When passers-by saw an excited queue of people snaking around a department store in Birmingham earlier this year, they might have been forgiven for assuming they were waiting for a celebrity book signing or long-awaited sneaker drop.
Instead, these diehard fans were waiting to get their eager hands on Albee Bee and the latest Blossom Bunny – two of the Loveables from Jellycat’s spring 2025 collection.
The last few years have seen a huge surge in the popularity of these adorable characters: soft, velvety and packed with personality, Jellycat have become much-loved companions for collectors young and old.
One of the devotees you’d have spotted in the queue in Birmingham was Nirah Shaheen, 24, who has been collecting Jellycat for more than a year.
“My first-ever Jellycat was a Bashful Moss Bunny,” says Shaheen, a cybersecurity graduate from Birmingham. “I thought a green rabbit was pretty unusual, but when we saw him in a shop in Solihull the friend I was with said: ‘This bunny is you in a nutshell!’
“I love gardening and nature, and it felt like Moss encapsulated that – I also thought he’d be a lovely reminder of being carefree at university and the last few summers spent in the garden.
“From then on, I started collecting Jellycat to keep hold of important moments in my life. For me, they’re not just soft toys – they represent milestones in my life, and a way of unwinding from everyday stresses.”
So far, Shaheen has amassed an impressive collection of more than 100 Jellycat characters.
“Posting Jellycat content on TikTok has helped me build my confidence,” she says. “When lockdown hit when I was at university, my social skills took a knock. Since then, meeting other Jellycat fans at special events and chatting to them about new launches has really helped me. Whatever your age, the Jellycat community is always welcoming.”
You don’t have to look far to find members of this thriving community. Search social media for signs of Jellycat joy, and you’ll find 2.4 million followers of the official Jellycat Instagram page, and dozens of accounts dedicated to fans’ Jellycat collections – including @jellycatsmakeyousmile, created by foster carer Beverley Adamson, 66.
“My daughter Liz has been collecting Jellycat for many years, and although I could see how much pleasure she got from them, I honestly thought she was a bit crazy,” says Adamson, from Derbyshire. “But then last September, she bought me a Burly Boo Sheep for my birthday, followed by several more Jellycat. I started buying them for myself too, and now I don‘t want to stop.”
A year on, Adamson has a collection of about 300 – “although I haven’t counted them recently” – and is a passionate member of the Jellycat fandom.
“Collecting Jellycat is a hobby that’s full of joy – only Jellycat could make an onion look cute,” she says. “Everyone in the community is so supportive, non-judgmental and kind, and the whole family loves Jellycat now.
“My husband Sam and I are full-time foster carers for a 15-year-old, who has Dravet syndrome – he loves arranging my collection, and it’s something we can do together. Because Jellycat are meant to be cuddled, I share the joy with my five grandchildren, and even Sam has become interested.
“He made me buy Ramonda Ostrich in a shop because he felt sorry for her – he thought she looked sad, sitting there in a glass cupboard. Which she did!”
Committed Jellycat lovers are prepared to travel across the UK and beyond to track down their favourite characters. In October, a Jellycat Airlines pop-up in London was inundated with collectors, all keen to encounter luggage carousels and aeroplane cabins filled with bestselling characters.
Those fans who are happy to go the distance for their Jellycat cravings include mechanic Alana Balfour and her partner Jordan Powell, who run a business servicing and repairing performance cars in Airdrie, North Lanarkshire.
The couple’s collection began in 2022, when Balfour’s mother bought her a plant from the Silly Succulent range.
“She wanted to buy me a plant I couldn’t kill for my office, and that was the start of my collecting,” says Balfour, 28, from South Lanarkshire. “It was a lone venture until Jordan got involved, but now I’ve got around 250 characters, while Jordan has 40 of his own.
“About once a month, we’ll travel around Scotland in our campervan – which is seasonally decorated in Jellycat, of course – basing our route on where we’ll find stockists. We also make a seven-hour trip every month to our favourite shop to find retired Jellycat treasures.”
Balfour credits the characters with helping her through a difficult time in her life. “I love the comfort of Jellycat – they make me feel safe, and speak to my inner child,” she says. “In 2023 I found out I’m autistic, which was a bit of a shock. But having some cuddly Jellycat companions on my journey of acceptance has actually made it easier. And now? It’s fair to say I’m obsessed …”
Discover the irresistible world of Jellycat – where you’ll find cuddly friends in all shapes and sizes ready to steal your heart. Take a look at the very latest
