British cartoon series Peppa Pig is set to make a huge change to the show as we know it, as Peppa’s brother George will be diagnosed with a life-changing condition in a raft of new episodes.
The popular series, which has become a global phenomenon, announced the upcoming changes on Thursday, when it revealed that George’s new health condition forms part of a shift to be more diverse and inclusive on screen.
In upcoming episodes due to air in March, the middle child of Mummy and Daddy Pig will be told he has moderate hearing loss and will begin wearing a hearing aid.
The show will chart the entire process from diagnosis during a routine hearing test, right through to how the family learns to adapt and manage the condition.
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The show will also explore him being fitted with a hearing aid and we'll see him experience new noises such as the classic splashing in muddy puddles for the first time.
In one especially touching scene, we will also see George say sister Peppa's name for the first time.
During the new episodes, George will visit an audiologist voiced by British Gladiator Fury, also known as Jodie Ounsley, who is deaf with a cochlear implant.
Sharing the proud news on Instagram, she wrote: "The secret is finally out. My heart feels so full sharing this…I’m beyond proud to be part of an upcoming episode of Peppa Pig, playing an audiologist and sharing the news that little George is moderately deaf.
"This story is so close to heart. Thinking about my own journey and everything my parents went through in those early days, I can’t help but feel that something like this back then could have meant so much.
"Representation truly matters, especially for little ones who are still learning to understand themselves and their place in the world. I’m so excited to see this story help bring awareness, start conversations and hopefully encourage deaf kids to feel proud of who they are."
Around 2 to 3 out of every 1,000 children in the U.S. are born with detectable hearing loss, making it one of the most common congenital abnormalities.
Acquired hearing loss is also becoming increasingly more common, with an estimated 12.5% of children and adolescents aged 6–19 have suffered permanent, noise-induced hearing damage.
Roughly 308,648 children aged 5 to 17 are deaf or hard of hearing, while around 15% of school-age children (6-19) report experiencing some degree of hearing loss.
While the show’s new storyline could prove to be a game changer for representation when it comes to the youngest deaf viewers, it isn’t the first time an animated series has included a deaf character.
Australian series Bluey introduced a deaf character named Dougie in the episode Turtle Boy, who uses Australian Sign Language to communicate, while Dave from Madagascar: A Little Wild, is a deaf chimpanzee who also uses American Sign Language.
The new storyline kicks off on Nickelodeon on Monday, March 23 at 10 a.m. ET.
Topics: Film and TV, Health
Phoebe Tonks