The Wiggles want to make one thing very clear: they do not condone the use of MDMA.
After two of its members appeared in a controversial TikTok video, the group – which has entertained children around the world for decades – issued a statement on the weekend denying any suggestion it supports the use of drugs.
It came after controversy over a video clip featuring the song Ecstasy by Australian singer Keli Holiday, which includes the lyrics: “Hey girl, come on dance with me/you and your pocket full of ecstasy”.
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Holiday last week posted a TikTok video in which the “Blue Wiggle”, Anthony Field, and his nephew Dominic Field, better known as the Tree of Wisdom, dance behind the singer as the song plays.
The video has since been deleted by Holiday, a musical alias for Adam Hyde, who is also a member of electronic music duo Peking Duk.
The Fields’ appearance in the video was criticised online and by two child psychologists, who told The West Australian that it was a complete “lapse of judgment”.
But the Wiggles said they did not know footage of them dancing with Holiday, recorded during last week’s TikTok awards in Sydney, where they also performed with the singer, would be used in this way.
A spokesperson for the Wiggles said the group understood that the video had caused concern for many parents and professionals.
“The Wiggles do not support or condone the use of drugs in any form,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“The content being shared was not created or approved by us, and we have asked for it to be removed.
“While Keli Holiday (Adam Hyde) is a friend of The Wiggles, the video and the music added to it were created independently and without our knowledge”.
The spokesperson said that the Wiggles’ performance at the TikTok awards was family-friendly and fun, and the video was edited together separately and without their awareness.
