Top 9 Biggest CBeebies Controversies

#10: Going Bananas

The children’s series Waybuloo broadcast from 2009 until 2012, and was centred around four magical yoga-practicing creatures. Initially, it was marginally controversial for its depiction of Eastern practices like yoga, which some Christians disliked. The bigger scandal came in 2012, when a spin-off narrated by Dave Lamb was released. He’s famous for narrating “Come Dine With Me”, and it was intended to appeal to both children and parents. It ended up appealing to no one, though, with parents complaining all over the CBeebies blog. Only one episode was released, and the original was brought back the next evening.

#9: Pingu Runs Away

The Swiss stop motion animation was first released in 1990, then gradually became known globally, earning it a spot on CBeebies’ regular programming. Not all episodes were considered fit for children, though, despite the wholesome nature. One controversy comes from the episode “Pingu Runs Away”, which wasn’t criticised for the child running away part, but because Pingu gets spanked by his mother. Additionally, there are a bunch of haunting models Pingu encounters after leaving home, which freaked out kids. This led to it being removed from UK TV in 2005, and later it was banned completely on American TV.

#8: Ben Cajee’s Revelations

Since 2015, Cajee has been a regular host of CBeebies. For years, it was his dream job, but after landing it, the cracks began to show. This led him to reveal in an interview a darker side to presenting CBeebies. Cajee spoke up about the extremely intense schedule, which took a massive toll on the presenter. While he does love being on television, he also says he wants to cry most evenings on account of the workload. It gets even more exhausting since on children’s TV, you have to appear happy all the time, but in reality, no one is that cheery 24/7.

#7: Mr Pontipine's Moustache Flies Away

One of the most well-known CBeebies staples is “In the Night Garden…” It premiered in 2007 and then ran for 100 episodes in total. Most were adored by viewers, but one early episode called “Mr Pontipine’s Moustache Flies Away” got a plethora of complaints. This is because the titular mustache was creepily animated, unsettling children and even parents. Outrage was mainly limited to social media, where parents demanded a ban on the episode. In the end, the BBC didn’t take their issues on board and refused to pull the episode from airing. This led Germany to refuse to air it when it was first released there in 2009.

#6: The Lion and Bear

While Teletubbies was originally aired on BBC Two, it has since been played on CBeebies countless times, plus they even produced a reboot in 2015. One episode so edgy it’s banned in America is the Lion and Bear, from the episode “See-Saw Margey Daw.” It depicts a wooden lion and bear chasing each other, but their original designs were way too uncanny for children’s TV. Additionally, it had ominous music and dialogue, making it like something out of a nightmare for kids. It was massively edited into a less harrowing version, but multiple countries, including the United States, still refused to air it.

#5: Pingu’s Uncensored Toilet Trip

Yet another Pingu controversy came with the episode “Little Accidents”, also known as “Pingu’s Lavatory Story.” You could probably guess what Pingu gets up to in this episode. It was likely intended to teach children how not to go to the toilet, but parents instead were worried it had the opposite effect. It features one scene of him urinating into snow, with him missing the toilet completely. The latter scene was shortened for BBC releases, but the episode has been completely banned in a ton of countries outside of Britain on account of its crude humor.

#4: Tinky Winky’s Handbag

Every Teletubby has their own favorite item, such as a scooter, hat, or even a bag. They sound harmless, but the latter item turned out to be highly contentious. This is because Tinky Winky is male, leading to widespread criticism predominantly from America’s religious communities. Back in 1999, they alleged he was a gay role model, as discussed in an article called “Tinky Winky Comes Out of the Closet.” The bag was the strongest hint, but he’s also purple, a color frequently associated with LGBTQ+ communities. A Teletubbies spokesperson found the criticism absurd, stating that carrying a magic bag has nothing to do with Tinky Winky’s sexuality.

#3: Katy Ashworth

In 2011, Ashworth became a regular presenter on CBeebies and a staple of the channel’s house. She stayed on the channel until 2016, left for about a year, then returned until 2022. In around 2018, the BBC was criticised after allegations that Ashworth refused to let her ex-partner visit his son for months. A complaint was filed by Fathers 4 Justice, but the BBC said it was a “private family matter” and refused to investigate. They then made even more allegations, but it’s unclear where things went, although the organisation said her son was reunited with his father.

#2: Cerrie Burnell

People with disabilities are not uncommon, so ideally, children should be taught to have a positive attitude towards the less able. Unfortunately, not all parents agree, which was proven when Cerrie Burnell began presenting on CBeebies. She was born with only one arm, which led to a plethora of complaints when she began appearing on television. Critics claimed her disability frightened their kids, which led to so much toxicity on the CBeebies website that moderators had to remove a lot of posts. Burnell, the BBC, and a ton of disability groups argued that nothing is terrifying about disabilities. They said the issue lay with parents being prejudiced and that positive disabled role models for children were a wonderful thing.

#1: Sarah-Jane Honeywell

In the late 2000s, Honeywell was one of the most beloved CBeebies presenters. She had a pretty successful career, but to many, her child-friendly image was shattered when Honeywell went topless for a PETA photoshoot. She simply wanted to celebrate World Vegan Day, believing it had been amazing for her health. She assumed it would be fine, as she’d posed for wet t-shirt photoshoots in the past and the BBC didn’t mind then. Unfortunately for Honeywell, she lost her presenting job in 2011, which she later revealed was on account of the photoshoot. Apparently, it led to loads of dads asking her for pictures on the street, but their wives were usually not happy.

Did you know about all these scandals, or were there others that didn’t make it into our top 10? Let us know in the comments below!