British cartoon series Peppa Pig is set to make a huge change to the show as Peppa’s brother George is diagnosed with a life-changing condition in a raft of new episodes.
The popular series, which has become a global phenomenon, announced upcoming changes on Thursday (February 5), revealing that George’s new health condition is part of a shift toward greater diversity and inclusivity on screen.
In upcoming episodes airing 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. It 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.
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In one especially touching scene, we will also see George say sister Peppa's name for the first time.
In the new episodes, George will visit an audiologist, voiced by Gladiator's Fury, also known as Jodie Ounsley, who is deaf and uses 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."
Meanwhile, Hasbro Senior Vice President of Franchise Strategy and Management Esra Cafer said in a press release that as George 'enters this next phase of his development, we continue to celebrate joy, growth and confidence, reminding every child that there’s a place for them in Peppa’s world'.
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 per cent of children and adolescents aged 6–19 having suffered permanent, noise-induced hearing damage.
According to the National Association of the Deaf, roughly 308,648 children aged 5 to 17 are deaf or hard of hearing, while around 15 per cent 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, 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