Children’s show Hey Duggee has launched a special episode with Ukrainian characters and subtitles to welcome the thousands of Ukrainian children who are taking refuge in the UK as a result of the Russian invasion.
As well as much-loved character Duggee (a big dog), the episode – titled Welcome Badge – will feature Ukrainian celebrities Mavka and Swampy the Kittyfrog, and some new guests at the squirrel club.
To greet their new friends, regular characters on the show – Happy, Betty, Tag, Roly and Norrie – will sing a Welcome Song complete with translations of Ukrainian phrases and words.
Swampy the Kittyfrog is taken from the Ukrainian cartoon Mavka: The Forest Song. Photo: BBC
The characters of Mavka and Swampy are from the Ukrainian cartoon Mavka: The Forest Song by Animagrad studio and based on ancient Slavic legends and a classic Ukrainian novel by author Lesya Ukrainka.
Hey Duggee narrator Alexander Armstrong voices the story, and he’s joined by children from the UK and new youngsters from Ukraine – all of whom sing the lyrics of the song in their native languages.
The BBC’s award-winning show hopes the episode will reflect the real-life experiences of Ukrainian children arriving in the UK and make them feel even more welcome.
It also hopes to encourage British children to learn from the language and set an example of warmth and kindness to others.
Mavka and Hey Duggee were introduced by the independent creative agency Mother, as part of the Friendly Faces project.
Felix Richter, Partner at Mother London, said: “Working together on this project to help thousands of children see the value of friendship, across language barriers, has been an absolute privilege.”
Harriet Newby-Hill, vice president of marketing for children and families at BBC Studios added: “We feel very proud that Hey Duggee is playing its part to help children coming to the UK from Ukraine feel feel welcome in such a charming and educational way.”
Hey Duggee, which recently had its fourth season launched, features nearly 200 episodes and over 40 original songs for young fans.
Each episode features members of the Squirrel Club exploring, learning, and overcoming challenges to earn new badges from Duggee, a large dog that specializes in their care.
Since its debut in 2014, the show has been a six-time BAFTA and international Emmy Award winner and the most watched children’s program on BBC iPlayer in 2021 and 2020.
It has over 2.4 million fans on social channels and its official YouTube channel has over a billion lifetime views.
Recently, Hey Duggee teamed up with Sir David Attenborough for the Blue Planet Badge for a special episode to share the wonder of plants and the importance of protecting the environment with young children.
Hey Duggee kicks off its first live stage show from December to late August 2023, touring 37 theaters across the UK and Ireland.
The new episode, along with all three existing seasons, is available on all Hey Duggee’s social channels, on CBeebies and BBC iPlayer.
