Who is Pudsey Bear?
BBC Children in Need wouldn’t be the same without everyone’s favourite bandana-wearing bear, Pudsey!
Below, you can learn all about the cuddly yellow fellow with a serious love of spots and a passion for helping children and young people in the UK who need it most.
All About Pudsey
Name: Pudsey Bear
Favourite colour: Yellow. Pudsey’s original answer was “spots”, but we had to let him know that it isn’t really a colour.
Distinguishing features: Pudsey Bear has one eye covered by a bandana. He also has bright yellow fur!
Best friend: Pudsey’s best friend is a brown bear called Blush! They love to hang out together.
Likes: Meeting new people, dancing, eating tasty snacks (particularly baked treats), dressing up, playing games and helping the people who need him most.
The Pudsey Bear Origin Story
Pudsey Bear first came to life in 1985. He was created by BBC graphic designer Joanna Lane – and started out with brown fur and a red bandana with black triangles.
He’s had a few makeovers since, changing to yellow fur and a white and red bandana in 1986, then a multicoloured bandana in 2007.
Why is Pudsey Bear yellow?
As we mentioned in his origin story, Pudsey started life as a brown bear! However, the bright yellow fur that he sports today helps him to stand out in a crowd, reflects his happy, optimistic personality and brings cheer to everyone who sees him.
So Why is Pudsey Called Pudsey?
Pudsey got his name from Joanna’s hometown in Yorkshire, UK.
Pudsey Day
BBC Children in Need Day – also known as Pudsey Day or Pudsey Bear Day – takes place on the third Friday in November.
As the big day gets closer, individuals, schools, sports teams and businesses all do their bit to help Pudsey and BBC Children in Need raise money so that children and young people can be their best.
All donations are used to fund vital projects right across the UK. You might just find that there’s one near you!
Pudsey and the BBC Children in Need Appeal Show
Pudsey Day ends with an amazing BBC Children in Need Appeal show on BBC1 and BBC iPlayer. There are fantastic celebrity guests – and BBC programmes like Countryfile, DIY SOS and The One Show all get involved. Pudsey also makes a special appearance, of course!
The event is a great way to shine a light on the SPOTacular achievements of projects funded by BBC Children in Need, as well as highlighting the vital work that still needs to be done.
The main aim of the Appeal Show is to raise money to support this amazing work– but you can donate to BBC Children in Need all year round!
Follow Pudsey on Social Media
Pudsey’s always active on social media. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram, X – and now TikTok, too!
Pudsey Resources
Find all kinds of fun activities just here. You can colour in, draw with Pudsey Bear’s spot-to-spot sheet, try a treasure hunt, make a Pudsey Bear mask, try your hand at Pudsey puzzles, design a T-shirt or bandana… the list goes on!
Donate
BBC’s Pudsey Day isn’t the only time you can donate to Pudsey and BBC Children in Need. You can make a contribution at any time of year. Follow the link below to find out how.
LEARN MORE AND MAKE A DONATION
