After nearly two decades on the air, Peppa Pig has added a same-sex couple to its roster of characters, a milestone first for queer representation on the animated preschool favorite. The couple was introduced to Channel 5 (U.K.) viewers in Tuesday’s episode, “Families.”
In the episode, Peppa’s classmate Penny Polar Bear draws a family portrait and talks about having two mums, saying, “I live with my mummy and my other mummy. One mummy is a doctor, and one mummy cooks spaghetti. I love spaghetti.”
Inevitably, the episode has drawn mixed reactions from adults on social media. Many support the move, such as Britain’s Safe Schools Alliance which tweeted: “Really nice to see age appropriate representation of same sex couples on @peppapig with Penny & her two mummies.”
While some voiced outrage and concern that depicting LGBTQ+ characters would have a negative effect on children or “confuse” them, supporters have been quick to come to the show’s defense. Author and journalist Will Black pointed out this morning: “People who accept an anthropomorphic pig family in clothes, with a dad who wears [glasses], who have an elephant dentist, a pony optician and a zebra postman, are losing their s*** about a same sex couple in Peppa Pig.”
The introduction of the Polar Bears may have been inspired by a petition launched in 2019, which pointed out that the multi-BAFTA-winning show had yet to incorporate a same-sex parented family despite having run for six seasons. The Care2 Petition garnered over 20,000 supporters.
Created by Neville Astley and Mark Baker, Peppa Pig launched in 2004 on Channel 5 and Nick Jr., and has since been translated into over 40 langauges and broadcast in more than 180 territories. The series follows Peppa Pig, a cheeky little piggy who lives with her younger brother George, Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig. Peppa’s favourite things include playing games, dressing up, days out and jumping in muddy puddles.
Entertainment One (eOne), Hasbro’s global content studio, handles rights for the series, and has announced that new episodes will continue production into 2027, with animation handled by U.K. studio Karrot Entertainment.
[H/T CNN]
