‘Fairy princess’ Walliams and Johnny Vegas the jelly baby... in a first aid ad?

NO, YOUR eyes – and ears – won’t be deceiving you. Tune in to ITV during the advert break during Coronation Street tomorrow and you’ll see a fairy princess, who sounds remarkably like comedian David Walliams, saving the life of a choking jelly baby.

The animated advert, which also features the voices of comedians David Mitchell, Johnny Vegas and recently knighted actor John Hurt, is part of a striking new campaign by St John Ambulance to highlight the importance of infant first aid. It comes just weeks after the charity launched its annual Everyday Heroes awards in these pages.

Run in association with The Mail on Sunday, the awards honour inspirational individuals who have saved lives using first aid.

The ‘chokeables’ advert sees celebrities take on the character of everyday objects that could potentially harm babies – a small princess toy, a pen lid, a jelly baby and a peanut.

Walliams’s princess character shows the correct technique to apply – up to five back blows, followed by up to five chest thrusts – on the choking jelly baby. The jelly baby (voiced by Vegas) promptly coughs out a peanut (Hurt).

But while the advert may feature the cream of Britain’s comedy and acting talent, the message remains a serious one.

Research by St John Ambulance reveals that four-fifths of parents wouldn’t know how to save their baby from choking, despite 40 per cent having witnessed a similar incident.

The survey, of 4,000 parents, also found just 29 per cent who professed to know how to save a choking baby actually knew the correct technique.

And half of all of parents said knowing first aid would help them feel better prepared and less scared.

‘Knowing what to do in an emergency can be the difference between life and death, especially with something like choking,’ says St John Ambulance chief executive Sue Killen.

‘We all know how busy parents are, so this film makes it as easy as possible to learn first aid – in less than 40 seconds we can all know a skill that could save a life.’ Nominations for the 2015 Everyday Heroes awards are now open, and the winners will be announced at a star-studded ceremony on July 1, hosted by Sky Sports presenter Kirsty Gallacher. She is backing the awards after first-aiders saved the life of her golfer father, Bernard, when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest in 2013. There are nine Everyday Heroes categories, recognising both individuals and organisations who support training. The shortlist for the Guy Evans Young Hero Award, given to a lifesaver under 18, will be featured in these pages, and Mail on Sunday readers can vote for the winner.