CBeebies creative director, Michael Carrington said, "We are launching a raft of new, innovative programming alongside our bedrock of family favourites. We have to remember that our audience keeps growing from tot to toddler to tearaway, so our programming needs to grow and change with them.

"While we have globally recognised, award-wining programmes that will continue to be the foundation of the channel, we felt that it was time for a new look and some exciting new programmes for all our viewers."

So the old-fashioned, bare studio sets have gone and the presenters will take up residence in their new home, literally.

Carrington continued, "We want to make CBeebies a home from home for the under six-year-olds. For most young children, their world is quite small and centres on their family house.

"So we've given our presenters a new home and they'll present in different places at different times of the day – perhaps the kitchen for breakfast time, the bedroom or sofa for story time and the garage for action adventures after school."

Another major part of the channel's new look is its zones. Driven by suggestions from parents and carers up and down the country, CBeebies' schedule will now mirror a child's activities through the day.

Carrington adds, "We have spoken to a lot of parents and carers and collectively they made one big suggestion to us – to mirror the family rhythms of the day with clear programming for specific ages at specific times. I hope that our new 'zones' should make it easier for our viewers to find all their favourite shows."

The CBeebies online and interactive re-fresh isn't far behind. Over the next couple of months the whole CBeebies site will be redesigned with more programme linked content and activities plus the special Grown Ups zone featuring parenting advice and information.

Carrington says, "CBeebies is already the fourth most visited section of the BBC website behind the news, sport and football home pages.

"It will also now encompass CBeebies Radio (which can be accessed via the site or on a DAB radio). I'm really excited that these new developments and changes allow us to increase CBeebies' offering to children under six across all of the BBC's broadcasting mediums."