People joke Cadbury Freddo has ‘taken Ozempic’ after wild transformation

A viral snap of a chocolate mascot has left social media users in stitches, with one cheeky user suggesting it’s been hitting the Ozempic.

The world’s been buzzing about Ozempic this year, with big names like Sharon Osbourne and Oprah Winfrey among the celebs reportedly on the ‘slim-down’ drug. But now, social media is abuzz with banter that a beloved UK ‘creature’ has also succumbed to the slimming sensation – and it’s not who you’d think.

Over on social media, a spoof account named ‘Manic Kieth Preachers’ posted a side-by-side pic of what looks like Cadbury’s Freddo frog. The little guy seems to have lost some weight, looking chunkier in the first photo and surprisingly trim in the second.

“Another British icon lost to Ozempic,” the post quipped (@wrb91), quickly racking up a whopping 46k views and a flood of chuckles. One user joked: “We used to be a real country,” while others joined in with: “Liposuction strikes again,” and: “What has happened to this country.”

But some were quick to point out that Freddo isn’t actually a ‘British icon’ – he was born in Australia back in the 1930s, then hopped over to Cadbury in 1967. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, a young lad named Harry Melbourne, just 18 at the time, dreamt up the famous frog while working for MacRobertson Chocolates confectionery, reports the Mirror.

“Freddo Frogs are Australian, not British,” one user insisted, while another chimed in: “Britain stop stealing from your colonies.”

According to WalesOnline, Freddos actually increased in size from 17g to 20g in 2007, only to shrink back down to 18g four years later. And if you think that’s a shocker, just be thankful we aren’t in Australia where bars have reportedly shrunk to a disappointing 12g.

This isn’t exactly surprising from Cadbury, amid allegations that it also reduced the size of its Dairy Milk sharing bars by 10 per cent. The reduction came after the company was accused of ‘shrinkflation’ – downsizing a product while keeping its price the same to boost profits.

However, Mondelez, the parent company, attributed this to soaring production costs in 2022. At the time, a Mondelez spokesperson stated: “We’re facing the same challenges that so many other food companies have already reported when it comes to significantly increased production costs – whether it’s ingredients, energy or packaging – and rising inflation.”

Interestingly, Cadbury actually began as a grocer’s shop in Birmingham 200 years ago. Alongside its typical supermarket items, the shop also sold cocoa and drinking chocolate which quickly became very popular.

Over the years, the business only expanded, becoming the multinational confectionery company we know today, with a value of approximately £2.9 billion, according to Marketing Week. “Since 1824, Cadbury had gone from a Birmingham-based chocolate shop to a national favourite,” the chocolate company states.

“In this time, the Cadbury family has partnered with other family-run companies like Fry and Sons and Trebor Bassett to provide the best value for money, from corner shops to supermarket aisles… We’ve come a long way in 200 years but one thing that will never change is the generous spirit we bring to everything we do.”

Cadbury has been approached for comment.

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