Peppa Pig 'Mister Skinny Legs' Episode Pulled Off Air For Second Time In Australia

An episode of ‘Peppa Pig’ has been pulled off air in Australia for the second time, after complaints it encouraged kids to play with spiders.

The ‘Mister Skinny Legs’ episode shows Peppa being told that spiders “can’t hurt you” by her dad, so she proceeds to play with the spider and tuck it into bed with her.

This advice from the British show was said to be “inappropriate” for Australian audiences.

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In 2012, the episode - ‘Mister Skinny Legs’ - was removed by the Australian Broadcasting Operation (ABC) from online viewing.

However in late August 2017, the episode was accidentally aired again on Nick Jr, a children’s channel available on Australian TV service Foxtel, according to the Guardian.

After a mother saw the show, she complained to Nick Jr and they agreed to remove the programme.

A Nickelodeon spokesperson told 9Honey in a statement on Tuesday 5 September: “Nick Jr. prides itself in creating a safe environment for its audience and bases all programming decisions upon internal guidelines in accordance with all Australian regulatory and legal obligations.

“While the episode does meet our criteria, after careful consideration we have made the programming decision to remove it from the Nick Jr. rotation.”

While spiders are less feared in the UK, they are the most “widely distributed venomous creatures” in Australia, according to Australian Geographic.

Despite reports of there being poisonous spiders in the UK, according to the British Arachnological Society, British spiders are “largely harmless and do lots of good for people”.

“Although spiders do produce potent venoms with which they immobilise and kill their prey, the vast majority of British spiders cannot break human or pet skin with their fangs,” the website states.

“There are a few species that, if provoked, can bite and inject venom, but this usually happens when trapped inside clothing or bedclothes, or poked with a finger.

“The effect of a bite is usually very mild but, as with bee and wasp stings, people’s responses vary widely. Most rashes or wounds attributed to a ‘spider bite’ have other causes – it’s almost never a spider.”

It still might be worth having a word with your little one if they start deciding they want to tuck a spider into bed with them...

Before You Go

7 Fun Creative Craft Projects For Toddlers

Make a crown fit for a prince or princess(01 of07)

Wrap bendable card around your child's head, take the measurement and trim off the excess card. Next, cut the card into a crown using a zigzag or get creative and try sticky-up hair or a favourite animal’s head or ears. Now it's your toddler's turn to decorate the card with felt tip pens, paint and glued-on bits of paper. Once they’re done staple the short sides together to create the crown. This is a great craft project for a play date. (credit:Matelly via Getty Images)

Make a car for whacky races(02 of07)

Large cardboard boxes are just begging to be transformed into cars. Glue paper plates to the side as wheels and let your child's imagination roar. They may want to draw in people and make a bus or add windscreens and doors but let them take the driving seat. (credit:patrickheagney via Getty Images)

Make a mask(03 of07)

Make masks with paper plates, hole punched on either side and threaded with elastic to fit your child's head. Your toddler can create whatever face they like using pens, paint, cut up tissue paper for hair and pipe cleaners for whiskers. (credit:igor kisselev, www.close-up.biz via Getty Images)

Make a model with modelling clay(04 of07)

Toddlers love squishing, rolling and moulding play dough with different shaped cutters and their hands. Keep your homemade play dough in a sealed container or mix up a new batch with this super simple recipe: 3 cups of flour; 2 tablespoons of cornflour, 1 cup of salt, 1 cup of cold water and 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil. Your toddler will love mixing up the ingredients. Divide your dough and choose different food colourings. Note: The salt content of homemade play dough is very high - keep an eye on your toddler to make sure they don’t eat any. (credit:Westend61 via Getty Images)

Do some potato printing and finger painting(05 of07)

Halve a few potatoes and cut out shapes of stars, circles, letters or animals (whatever your child asks you to do). Then, dip the cut out potato half into washable, brightly coloured poster paint and it's time for some stamping fun on plain paper. Hand printing is lots of squelchy fun too (and you'll have a lovely record of just how little their hands were). (credit:Michaela Gunter via Getty Images)

Make some binoculars or a telescope(06 of07)

This couldn't be simpler: after your toddler has painted two cardboard tubes the colours of their choice, tape them together for a pair of binoculars. A single longer roll (from your kitchen towel) makes a great pirate's telescope too. (credit:Chris Stein via Getty Images)

Make some silly glasses(07 of07)

Cut out a pair of glasses in plain cardboard. Stick coloured cellophane into the holes as lenses and let your toddler paint them in bright, funky colours. Once the paint is dry, provide a selection of sparkly bits and pieces to decorate: think sequins, buttons, self-adhesive spots, even pasta shapes. Now your toddler is ready for a super-cute photo opportunity. Note: Ensure your toddler is supervised at all times as small objects like sequins and buttons are choking hazards. (credit:Westend61 via Getty Images)