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YouTube, with its algorithms and auto-play, can veer off and take one down a dark path pretty quickly.

In that sense, it can end up being a traumatic space for children if parents aren’t paying close attention to what their kids are watching.

Enter the new horror character with a deceptively cute name that is confusing the YouTube parental control radar and scaring children: Huggy Wuggy.

The character comes from the 2021 horror video game Poppy Playtime but is showing up in other videos and spaces that it shouldn’t, like in a ‘fan’ episode of the wildly popular kid-friendly series Peppa Pig and across social media.

Your kids could meet Huggy Wuggy in a Poppy Playtime video:

Or attacking Peppa Pig during sleep time:

As a result, police, schools, and other concerned parties are warning parents to watch out for the fluffy blue monster with razor-sharp teeth.

Here’s News24 with more:

While the name makes the character sound like a missing member of the Teletubbies, it’s anything but, with the game’s songs lyrics about the character including:

“His name is Huggy, Huggy Wuggy. When he hugs you, he’ll never stop… He’ll squeeze you until you pop”.

Per Newsweek, a Dorset Police spokesperson also provided more information:

“Set in an abandoned toy factory, Huggy is a villain in the game who stalks the players from vents and unreachable places. Videos of the game are available to watch on YouTube, with other clips dedicated to Huggy in songs.

“One song includes the lyrics ‘I could hug you here forever, till you breathe your last breath together.'”

Disturbingly, UK-based principal Justine Brown says that pupils have started copying Huggy Wuggy on the playground, “hugging and whispering nasty things in the recipient’s ear”.

Even more disturbing is a story from a UK parent who found her three-year-old watching Huggy Wuggy on the gaming platform Roblox:

“He got to the stage where he didn’t know the difference between reality and gaming. He tried to climb up my bedroom window, saying he would die and come back to life, telling me that’s what Huggy Wuggy does,” the mom said, adding that she’s now become highly vigilant.

“We have banned Roblox and put locks on YouTube. I have window locks being installed next week because he is still thinking about it. There are numerous terrifying characters in these games”.

Melissa Bykofsky, the US-based Editorial Director of Parents.com, has advised parents to check in with their kids to see if they’ve seen this awful character:

[sources:news24&newsweek]