Parents warned over a ‘sinister’ character called Huggy Wuggy, with videos of the ‘killer teddy’ being shared online
Because Huggy Wuggy is a child-orientated name and character, it appears to be slipping through some parental control on devices used by youngsters. Videos feature the character singing about ‘hugging and killing’ and asking viewers to ‘take their last breath’, leaving some youngsters traumatized.
After reports earlier this year of children mimicking the character, police warned parents about the ‘bear-like character with razor-sharp teeth’, who is actually a monster from an adult horror game ‘Poppy Playtime’, as reported by the Manchester Evening News.
Mental health campaigners have now chimed in with a warning which has been shared by a number of schools. The Suicide Awareness and Mental Health Initiative (SAMHI) said: “Parents are being urged not to let their children watch terrifying TikTok and YouTube videos of the killer teddy.
“The bear sings about ‘hugging and killing’ and asks those watching to ‘take their last breath’. Police have issued a warning over the character after some kids have been seen recreating the bear’s actions on the playground.
“One line says ‘I could hug you here forever, til you breathe your last breath together’. It continues ‘My teeth sharp and ready, in my grasp, yeah they’re deadly’. The blue bear also invites people to ‘lean in for a spine-breaking embrace’.”
Bolton Parish Church C of E Primary School is among those to issue the warning to parents, saying: “School has been made aware of a new potential safeguarding concern involving a character called Huggy Wuggy. This character is from a Horror Survival Game (Poppy Playtime) which is age rated 12 by PEGI. This includes descriptors for Moderate Violence and Horror from PEGI (age ratings for games).
“There is also a lot of related content created on TikTok and YouTube that feature the game characters in unsettling scenarios. One of these videos included a song, Free Hugs, with lyrics ‘Cause I could just hug you here. Forever, forever. Till you breathe your last breath’.”
