The beloved children's entertainment group, The Wiggles, has been forced to publicly state it does not support drug use after an unauthorised TikTok video caused significant concern among parents and professionals.
Unauthorised Video Sparks Controversy
The incident centred on a now-deleted video posted by singer Keli Holiday, whose real name is Adam Hyde from the band Peking Duk. The clip, which reportedly amassed over 92,000 views across TikTok and Facebook before removal, showed Blue Wiggle Anthony Field and his nephew, Dominic Field (known as The Tree of Wisdom), dancing behind Holiday.
The soundtrack was Holiday's song 'Ecstasy', which contains lyrics referencing the drug MDMA. The video was captioned 'The Wiggles get it', implying an endorsement, which led to immediate criticism.
Firm Denial and Swift Action
Reacting to the backlash, a spokeswoman for The Wiggles provided a statement to The Western Australian. She confirmed the group had asked for the video to be taken down as it was never approved.
'The Wiggles do not support or condone the use of drugs in any form,' the statement read. 'The content being shared was not created or approved by us, and we have asked for it to be removed.'
The spokeswoman clarified that while Keli Holiday is a friend, the video was edited and published independently without the group's knowledge. She stressed that their actual performance at the TikTok Awards was 'family-friendly and fun'.
Expert Concern and Group Reassurance
The video drew sharp criticism from experts, including psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Gregg, who labelled it 'disturbing and potentially dangerous' given The Wiggles' core audience of young children.
In their statement, The Wiggles moved to reassure families, saying they 'deeply value the confidence families place in us' and remain committed to creating safe, positive, and educational experiences for children globally.
The current lineup of eight Wiggles includes Anthony Field, the sole original member from 1991, and his nephew Dominic, who has been an official background performer since 2014.
