Peppa Pig episode banned in Australia due to ‘spiders can’t hurt you’ message
The episode aired on pay TV despite being deemed inappropriate for audiences in Australia, home to many dangerous spiders

A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
Thank you for signing up to TheWeek. You will receive a verification email shortly.
There was a problem. Please refresh the page and try again.
An episode of the children’s cartoon Peppa Pig has been banned in Australia after the message “spiders can't hurt you” was deemed inappropriate for Aussie audiences.
The episode, Mister Skinny Legs, written by Alison Snowden, is about a large spider “which an initially fearful Peppa befriends, before picking the giggling arachnid up, feeding him tea and cake and tucking him into bed in her doll house”, says the Daily Telegraph.
The cartoon show ends with Peppa declaring: “We are all going to have tea with Mister Skinny Legs”.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
During the episode Peppa’s father tells her: “There’s no need to be afraid. Spiders are very, very small and they can’t hurt you.”
This advice from the British show was deemed to be “inappropriate for Australian audiences” and the Australian Broadcasting Company banned it from future broadcast.
Despite the ban, the episode was accidentally published online before being aired again on Nickelodeon channel Nick Jr on August 25 this year.
According to Australian website Essential Baby, a Sydney mother watching Peppa Pig with her daughter switched the episode off and complained to pay TV provider Foxtel about the programme.
Nick Jr originally defended the decision to air the episode, saying the episode is “light-hearted, friendly and very mild in impact”.
“The context of the way the spider is portrayed in the episode lessens any impact of scariness or danger; the spider does not look real, it has a smiley face and is shown in context of a show with other talking animals,” it said.
But after being contacted by Australian media, Nick Jr said it would remove the episode from programming rotation, despite continuing to maintain that it “does meet our criteria” for broadcast.
“Not all Australian spiders are 'very, very small' and some can hurt you,” warns The Guardian. In fact, Australia is home to some of the most venomous spiders in the world, including the redback and wolf spider.
According to the Australian Museum, around 2,000 people are bitten each year by red back spiders, but fatalities are extremely rare.
A man reportedly died from a redback spider bite in April last year in “the first fatality from a spider bite in more than 30 years”, says the Evening Standard.
Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.
Sign up to our 10 Things You Need to Know Today newsletter
A free daily digest of the biggest news stories of the day - and the best features from our website
-
Texas and Yelp are suing each other over crisis pregnancy centers
Talking Point A battle over free speech and abortion rights heads to court
By Joel Mathis Published
-
Dianne Feinstein, history-making Democratic US senator, dies at 90
The Explainer Her colleagues celebrate her legacy as a trailblazer who cleared the path for other women to follow
By Theara Coleman Published
-
Why is the government on the brink of a shutdown?
Today's Big Question GOP infighting is bringing the country to a standstill, but even Republicans aren't entirely sure why
By Rafi Schwartz Published
-
Fernando Botero obituary: artist of 'whimsical rotundity'
Obituary Colombian painter and sculptor was known for his 'exuberant style'
By The Week Staff Published
-
Two lost jet-skiers shot dead by coastguard
Speed Read Tensions between Algeria and Morocco heightened after death of holidaymakers who ‘strayed across border’
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Fabulous foodie adventures in Peru, Japan and Australia
feature Featuring a Peruvian pilgrimage and foraging in the Volcanic Lakes and Plains
By The Week Staff Published
-
A stunning road trip around Tasmania
The Week Recommends With its diverse wildlife, sandy beaches and tropical coves, Tasmania packs a lot of scenery
By The Week Staff Published
-
Disney’s Hong Kong service deletes Simpsons ‘forced labour’ episode
Speed Read Episode titled One Angry Lisa episode removed from Disney+ streaming platform in the Chinese territory amid growing censorship concerns
By Jamie Timson Published
-
Sport on TV guide: Christmas 2022 and New Year listings
Speed Read Enjoy a feast of sporting action with football, darts, rugby union, racing, NFL and NBA
By Mike Starling Published
-
The world’s most eye-catching Christmas trees
In Pictures Queen Victoria helped to popularise the iconic symbol of the festive season
By The Week Published
-
Chess scandal deepens as investigation finds grandmaster likely cheated in over 100 online games
Speed Read
By Brendan Morrow Published