- Mr. Blobby is also the name of a popular internet meme
The term Internet meme is a phrase used to describe a catchphrase or concept that spreads quickly from person to person via the Internet, much like an esoteric inside joke...
photo of a member of the blobfishThe blobfish is a fish that inhabits the deep waters off the coasts of the Australian mainland and Tasmania.Due to the inaccessibility of its habitat, it is rarely seen by humans....
family.
Mr. Blobby was a character on
Noel EdmondsNoel Ernest Edmonds, DL is an English television presenter and executive, who made his name as a DJ on BBC Radio 1 in the UK. He has presented many light entertainment television programmes, including Multi-Coloured Swap Shop, Top of the Pops, The Late, Late Breakfast Show and Noel's House Party...
' Saturday night variety television show
Noel's House PartyNoel's House Party was a BBC television light entertainment show hosted by Noel Edmonds that was broadcast live on Saturday evenings throughout the 1990s. It was set in a large house in the fictional village of Crinkley Bottom, leading to much innuendo. The show was broadcast during the...
. A large pink blob, covered with yellow spots, sporting a permanent toothy grin and jiggling eyes, he communicated only by saying the word "blobby" in an electronically-altered voice, expressing his moods through tone of voice and repetition.
Mr. Blobby actually started out as part of the 'Gotcha' feature during the show's second series, in which celebrities were caught out in a
Candid CameraCandid Camera was a hidden camera television series created and produced by Allen Funt, which initially began on radio as Candid Microphone June 28, 1947...
style prank. He was presented to the celebrities as a character in a children's television show, recording an episode centred around the celebrities profession. Mr. Blobby would clumsily take part in the activity, knocking over the set, causing mayhem and saying "blobby blobby blobby", until finally when the prank was revealed, the Blobby costume would be opened - revealing Noel inside.
Once the first Gotcha segments had aired, Mr Blobby was no longer usable as part of the Gotcha sequences, but continued to make appearances on Noel's House Party. There was a Mrs. Blobby, seen briefly in the video, and sold as a doll.
The Song and the Video
The Mr. Blobby spoof theme song
"Mr. Blobby""Mr Blobby" is a novelty song performed by character Mr Blobby, famous for appearing in the TV programme Noel's House Party. The song had originally peaked at #1 on the chart on 5 December 1993 for one week. It later spent a total of 3 weeks at #1...
was released as a single, and hit #1 on the
UK top 40 chartsThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The full chart contains the top 200 singles based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 of this list...
. On Dec 11 1993, it hit #1, replacing
Meat Loaf Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage names Meat Loaf and Meat Loaf Aday, is an American rock musician and actor...
's "
I'd Do Anything For Love (But I Won't Do That)"I'd Do Anything for Love " is a song composed and written by Jim Steinman, and recorded by Meat Loaf. The song was released in 1993 as the first single from the album Bat out of Hell II: Back into Hell....
" which had been in the #1 spot for 7 weeks. A week later, "Babe" by Take That bumped it off #1, but only for a week. It returned to the #1 spot on the charts on Christmas Day and remained for another 2 weeks. The song also became the first to return to the No.1 position since 1968.
The single later received the dubious honour of being voted the most annoying Christmas #1 single according to the yearly HMV poll.
A music video was created for the single, which spoofed several famous music videos. For example, Mr. Blobby took the role of the dying man from the
Shakespears SisterShakespears Sister is a synth-pop-rock band formed by former Bananarama singer-songwriter Siobhan Fahey in 1988. It was Fahey's first musical project since leaving Bananarama. Later in 1989, American backing vocalist and guitarist Marcella Detroit was featured more as London Records presented the...
"Stay" video which featured a Marcella Detroit lookalike, there was a segment which featured guitar playing girls dressed like the "Addicted to Love Video" and homage to the members of Genesis spoofing their "I Can't Dance" video. It featured Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear as Mr. Blobby's limo driver.
Mr. Blobby was a
One Hit WonderA One-hit wonder has been defined by The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles as an artist who has achieved a No.1 hit in the UK Singles Chart and has never had another hit....
for two years, however a follow up single called "Christmas In Blobbyland" was released on 16 December 1995, peaking at number 36 and it was in the charts for 4 weeks.
we also 1earn that Mr Blobby has a wife who is introduced in 'Mr Blobby's holiday' who similarly has an equal personality as her 'husband'
Popularity
Following his popularity, Mr. Blobby eventually became a character in his own right, despite his major talent - falling down. The Mr. Blobby costumes were created by artist Joshua Snow.
Mr. Blobby was hired to make appearances at events such as university balls. For example, he was the guest performer at the University of Birmingham Spring Ball in 1994.
Through Noel's House Party, Mr. Blobby was seen in shorts, 'guest appearing' on other fictional TV programmes. Examples include
LovejoyLovejoy is a TV series about the adventures of Lovejoy, a British antiques dealer based in East Anglia whose scruples are not always the highest. These were based on a series of picaresque novels by John Grant...
