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Name: Evie.
Age: Brand new.
Appearance: Tiny, porcine.
That’s not very nice. It’s OK, Evie is a Pig.
A Pig with a capital P? Pig is her surname – Evie is Peppa Pig’s sister.
Peppa Pig has a sister? She does now. Evie was born at 5.34am on Monday.
That’s a bit specific. Any idea where? Daddy and Mummy Pig welcomed Evie into the world at the Lindo Wing of St Mary’s hospital in London, where the Duchess of Cambridge, now the Princess of Wales, had her children.
This is the cartoon Peppa Pig, right? And not some weird family who have changed their name by deed poll? That’s right. A town crier made the announcement outside the hospital.
I didn’t realise the Pigs lived in London. Don’t be silly, they live in Peppatown.
And why Evie? She was named after an aunt of Mummy Pig’s, after a period of agonising indecision. “We’ve got SO many ideas for names. Too many, frankly!” Mummy Pig told Grazia last month.
Sorry, did you say Grazia? Yes, don’t you follow celebrity news, or are you too high-minded for that sort of thing?
It’s just that I had no idea Mummy Pig was even pregnant. That was first announced in February, although it wasn’t revealed on the show until 30 March, Mother’s Day in the UK.
How is Peppa taking the news? Peppa and her brother, George, are said to be “thrilled”, but we’ll see how long that lasts.
Remind me how old Peppa is again? Peppa is four, but the show has been on the air for 21 years, so you could say 21, or possibly 25.
I don’t know how to react to that. Just rejoice in the happy news like everyone else.
Everyone else? Congratulations have been rolling in from nursery brands, Boots and others since the announcement was made live on Good Morning Britain.
People are certainly making a big deal out of this. That’s hardly surprising, given that Peppa Pig is broadcast in more than 180 territories worldwide, in more than 40 languages. The official YouTube channel has almost 40 million subscribers. A new character presents, if nothing else, a huge marketing opportunity.
Who owns Peppa Pig? In 2019, the company that owned the franchise was acquired by Hasbro for £3.3bn.
That’s a lot of money. Peppa makes a lot of money. In addition to programmes, books and merchandise, there are theme parks all over the world, including Peppa Pig World in Hampshire.
Ah, yes. Boris Johnson’s favourite place, according to a confused and rambling speech he made to the Confederation of British Industry in 2021. I’ll bet he hasn’t been back.
Do say: “Welcome, little Evie.”
Don’t say: “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down!”
