Farmers have criticised the showmakers behind Peppa Pig after claiming the birth of her baby sister was not factually accurate.
The world took a sigh of relief after it was revealed Peppa’s mother Mummy Pig had given birth to her third piglet – named after her aunt Evie – on Tuesday.
The news was announced on yesterday’s Good Morning Britain after Mummy Pig gave birth at 5:34am in the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s Hospital in London – the same location where Kate Middleton gave birth to her children.
Big siblings Peppa and George are said to be over the moon and excited to meet their new baby sister, while Mummy and Daddy Pig are ‘looking forward to lots of happy snorts and sleepless nights.’
Meanwhile, the news has caused upset among the farming community, with some claiming the show has been disingenuous in depicting how pigs give birth.
One disgruntled agriculture enthusiast rang in to the Scott Mills Breakfast Show on BBC Radio 1 this morning to complain that in reality, pigs give birth to a large litter of offspring rather than just a singular piglet.
Mills read out a text from a woman named Caroline, asking: ‘Since when does a pig only have a piglet? They usually have 10 not a singular,’ to which the DJ joked that she was maybe ‘overthinking it a little bit’.
But she does have a point, as farmer Ruth Ashton-Shaw, who keeps pigs on her farm in Scotland, points out. She told MailOnline that her pigs generally have between eight and 12 piglets, though intensive farms can see litters of 16 or 18.
Peppa Pig’s family has announced their new addition to the family, with the safe arrival of a baby girl on Tuesday morning at London’s Lindo Wing
The new mother-of-three is pictured outside St Mary’s Hospital in London with her newborn baby daughter
‘That’s a lot of brothers and sisters for Peppa, and probably a lot of work for the scriptwriters too,’ Ms Ashton Shaw, who is part of the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN), added.
Data from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in 2023 states that the size of an average pig litter in the UK stands at 15.48, which is up from less than 12.5 in 2010.
Ms Ashton Shaw also suggested that this is not the only way Evie’s birth in the cartoon may deviate from the real world.
She explained: ‘Piglets are born and immediately get up and walk to start feeding from mum. They are pretty brutal and don’t let anything get in their way of finding milk. They’re not exactly the adorable siblings people might imagine.
‘Unlike Peppa’s family, who live in a house, our mum pigs often prefer to build their own shelters out of twigs to give birth in outside. However, like Peppa’s close-knit family, we don’t split off our sows and keep them with their pregnant sisters, as they look after each other. Just like on screen, where Peppa and Evie have a caring, loving environment, it’s really lovely to see.’
But farmers were not the only ones to be outraged by the supposedly false depiction of pig pregnancies as animal rights group PETA also used the announcement to take aim at how poorly pigs can be treated on industrial farms in the UK.
They wrote on X: [Mummy Pig’s] hospital suite sure was sparkling, not to mention she was surrounded by love and care.
‘Pigs on farms aren’t so lucky. Their babies are born into industrial hellholes, trapped on dirty concrete floors and up to 1 in 5 piglets die before they’re weaned.’
Data from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) in 2023 states that the size of an average pig litter in the UK stands at 15.48 (Stock image)
But Peppa’s family on screen are much more tight knit and share a much smaller household
Animal rights group PETA also used the announcement to take aim at how poorly pigs can be treated on industrial farms in the UK
It comes as last month the Battersea Power Station chimneys were lit up pink to reveal Mummy and Daddy Pig are expecting a baby girl.
The global smash hit cartoon celebrated the gender reveal news with a VIP party at the world’s first-ever permanent Peppa Pig store at Battersea, featuring fundraising in support of NCT, the UK’s leading charity for pregnancy and parents.
NCT (National Children’s Trust) was announced earlier this month as the official ‘Pregnancy and Parenting Charity Partner’ for Peppa Pig in the UK.
And the excitement doesn’t stop there as fans can join the Pig family on the big screen with Peppa Meets the Baby, a brand-new cinema experience launching May 30 in over 2,600 cinemas across 19 countries.
The hour-long, song-filled screening features 10 brand-new episodes, as Peppa and George prepared for the arrival of their baby sister.
After revealing the gender of her little one, the pig matriarch also opened up on the support that Daddy Pig had given her during her pregnancy.
In an interview with Grazia magazine, in which she posed for a stunning pregnancy shoot, Mummy Pig responded positively when asked if she’s closer to her husband as she gushed at how the pregnancy has strengthened their bond.
She went on to emphasize the pair’s teamwork when it comes to juggling their busy schedules with older children Peppa, four and George, two.
Mummy Pig and Daddy Pig welcomed their little girl at the Lindo Wing in London – the same location where Kate Middleton gave birth to all three of her children. The Princess is pictured holding their son Prince George outside the Lindo Wing shortly after his birth in July 2013
Mummy Pig broke the internet back in February when she revealed she was pregnant with her third piglet
Last month the Battersea Power Station chimneys were lit up pink to reveal Mummy and Daddy Pig were expecting a baby girl
Peppa Pig first aired in 2004 and has since been broadcast in 180 territories and translated into 40 languages. It’s spawned books, toys and even two theme parks, with the global Peppa empire now worth over £1billion.
Creators Neville Astley and Mark Baker admitted they were worried the idea would never get off the ground, and that people were initially bored of the idea.
People in the pub would ask us, “What are you drawing?” We’d say, “A pig, called Peppa, it’s going to be big.” They’d lose interest and wander off’, explained Astley.
The pair created Peppa and her family working in each other’s houses or at the local pub.
They told the Radio Times they were inspired by 1970s cartoon classics including Roobarb and Pingu, after realising that children ‘like stories about animals’.
