For four decades, Pudsey Bear has been a silent symbol of hope for children across the UK — but now the famous mascot is breaking his silence for the first time. In a new campaign launched to coincide with Mental Health Awareness Week, Pudsey is speaking out because, in the charity’s own words, “too many children feel they can’t share what they’re going through, and too many adults aren’t sure how to start that conversation.”
Pudsey’s new voice
The campaign, titled “Pudsey Finds His Voice,” centres on a 30-second film co-produced by BBC Creative and Blinkink. In it, Pudsey speaks for the first time alongside actor Dexter Sol Ansell. The short film urges adults to listen to children, emphasising that every child deserves an adult who will listen. It aims to create moments, ask questions, and encourage listening so that children feel safe to open up.
Pudsey Bear was created in 1985 by BBC graphic designer Joanna Lane and has been the face of BBC Children in Need ever since, appearing in fundraising and volunteer activities. This is the first time the mascot has spoken since his creation.
Why children and adults struggle to talk
The campaign is rooted in stark evidence about the scale of children’s mental health challenges and the communication gap between young people and the adults around them. Research cited by BBC Children in Need found that 24% of children keep their worries to themselves. A further 38% said their worries have made life less enjoyable or caused them to stay silent out of fear or embarrassment.
Broader research reinforces the pattern. A UK-wide survey discovered that 26% of young people feel the need to hide their feelings, 33% feel anxious about their future, and 32% are uncomfortable asking for help. The disconnect between adult perception and reality is striking: while 93% of parents surveyed stated they talk to their child about mental health at least once a month, 27% of young people reported not having spoken to someone they trust about their mental health in the last six months.
According to data cited by Children in Need, the likelihood of a young person having a mental health issue has increased by 50% in the last three years (as of 2021), and 75% of children and young people experiencing a mental health issue are not receiving the help they need. A study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that children who feel cared for are less likely to face anxiety or depression later in life — underscoring the importance of opening up conversations early.
Experts consulted for the campaign emphasise that regular, low-pressure conversations about thoughts, feelings, and experiences are vital to building trust. They advise making conversation a daily habit, choosing times with fewer distractions such as family dinners or bedtime; modelling open communication by sharing one’s own feelings; asking open-ended questions; respecting a child’s space if they do not want to talk and trying again later; and staying calm while validating feelings rather than trying to fix everything immediately.
A call to action
Alongside the campaign, BBC Children in Need is investing £1.24 million in mental health support for children and young people. The funding will go to charities including Mental Health Innovations and The Children’s Society, which provide critical resources such as helplines, mentoring, and therapeutic support.
This investment builds on the charity’s long fundraising history. Since its first televised appeal in 1980, BBC Children in Need has raised over £1 billion. The 2025 Appeal raised £45.5 million, an increase from £39.2 million in 2024 and £33.5 million in 2023. The charity supports projects addressing mental health, poverty, disability, difficult home lives, and inequality, funding local charities, community projects, and youth clubs.
Public participation is being encouraged through this year’s theme, “Challenge Yourself to 25,” which asks individuals and communities to take on challenges based on the number 25 — promoting collective action and fundraising. Past campaigns have included “The Heaviest Backpack” (2024), which focused on the burdens children carry, and “Make Life Lighter” (2024), which asked the public to help lighten children’s loads.
The message from Pudsey and the charity is clear: every child needs an adult who will listen, and the time to start those conversations is now.
