Almost half of parents say they feel guilty about not regularly reading a bedtime story A survey found 44 per cent of parents don't read their children bedtime stories Parents said they felt so guilty they often lied to their friends about how much they read to their children Celebrity parents listed The Jungle Book and The Gruffalo among their favourites Nearly half of parents feel guilty about not reading enough bedtime stories to their children, a study has revealed. Some are so embarrassed that they have lied to their friends about it. But "once upon a time" is still alive and well in most British households, with nearly nine out of ten parents setting a goal of reading to their children every night. A recent study has revealed almost half of parents feel guilty for not reading bedtime stories to their children (posed by models) And it appears to be on the rise, with only two thirds of those parents saying they were read to regularly as children. The poll of 1,200 mothers, conducted by parenting website Mumsnet, found that 44 per cent of parents feel bad about not treating their children to a tale before bed. Full of guilt, 4 per cent said they have lied about the amount of bedtime stories they read. Some eager parents have found they are the ones most looking forward to a story at night, with 8 per cent admitting they have bribed their children just to listen to a story. As part of their poll, Mumsnet asked celebrities if they managed to read to their children. Great British Bake Off host Mary Berry revealed that Constance Howard's 1920 book Ameliaranne and the Green Umbrella by Constance Heward were favourites of her children. Chef Jamie Oliver revealed that his children adore The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew it Was None of His Business. Mother-of-two Holly Willoughby is a fan of The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson, which was also voted the best bedtime story by respondents. Reading duties are also increasingly split between husband and wife, with 45 per cent of those polled saying they share the responsibility with their partner. Mumsnet co-founder Justine Roberts said: "It's heartening to find that the bedtime story is alive and well. It's a bit of quality time working parents have carved out, where they feel they are expanding their child's knowledge as well as having the magical moments we all wish we could have more of. Jamie Oliver, chef and television presenter The Story of the Little Mole Who Knew it Was None of His Business by Werner Holzwarth Mary Berry, chef and television presenter Ameliaranne and the Green Umbrella by Constance Heward Michael McIntyre, comedian The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle Richard Bacon, presenter Paddington Bear by Michael Bond Lorraine Pascale, chef and television presenter Oh The Places You'll Go by Dr Seuss Vince Cable, politician Our Island Story: A History of Britain for Boys and Girls from the Romans to Queen Victoria by Henrietta Elizabeth Marshall Kevin McCloud, television presenter The Fish Who Could Wish by John Bush, illustrated by Korky Paul. Davina McCall, television presenter Hug and Where's My Teddy? by Jez Alborough Holly Willoughby, television presenter The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson William Boyd, novelist The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling Eamonn Holmes, television presenter Jack and the Beanstalk and Hansel and Gretel Richard Madeley, television presenter Der Struwwelpeter by Heinrich Hoffmann Kathy Lette, author A Children's Treasury of Spike Milligan