. it is very nice to be here. that is why i like to spend half the time in the uk, half the time in china. sometimes, i want to get back to normal life and i can come here, to stay here, be a normal person. in china, it is impossible for him to walk down the street without being recognised. but here, it is a different story. well, almost a different story. hello. best of luck. thank you. in 2016, the chinese star made history. he became the first player from asia to play in the final of the world championship. the final did not start well, though, and mark selby

got an early lead. it is quite a bad start, big pressure. after 6—0, i started thinking, maybe i lose with a big score. it is like 18—2, or 18—3, or something like that. ding wouldn't give up. he kept fighting and started to play well. unfortunately for him, selby was too good and won his second title. being a champion is notjust about talent and hard work. it is also about having the belief that you can be the best in the world. in the end, the last match in the final is not about the pressure. it is nothing near that. it is only the faith that you can win. the finals, i learnt a lot. if you go to the last match stages, you have got to believe in yourself, that you can win.

that is all you need to do. ding junhui will be playing at the crucible for many years to come, and certainly has the talent to become a multiple world champion. hello there and good afternoon. if you like warm weather and sunshine, you will have plenty to enjoy this weekend. it is looking as other maybe even hotter tomorrow. temperatures are turning pretty warm. be careful to not get burnt. but feeling rather nippy in coastal areas. 0nly

but feeling rather nippy in coastal areas. only about 12 celsius in some parts. but through this afternoon and this evening, we will start with scotland. looking absolutely fame this evening. remember, this is at seven o'clock tonight. the temperatures getting up the further south we come. the rest of today brings sunny skies for almost all of us. the far north of scotland sticking with more cloudy and breezy weather. this evening and overnight, it stays dry. under clear skies, temperatures will drop away considerably. even though towns and cities will hold up around 7 celsius, some rural spots will get cold enough for a touch of grass frost. tomorrow, for england and wales,

it is another sunny day, with just some cloud for western coasts. cloud for scotland and northern ireland and some outbreaks of rain. cool towards the north—west, but the east could see temperatures but the south east could see temperatures getting up as high as 25 celsius. a bit ofa a bit of a change coming from the start of next week. this front moving in. this will bring a dramatic drop in temperatures from monday. 15 silchester not seem particularly bad in london. but it is going to drop off from there. the sunshine today and tomorrow. enjoy it while it lasts. this is bbc news. i'm sophie long.

the headlines at two... swedish police believe the man they've arrested is the driver of the lorry who carried out yesterday's fatal attack in stockholm. a man with links to the incident was arrested this morning at 1:45am. the man arrested is suspected of being the one who drove the car. foreign secretary borisjohnson calls off a visit to moscow, saying the chemical weapons attack in syria has changed the situation fundamentally. more disruption for passengers as rail workers across england stage another strike — there could be delays around the grand national. also in the next hour... honouring seven young people who've made extraordinary contributions to their communities. we'll speak to young carer mohamed khalil, who fled war—torn syria for britain at the age of ten.