A Womble has caused uproar, removing his head and revealing he wasn't "real" to thousands of children who had tuned in to a live webcast on BBC Radio Two.
Orinoco's fans watched horrified as the Womble - played by songwriter Mike Batt - took his head off as the interview with Simon Mayo drew to a close.
The BBC have since removed the weblink video, but the ensuing furore may even put in doubt the Wombles' hopes to trounce the Christmas number one single spot with their classic Wombling Merry Christmas.
Batt, the longtime alter ego of Orinoco and man behind the Wombles since the 1970s, is an established singer-songwriter, the creator of such notable hits as Bright Eyes (for Art Garfunkel in Watership Down), A Winter's Tale (for David Essex), I Feel Like Buddy Holly (Alvin Stardust) and The Closest Thing To Crazy (Katie Melua).