Balamory solid ought to put on ‘animal-friendly wool’ when present returns
Balamory actors should wear ‘animal friendly wool’ in the reboot of the BBC show, activists have claimed.
Peta, the animal rights group, have called for the cast to wear ‘animal-friendly clothing – like kilts and jumpers made of plant wool’ in a letter to the corporation.
Yvonne Taylor, Peta’s vice president of corporate programmes, insisted the show could use ‘plant wool’ as a way of educating children about being environmentally friendly.
The group claimed sheep were ‘intelligent and sensitive individuals’ that were often subject to abuse and were ‘bred to have unnaturally heavy fleeces’, causing infections.
The CBeebies classic, which originally ran between 2002 and 2005, is filmed in the picturesque Tobermory on the Scottish island of Mull and is set to return to screens in 2026.
In the original run, several characters – such as Miss Hoolie and Archie the inventor – appear wearing woolly jumpers on the fictional island community off the west coast of Scotland.
The CBeebies classic, which originally ran between 2002 and 2005, is filmed in the picturesque Tobermory on the Scottish island of Mull
Writing in the letter, Ms Taylor said: ‘No one wants a gory story in Balamory. We’re sure that the new generation of Balamory viewers will appreciate the cast sporting animal-friendly clothing – like kilts and jumpers made of plant wool – as a simple but powerful way to educate everyone about how their choices impact the environment.’
Celebrities such as Alicia Silverstone and Joaquin Phoenix have previously modelled ‘vegan wool’ for Peta – with the group claiming the material can be made out of organic cotton, hemp, bananas and coconuts.
Conservative MSP Tim Eagle, a sheep farmer who is also shadow rural affairs secretary at Holyrood, denounced the group’s request as ‘bizarre’ and said it showed that Peta was ‘totally disconnected from the real world’.
Mr Eagle, who farms near Buckie, in the north-east of Scotland, said: ‘Most people accept Balamory for what it is, a light-hearted kids television programme and are looking forward to it coming back.
‘Wool continues to be incredibly important for the UK economy and sheep farmers are playing a key role in tackling climate change. Peta should show some common sense, recognise that and drop this call.’
The show’s remake is understood to be in its early stage and a production company has not yet been selected.
Balamory is back after a two-decade hiatus and will star some original cast members from the noughties
Residents such as Miss Hoolie, PC Plum, Josie Jump, Edie McCredie and Archie the inventor kept children entertained for years as they tackled fun events in the community
With its trendy songs, the Bafta-winning series attracted two million viewers a week in Britain
Despite its huge success, after four seasons and 254 episodes, the programme was cancelled after four seasons
The two series will consist of 10, 14 minute episodes and further information and cast details will be announced in 2025 (pictured: Miles Jupp)
Last year it was revealed that Julie, 51, has joined the cast of Olga De Polga
Sources at the BBC said that they would make sure the programme makers saw the Peta letter but did not commit to making the programme wool-free.
The iconic CBeebies show saw residents such as Miss Hoolie, PC Plum, Josie Jump, Edie McCredie and Archie the inventor kept children entertained for years as they tackled fun events and challenges in the community.
With its trendy songs, the Bafta-winning series attracted two million viewers a week in Britain.
Despite its huge success, after four seasons and 254 episodes, the programme was cancelled.
The show has now been commissioned for two new series, which will begin airing in 2026.
It is expected that the new series will be set in the picturesque village of Balamory where pretty, coloured houses nestle round a charming harbour, with stories centred around a nursery school and their teacher.
Some of the original characters will be included in the series, alongside a host of new faces for preschoolers to get to know.
The two series will consist of ten 14-minute episodes and further information and cast details will be announced in 2025.
The original cast members set to return remain unconfirmed.
