BBC Creative and Blinkink have produced a new film featuring BBC Children in Need mascot, Pudsey, speaking for the first time in the character’s 40-year history.
The new campaign – Pudsey Finds His Voice – urges every adult to be someone children can talk to about mental health to mark Mental Health Awareness Week 2026.
Every three minutes, a child is referred to mental health services for anxiety in England. Yet hundreds of thousands of children who need support face long waits, meaning help often comes too late. This reality makes early intervention – and the role of trusted adults in everyday life – more critical than ever.
A new UK wide online survey commissioned by BBC Children in Need of 2,500 parents and 2,500 children aged 10-14, reveals the scale of the challenge facing children today. Almost a quarter of children (24%) surveyed say they regularly keep their worries to themselves because they don’t know who to talk to or find it hard to explain how they feel, while one in five (21%) haven’t been shown how to talk about mental health in a way that feels safe or supportive. These worries are taking a real toll, with over one in six (17%) children saying their worries regularly affect their sleep or ability to focus at school. More than a third (38%) say their worries have made life less enjoyable or caused them to stay silent due to fear or embarrassment, and nearly a quarter (24%) say they are only sometimes listened to when they speak out about how they’re feeling.
Parents share these concerns. One in five (20%) believe their child regularly keeps worries to themselves, while three quarters say they are worried about children relying on AI tools for mental health support.
In the new film, Pudsey Finds His Voice, Pudsey speaks out to deliver a simple but vital message: every child deserves an adult who will listen.
The 30 second film created by BBC Creative and Blinkink shows Pudsey in conversation with British child actor Dexter Sol Ansell, captures the power and importance of conversation. Pudsey Finds His Voice will air across BBC television and radio from this evening, with an exclusive premiere on The One Show at 7pm (Monday 11 May).
BBC Children in Need’s research found that children who often have someone to talk to are around nine times more likely to say they feel happy than those who do not and so to help parents, carers and other trusted adults feel more confident starting these vital conversations BBC Children in Need has partnered with The Children’s Society to create practical guidance and tools, available via its dedicated mental health hub at bbc.co.uk/Pudsey.
Alongside this national call to action, the charity is also investing directly in early intervention when it matters most and today announces £1.24million in new funding for vital mental health support. This includes a funding award of £745,000 to Mental Health Innovations – the charity behind Shout – to expand its free, confidential digital counselling service for 13-18 year olds, boosting volunteer capacity and upgrading technology so more young people can access fast, anonymous support when they need it most.
In addition, a further £500,000 has been awarded to The Children’s Society to continue support for the Space to Grow project, which delivers accessible 121, group and peer led support sessions in schools and local communities across the UK to improve children’s emotional wellbeing.
Both these awards are in addition to the £40m that BBC Children in Need is already investing in more than 700 projects across the UK supporting children with their mental health.
Steve Lownes & Aron Sidhu – Senior Creatives, BBC Creative, said “Pudsey has been a symbol of Children in Need for over 40 years, but he’s never had a voice. With more and more children facing mental health challenges, we felt it was time for Pudsey to speak up, helping highlight just how important it is to talk to children about their worries.”
“To bring Pudsey to life, we used a plush bear with live-action puppetry, alongside subtle 2D animation to create his mouth movements. But it was the addition of his adorable Yorkshire accent that made him feel real. We searched through 137 different voices to find the right ageless, soft tone to fit Pudsey.”
Blinkink’s puppeteers and filmmakers Jonny and Will, said “The campaign is about children having someone to talk to, and the idea that they might have the same Pudsey teddy at home, felt like a nice way for them to feel close to the character, and give it a familiar, homely feel. We wanted the audience to feel as though Pudsey was an old friend, not a magical apparition. When he turns up, it’s like the child is having a heart to heart with a pal, able to wear their heart on their sleeve, and talk about their feelings. The message that every child deserves an adult who will listen was key, and hopefully the audience will take that away with them.”
“Finding Pudsey’s voice was definitely a challenge. Having never heard him speak before, we knew it was important to strike the right tone. A slight Yorkshire lilt was a lovely touch, and in the end we found a voice which had just the right elements we were looking for, as well as the perfect energy levels and eloquent delivery.”
Mark Russell, Chief Executive at The Children’s Society, said “Many children are struggling with their mental health long before anyone notices – especially if they feel they have no one to talk to. That’s why this campaign from BBC Children in Need really matters – helping adults step in sooner, listen more and make sure no child feels they have to cope alone.”
Jon Creamer
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