Pudsey speaks for very first time in powerful new campaign about urgent issue

by

Pudsey Bear, the mascot for Children in Need, will be part of a campaign for Mental Health Awareness Week.

To help adults become better listeners and create a safe space for children to talk, Pudsey the bear will ‘speak’ for the first time in a new movie called Pudsey Finds His Voice.

A 30-second film will be shown on BBC TV and radio, and will first be seen on The One Show at 7pm on Monday, May 11th.

The movie features Pudsey chatting with Dexter Sol Ansell, the young actor from ‘A Knight of Seven Kingdoms,’ and aims to highlight how valuable and impactful conversation can be.

This significant finding is based on a recent survey commissioned by Children in Need. The survey, conducted online by Censuswide, included responses from 2,500 parents and 2,500 children between the ages of 10 and 14 in the UK.

The survey highlights the significant challenges children are facing today. It found that nearly a quarter (24%) often keep their worries to themselves, either because they don’t know who to confide in or struggle to express their feelings. Additionally, one in five (21%) haven’t been taught how to talk about mental health in a comfortable and supportive way.

As a film buff, I’ve always been drawn to stories that reflect real life, and this data is pretty sobering. It really hits home when you realize how many kids are struggling with worry. The numbers show that a significant portion – around 17% – are losing sleep or having trouble concentrating in school because of it. Even more – 38% – say their worries are actually making life less enjoyable, and they’re even holding back from speaking up because they’re afraid or embarrassed. It’s heartbreaking to think that almost 24% of them don’t even feel consistently heard when they do try to talk about what’s going on. It just underscores how important it is to tell stories that acknowledge these experiences and encourage open conversation.

It’s crucial to address this issue immediately. Recent research shows that 20% of parents think their child often hides their worries, and 75% are concerned about kids using AI for mental health support.

To support the film, BBC Children in Need and The Children’s Society have teamed up to offer helpful advice and resources. The Children’s Society is also providing £1.24 million in new funding to expand crucial mental health services.

Responding to the new film, Claire Hoyle, acting head of BBC Children in Need, said their research shows many children and young people struggle with worries on their own, and keeping those feelings hidden can be harmful to their mental wellbeing.

A supportive adult can truly make a difference in a child’s life. When kids feel like someone is listening, it helps them deal with challenges and prevents small issues from growing into bigger ones.

For over 40 years, Pudsey Bear has supported children, and now he’s launching a new campaign to help them speak up. Many children struggle to share their feelings, and many adults don’t know how to start conversations about difficult topics. This campaign encourages adults to take the initiative – to create safe spaces, ask open questions, and truly listen, so children feel comfortable opening up.

Want to see this content?

Hey, so this site uses a security feature called Google reCAPTCHA to help keep things safe from bots. Before it loads anything, it asks for my permission – that’s because reCAPTCHA uses cookies and things like that. If I want to see the content and let it work, I just need to click ‘Accept and continue’. It’s pretty standard stuff, just making sure everything is secure!

Authors

Morgan CormackDrama Writer

I’m a huge fan of Morgan Cormack’s work! She’s a Drama Writer at TopMob, which means she gets to cover all the best TV shows and streaming series. Before that, she was writing about entertainment at Stylist, and she’s also done content marketing and freelancing. Plus, she has a degree in English Literature, so she really knows her stuff when it comes to storytelling!

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-05-11 02:34