Dame Shirley Bassey Conjures Magic: Original Songs for New Harry Potter Audiobook Unveiled!

Dame Shirley Bassey has officially joined the Harry Potter universe, decades after serving as the inspiration for a beloved character. The iconic Welsh singer has contributed three original songs to the new Harry Potter: The Full-Cast Audio Editions, an ambitious audio version of the acclaimed book series produced by Pottermore and Audible. One of these tracks, “You Stole My Cauldron But You Can’t Have My Heart,” was exclusively previewed.
Bassey's connection to the Wizarding World dates back to when J.K. Rowling was writing the novels. Rowling explicitly stated in 2015 that Bassey was the original inspiration for the character Celestina Warbeck, a fictional singing sensation who has appeared in the books, video games, and other media. Rowling described Celestina as “one of my favourite ‘off-stage’ characters in the whole series,” and confessed she “always imagined her to resemble Shirley Bassey in both looks and style.”
Expressing her honor at this long-standing connection, Bassey remarked, “I’m honoured to have been an inspiration for the original character of Celestina Warbeck in the Harry Potter series. Bringing her music to life in this ambitious project from Pottermore Publishing and Audible was a joy, and I hope these songs throughout the audiobooks offer a truly magical listening experience for fans worldwide.”
The three original songs showcase Bassey’s distinctive voice, blended with the rich sound of a 17-piece big band. Bassey recorded her vocal parts at Miraval Studios in France, while the big band's segments were recorded at the legendary Abbey Road Studios in London. This project marks a significant musical contribution for Bassey, whose most recent original music prior to this was released in 2020 on her LP, *I Owe It All To You*.
The first of Bassey's songs is featured in the *Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets* audio cast, which was released on Tuesday, December 16. The other two songs, “A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love” and “You Charmed The Heart Right Out of Me,” are scheduled to appear in the *Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince* audio edition on April 14, 2026. Bassey joins an impressive roster of A-list talent for these new Audible productions, which are being released over several months. The cast is led by Hugh Laurie as Albus Dumbledore, Matthew Macfadyen as Lord Voldemort, Riz Ahmed as Professor Snape, and Michelle Gomez as Professor McGonagall.
You may also like...
The End of Phone Numbers in M-PESA: Kenya’s Big Privacy Shift
M-PESA is removing visible phone numbers from transactions, marking a major shift in privacy, fraud prevention, and how ...
The Oil in Your Kitchen Wasn’t Always Meant for Consumption
The cooking oil in your kitchen didn’t always start as food. From industrial lubricants to “heart-healthy” branding, her...
Moniepoint Just Acquired Orda and It Is Playing a Much Bigger Game Than Payments
Moniepoint has acquired restaurant management platform Orda, rebranding it Moniebook for Restaurants. Here's what the de...
SHE100: The Story Of Zainab Fasiki, the Moroccan artivist
She was ranked first in the country as a mechanical engineer. Then she drew herself naked, put it on the internet, and c...
SHE100: Esther Phiri Breaks Barriers to Become a World Boxing Champion
Esther Phiri is a Zambian world boxing champion who rose to fame in the mid-2000s after winning the WBF Women’s Bantamwe...
The Organ Behind the Autism Spike Isn’t the Brain, So Why Are We Still Focusing Only on the Brain?
Recent research suggests the autism spike may originate in the gut, not the brain. Discover why children are improving w...
SHE100: African Luxury on African Terms. That's the Sarah Diouf Story
She went from journalism to building one of Africa's most powerful fashion brands. This Women's Month, Sarah Diouf shows...
SHE100: The Woman Who Turned Her Fintech Frustration Into a Platform 3,000+ Builders Now Rely On
She studied Botany, got shut out by COVID, and ended up building the knowledge infrastructure African fintech never had....





