Producers of Paddington Bear are suing the makers of Spitting Image over a parody that portrayed the children’s character as a cocaine-taking individual alongside Prince Harry.
The satirical sketch, part of Spitting Image: The Rest Is B*******, featured Paddington alongside the Duke of Sussex as co-hosts of a podcast.
The red-eyed bear, speaking in a mock South American accent, said he enjoys “100 per cent Peruvian, biodynamic, organic, catastrophic cocaine.” He added: “I am from Peru, motherf*****. I am Paddington Bear from Peru.”
StudioCanal, which produces the Paddington films, has filed a High Court complaint against British production company Avalon, which makes the show.
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Legal documents have raised copyright concerns, according to Deadline, which first reported the story.
Fans have accused producers of “disrespecting” the marmalade-loving bear. In the parody, Paddington interviews Elon Musk, advertises robotic sex dolls and guns, and refers to himself as “Pablo Esco-bear.”
Before appearing to pass out after snorting white powder, he said: “You most likely remember me from the films Paddington, Paddington 2 and Paddington in Peru.
“I also had a starring role in the Netflix series Narcos, as Pablo Esco-bear. It is a joke. Laugh, muchachos.”
Paddinton Bear producers take legal action against Spitting Image over Prince Harry sketch
|AVALON PROMOTIONS
Prince Harry was also mocked in the same episode. His puppet said: “I’m here to tell my truth and make a s*** ton of money out of podcasting as I don’t have any discernible talent.”
Other public figures satirised included Donald Trump, who was shown beside King Charles wearing a baby’s bib, and Labour’s Angela Rayner, who gave spoof property advice on a fake website called Wrongmove.
Mocking the royals has been a core part of Spitting Image since it first aired in 1984, and became one of Britain’s most popular satire shows before it was axed in 1996.
The original series regularly featured exaggerated puppet versions of members of the Royal Family, including Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, Princess Diana, and later Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson.
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Paddington Bear as seen in the 2014 StudioCanal film
|STUDIOCANAL / ALLSTAR
The show’s creators used the royals to satirise class, privilege and the monarchy’s place in modern Britain.
Princess Diana was often portrayed as the more relatable and media-savvy royal, while Charles was shown as pompous or awkward.
Queen Elizabeth II was depicted as stern and detached, and the late Duke of Edinburgh as blunt and politically incorrect, caricatures that reflected the public mood of the time.
When Spitting Image was revived in 2020, it continued that tradition with new puppets of King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Kate and Prince Harry.
The show has long defended its royal sketches as political satire, but its more extreme portrayals, such as the recent Paddington and Prince Harry parody, have reignited debate about whether its humour crosses the line.
Paddington Bear became closely associated with Queen Elizabeth II after their widely loved Platinum Jubilee sketch in June 2022.
In the televised opening of the Jubilee concert, the late Queen shared tea and marmalade sandwiches with Paddington inside Buckingham Palace.
This was regarded as a moment that showed her playful side and quickly went viral around the world.
Members of the Royal Family displayed as Spitting Image puppets in 2000
|PA
After her death three months later, mourners left thousands of Paddington toys and marmalade sandwiches outside royal residences.
Buckingham Palace later announced that the toys would be collected and donated to children’s charities, cementing Paddington’s connection to her legacy.
The latest Spitting Image parody seems to have struck a particularly sour note with many, because Paddington is now deeply linked to the late Queen’s public image.
GB News have contacted StudioCanal and Avalon for comment.
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