, where he unintentionally broke antique furniture, and Keeping Up AppearancesKeeping Up Appearances is a British sitcom starring Patricia Routledge as eccentric, social-climbing snob Hyacinth Bucket. Created and written by Roy Clarke, it aired on BBC1 from 1990 to 1995 — spanning five seasons and 44 episodes — four of which are Christmas specials.In 2004 the show came 12th...
, where he was seen making an impromptu visit on
HyacinthHyacinth Bucket, who insists her last name is pronounced "Bouquet" , is the main character in the BBC sitcom Keeping Up Appearances , played by Patricia Routledge.-Personality:...
and Richard Bucket, disrupting their kitchen.
Criticism
Despite Blobby's lengthy tenure at the BBC, the character was criticised due to his broad, low-brow humour. In his 2008 autobiography, broadcasting legend and former BBC employee
Sir Michael ParkinsonSir Michael Parkinson, CBE is an English broadcaster and journalist. He presented his interview programme, Parkinson, from 1971 to 1982 and from 1998 to 2007.- Early life :...
acknowledged these criticisms and expressed disdain for the character, stating that he found him "unamusing."
His 1993 single "Mr. Blobby", which reached #1 in the UK at Christmas 1993, was voted the worst Christmas song ever in a 2002 poll conducted by
HMVHis Master's Voice is a famous trademark in the music business, and for many years was the name of a large record label. The name was coined in 1899 as the title of a painting of the dog Nipper listening to a wind-up gramophone...
.
Other appearances
Mr. Blobby stood in the
Littleborough and Saddleworth by-electionA by-election was called in the constituency of Littleborough and Saddleworth in Greater Manchester, England, on the 27 July 1995 following the death of Conservative Party MP Geoffrey Dickens on 17 May of that year....
in 1995, having changed his name from John McLagan. Mr. Blobby has also made regular appearances on Saturday morning show
Live & KickingLive & Kicking was a BBC Saturday morning children's magazine programme, running from 1993 to 2001. The fourth in a succession of Saturday morning shows, it was the replacement for Going Live!, and took many of its features from it, such as phone-ins, games, comedy, competitions and the showing of...
and Saturday evening show
Jim DavidsonJim Davidson OBE is an English comedian, actor and television presenter. He has been made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for services to entertainment, particularly of British Soldiers in conflict zones.- Biography :Jim was born in Kidbrooke, London and attended Kidbrooke Park...
's
Generation GameThe Generation Game was a British game show produced by the BBC in which four teams of two compete to win prizes....
. He appeared on a
Get Your Own BackGet Your Own Back was a children's television gameshow produced by CBBC, which ran from 26 September, 1991 to 31 March, 2003. It has been presented throughout by Dave Benson Phillips, with the addition of Lisa Brockwell as a co-host from 2001 to the programme's end in 2003...
Christmas special (17 December 1997), he went on the Gunk Dunk to ask the questions when Dave Benson Phillips was in the chair and because he could only say 'Blobby', Phillips got all the questions wrong and was thrown in the
gungeGunge, or Slime, as it is known in America, is a thick, gooey, runny substance similar to paint. It is often seen on game shows and has been a feature on many children’s programmes around the world. In most cases, the gunging occurs in a gunge tank, a transparent booth with a mechanism for storing...
pool. It was therefore set up so that he would go in.
In 2002 Mr. Blobby appeared in
pantomimePantomime is a musical-comedy theatrical production traditionally found in Great Britain, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, South Africa, Japan, Ireland, Gibraltar and Malta, and is usually performed during the Christmas and New Year season.-History:A pantomimos in Greece was...
in
CroydonCroydon is a major commercial centre in Greater London and the principal settlement of the London Borough of Croydon. It is south of Charing Cross, and is one of the major metropolitan centres identified in the London Plan...
,
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
. The actor wearing the suit came to the rescue of "star"
Stephen MulhernStephen Daniel Mulhern is a British TV presenter, entertainer, and former magician. He began presenting in the studio on CITV in May 1998 and became a leading presenter on the channel, until he left in August 2002. He has presented a number of shows, including SMTV Live, Holly & Stephen's Saturday...
when he found the panto audience difficult. The actor, Barry Killerby, pretended to be the female producer of the show and threatened to have the young people at the front of the auditorium "removed from the Theatre". In the press it stated the word Theatre was elongated in a very theatrical way. There was confusion as to whether Killerby was serious but Mulhern found he could work better with a silent Panto audience than a true panto audience. One group in question wrote to Killerby about this, no reply was forthcoming.
The character Krotchy in the 2003 PC game
Postal²Postal 2 is a first-person shooter video game by Running with Scissors, and it is the sequel to the 1997 game Postal. Both are intentionally highly controversial due to high levels of violence and stereotyping. Unlike its predecessor, Postal 2 is played completely in first-person based on the...
seems to be a visual parody of Mr. Blobby.
He has also appeared in the music video for Peter KayPeter John Kay is an English comedian, writer, producer, director and actor. His work includes That Peter Kay Thing , Phoenix Nights , Max and Paddy's Road to Nowhere , Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and other independent productions.-Early career:Kay was born in Farnworth near Bolton,...
's 2005 charity single "Is This the Way to Amarillo"Is This the Way to Amarillo" is a song written by Neil Sedaka and Howard Greenfield, referring to Amarillo, Texas. It is about a man travelling to Amarillo to find his girlfriend. The reason that Amarillo was chosen for the song was because it was the only place name that Sedaka could think of...
", where he was played by actor Martin JarvisMartin Jarvis OBE is an English actor.-Early life:He is the son of Denys Harry Jarvis and Margot Lillian Scottney, and grew up in South Norwood. He attended the independent Whitgift School in Croydon....
. He was also a celebrity Bungalowhead on Dick and Dom in da BungalowDick and Dom in da Bungalow was an Award winning CBBC children's television series presented by the double act Dick and Dom - Richard McCourt and Dominic Wood . In the final series, Series 5, five children and one celebrity guest came to "stay the weekend" in their "bungalow"...
. He also appeared in the cellar cage in the final episode of series four.
In a form of in-joke, Barry Killerby appeared on the 8 May 2006 edition of Dead RingersDead Ringers is a UK radio and television comedy impressions broadcasted on BBC Radio 4 and later BBC Two. The programme was devised by producer Bill Dare and developed with Jon Holmes, Andy Hurst and Simon Blackwell. It starred Jon Culshaw, Jan Ravens, Phil Cornwell, Kevin Connelly and Mark Perry....
as a contestant on a sketch spoofing Deal or No Deal
. He appeared again on the 29 May edition, this time in the Mr. Blobby costume.
On 27 January 2007 Mr. Blobby made an appearance on Harry Hill's TV BurpHarry Hill's TV Burp is a popular BAFTA award-winning British television comedy programme, produced by Avalon Television for ITV, and is hosted by the comedian Harry Hill...
in an EastEndersEastEnders is a long-running, popular and award-winning television soap opera, first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC One on 19 February 1985...
joke, where character
Dot BranningDorothy "Dot" Branning is a fictional character from the popular BBC soap opera, EastEnders, played by June Brown, although a young Dot was played by Tallulah Pitt-Brown in flashbacks in a special episode entitled EastEnders: Dot's Story .Dot first appeared in EastEnders in July 1985 as the mother...
is in Pauline's kitchen, thinking an intruder is coming, grabs a saucepan as weaponry and resorts to the corner of the kitchen. The door opens and Dot says "You!" in
disbelief. The camera cuts to the door and Mr. Blobby is standing there, starts screaming in his characteristic voice and proceeds to smash up the kitchen. This is instead of Joe, who in the episode was the one to come into the kitchen. Later in the episode he had a fight with Phil Mitchell, to decide who was best at not opening doors.
Mr. Blobby also made a surprise appearance at the
WitnnessWitnness was an Irish music festival, sponsored by Guinness, which ran for four consecutive summers from 2000 to 2003. Originally it was held at Fairyhouse Racecourse in County Meath, but it was moved to Punchestown Racecourse in County Kildare for its final year...
music festival,
Fairyhouse RacecourseFairyhouse Racecourse is one of Ireland's premier horse racing venues. Situated in the parish of Ratoath in County Meath, on the R155 regional road, 3km off the N3. It is the home of the Irish Grand National. The first race meet was held in 1848...
,
County MeathCounty Meath is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Leinster. It was named after the historic kingdom and province of Mide....
,
IrelandIreland is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island in the world. It lies to the north-west of continental Europe and is surrounded by hundreds of islands and islets. To the east of Ireland, separated by the Irish Sea, is the island of Great Britain...
in the summer of 2002. Blobby took to the stage and attempted to down a pint of
GuinnessGuinness is a popular dry stout that originated in the brewery of Arthur Guinness at St. James's Gate, Dublin. Guinness is based on the porter style that originated in London in the early 18th century and is one of the most successful beer brands worldwide. A distinctive feature is the burnt...
. He stopped while the glass was still half full to the jeers of the crowd but quickly recovered to finish his pint and win the hearts and affections of the crowd back.
Mr. Blobby makes an appearance in the videos for Chelsea Smile And "The Comedown" by the band
Bring Me The HorizonBring Me the Horizon are an English metalcore band from Sheffield, Yorkshire, who formed in 2004. They played a style of music that fuses death metal and metalcore, known as deathcore on their first album — but they have taken on a more eclectic style with their latest album.-Early years and Count...
(played by lead singer Oliver Sykes).
Toys, Merchandising, and Blobby online
Around Christmas 1993, retailers came out with many types of Mr. Blobby merchandise. In addition to the CD or cassette tape single, you could purchase Mr. Blobby dolls, slippers, egg cups, condiment shakers, small cans of pink lemonade, towels and other items. Lledo even made a die cast Mr. Blobby pink bull nose Morris Van.